Harvesting And Processing Of Hybrid Seed Corn

At Silver Lane Hybrids

After the truck is unloaded into the pit the seed corn goes up a slow speed elevator into a Clipper Cleaner. The seed receives a final cleaning on its way to the grading tower

We use Carter-Day sizing equipment to separate the seed corn into the final grades. The grades that Purple Ribbon seed corn is separated into are medium rounds, medium flats, and plateless planter. We grade corn because some farmers like the flat grade, some the round grade and some use plateless planter. Farmers all have specific reasons for using a particular grade and we try hard to satisfy their needs.

If you look inside the sizing machine you would find these screen cylinders. They have different size and shaped holes which allows only seed of a certain size and shape to fall through, thus separating it into the different grades of seed.

This screen cylinder separates out the flat grade of seed corn. Notice the long narrow slots in the screen, these slots allow the flat seed to fall through and keeps the rounds inside the cylinder.

This cylinder screen allows only rounds of a certain size to fall through the screen. Our plateless planter grade of seed is made up of sized rounds and flats that fall outside the usual round or flat grade specification.

Here you can see the medium round grade coming out the end of the rotating cylinder screen. The rounds are moved into hopper tank storage until they can be further processed.

After being stored in the hopper tank the seed corn is then conveyed by belt to the next step in the seed conditioning process.

This is a machine known as a gravity table. The machine uses vibration, gravity and air pressure to separate out light test weight, insect, or disease damaged corn kernels. The adjustment of this machine is critical in the conditioning process. Years of experience in its operation ensures that we keep only the best seed to put into our bags.

The table is on an incline, it vibrates and has a current of air blowing through it. As the corn seed passes over it the lighter kernels remain on the bottom side of the table, these kernels are removed and discarded. The normal seed goes to the top of the table and are moved into storage until they are put into a Purple Ribbon Bag.