By Sam Bibby
While purchasing certified seed ensures high germination rates, genetic consistency, hybrid vigor, and seed cleanliness, saving and cleaning your own seed can be an effective way to lower input costs, provided all legal requirements are met.
Before saving seed, farmers must ensure full compliance with Plant Variety Protection (PVP) laws, patent regulations, and specific technology or seed-purchase agreements, as many protected varieties strictly prohibit saving seed. Where legally permitted, however, handling and cleaning saved seed on-farm can add real value to your operation.
Rotary Screeners
Rotary screeners are among the most common pieces of seed-cleaning equipment found on grain farms today. Rotary screeners are very affordable based on bushels cleaned per hour.
They work by running grain through a rotating drum made of perforated screen, smaller trash falls through the screen and are carried away. They do a great job at cleaning grain prior to market or storage. Rotary screeners are very effective at removing fines in corn that prevent even drying in the bin. Some two-stage models offer the ability to remove larger trash such as cob pieces.
While primarily used for larger grains such as corn, rotary screeners can also be used for small grains, although changing screens can be time-consuming. In many cases, a two-stage model can produce a sample clean enough to be planted with a grain drill. Certain crops or trash problems cannot be adequately cleaned without utilizing moving air such as from a fanning mill or aspirator.
Source : wisc.edu