Process

Since inception only the best Farmers are contracted to grow seed and today, they are the only Farmers that the company deals with directly.

Seed Growing

Crops are inspected by our highly trained in-house crop inspectors ensuring only the best and purest crops are used for production. A number of high-grade Pre-Basic, Basic and C1 crops are grown for both ourselves and on behalf of breeders.

If this is something you would be interested in, please get in touch.

Cereal Seed Cleaning

Cereal seed is produced in-house, using our new state of the art seed processing facility that has been undergoing significant renewal since 2018, another new line replaced in 2020 with a third to include further cleaning and dressing capability with the addition of colour optical sorters on every line.

The optical sorter is designed to remove impurities using colour, size and shape to give the purest possible sample.

Laboratory

The Licensed Seed Testing Laboratory at Harleys currently has staff with a combined total of 100 years of experience.

We are licensed to carry out tests on all cereals, brassicas and pulses.

We have two labs consisting of an intake lab and certification lab.

The Intake Lab deals with samples taken from lorries/trailers. Moisture, Specific weight and screenings are done on these, along with an admixture check for other contaminants.

We carry out intensive quality control on our seed production, testing for germination using 24hr Tetrazolium method, admixture, moisture content and thousand seed weight.

Our certification lab is monitored by the OSTS at SASA, with 10% of our work being randomly selected and tested to compare results. We are also audited biannually, checking all records and equipment.

Seed Treating

Harley Seeds is accredited to the ESTA Scheme (European Seed Treatment Assurance). This is a standard to support the industry and provides a quality assurance system to assure that seed treatment and the resulting treated seed meets requirements defined by legislators and industry. Treatments guard your seed investment during the crucial early development stages, helping to prevent irreversible damage from numerous early-season pests, including insects, diseases and nematodes.

Seed treatments available from Alexander Harley Seeds (Milnathort) include but not limited to:

  • Vibrance Duo – SDHI based seed treatment for better establishment & rooting – increasing yield potential.
  • Kick Off – Phosphate/phosphite based seed treatment which promotes both root and shoot development to aid plant emergence and establishment.

  • Manganese – Ensures manganese is immediately available to the germinating seed.

  • Latitude – Applied with Standard Seed Dressing, the only specialist take-all seed treatment.

  • Signal – Applied with Standard Seed Dressing, Insecticide for reduction of wirework and wheat bulb fly on winter wheat and barley.

  • Rancona Imix – Standard Seed Dressing for control of loose smut, leaf stripe of barley, protects against seedling blight and foot rot resulting in improved crop establishment.
  • Beret Gold – Standard Seed Dressing for control of fusarium seedling blight, bunt, smut, Septoria and snow mould.
  • Redigo Pro – Standard Seed Dressing for the control of principle seed-borne diseases and soil borne bunt.
  • Manganese Trio – Manganese, also containing Zinc and Copper.

  • Newton – Delivering vigorous crop establishment, minus the stress, and 100% all natural.

Interagro

Newton  biostimulant seed treatment

Working with the agricultural industry to help protect crops across the globe from pests, weeds, diseases, and more recently, climate change.