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VOLUME 9 • ISSUE 2 WINTER 2013
The Ideal Seeding System for All Crops As Prairie farmers add new crops such as soybeans and corn to their rotations, more and more are realizing SeedMaster is the only seeding system they need for everything – not just canola. Just ask Brooks White, who planted all of his crops – soybeans, sunflowers, grain corn, wheat, barley, hemp, and millet – with a new 60’ SeedMaster drill and tank system this spring. It was White’s first year with a SeedMaster. “The main reason I switched to SeedMaster was the even emergence you get with the independent openers,” he says, noting his canola stands were often poor with his previous drill due to uneven seed depth.
‘A Superior System for Soybeans’
Brooks White (front row, second from right) shown here with family and farm staff, credits his SeedMaster for his best soybean crop ever despite a muddy spring.
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Research Results Unveiled
Norbert Beaujot
With another harvest in the bin, we’re busily preparing for our upcoming Master Seeders Conference. This year promises to be our best conference yet.
We’ll unveil exciting results from ongoing research trials at the SeedMaster Research
The Leader. By Design.™
Farm (see page 3). We conducted a canola seeding rate trial on a quarter section of land comparing seeding rates from 1.5 to 4.5 lbs/ acre. The final results are making us seriously consider dropping our standard canola rate below 3 lbs/acre. We’ll also share results from row spacing trials on spring wheat – comparing 10” and 15” spacing. The findings are impressive and support our belief that 15” row spacing delivers a great crop. CONTINUED ON PAGE 3
“I think the SeedMaster is a superior system for soybeans because it’s so gentle on seed. I was able to lower my soybean seeding rate which was a big cost savings,” says White, who farms near Pierson, Man. “I don’t know if people realize how gentle the seed distribution is with those SeedMaster on-board tanks. There are absolutely no manifolds for the seed to hit and cause damage. The seeds come off the roller, into the delivery tubes, and don’t touch anything until they hit the ground,” says White. He credits gentle, precise metering and the ground-following openers for growing his best soybean crop ever despite muddy conditions. “All of my crops came up nicer,” says White. “Some CONTINUED ON PAGE 4
INSIDE FLIP Overlap Control Makes Debut …page 2
Keeping Growers Ahead of the Curve …page 3
Master Seeders Conference Details …inside panel
FLIP Takes Overlap Control to a New Level
SeedMaster ‘Gives Back’ With SE¯D
After making its debut in farmers’ fields this spring, SeedMaster’s new awardwinning FLIP (Full Last Implement Pass)™ technology proved it really does take Auto Zone Command™ to a whole new level of overlap control.
New Charitable Foundation
FLIP is simple mapping software that works together with Auto Zone Command to eliminate overlap when seeding a field – for huge savings on input costs. Before FLIP was launched, Auto Zone Command would shut off product flow on the second pass through overlap areas – to prevent double seed and fertilizer from being applied, “but you were still running openers through seeded ground,” explains Owen Kinch, SeedMaster Field Research Manager. Now FLIP identifies the overlap areas, and prompts Auto Zone Command to immediately halt product flow in up to 10 zones – the first time openers pass through overlap areas. Product is then applied on the second pass through those areas at full implement width.
Prevents Seedbed Disturbance “On its own, Auto Zone Command offers huge savings by eliminating double seed and fertilizer in overlap areas of the field. But when you add FLIP, you get the added bonus of not disturbing planted seeds and not driving implements over those previously seeded areas,” explains Kinch. The diagrams below explain how FLIP works. As farmers seed the outside headland pass (diagram 1), FLIP creates an inside virtual pass immediately
beside that first pass. “The inside pass becomes your overlap zone. As you seed your A-B lines (diagram 2), whenever your openers encounter that virtual pass, FLIP prompts Auto Zone Command to shut off product flow to those openers,” says SeedMaster ACE Advisor Colin McMaster.
‘Giving back’ is one of the main goals of a new philanthropic foundation being launched by SeedMaster to mark its 10th anniversary this fall. “We created SE¯D (Social Entrepreneurship by Design) as a way of saying thanks to communities across Western Canada and the Midwest that have supported us over the years. The launch of SE¯D marks our 10th anniversary as a successful manufacturer of awardwinning seeding technology,” says Cory Beaujot, SeedMaster Marketing Manager. He adds, “The idea of reciprocity and philanthropy is very important to SeedMaster.”
Seed Headlands Last “It lets farmers seed the headlands last (diagram 4), maintaining seedbed integrity in those overlap areas, and not driving over seeded land every time they turn around at the headland,” says McMaster.
Farmers Pleased With FLIP Farmers who used FLIP for the first time this year were pleased with the results. “FLIP helps us do a better seeding job and gives our fields a very professional finish on the headlands,” says Martin Prince, who seeded canola, oats, and wheat with FLIP on his farm near North Battleford, Sask.
The primary mandate of SE¯D is to award grants of $1,000 to $10,000 as ‘seed money’ for innovative fundraising projects so community groups can ‘grow’ their fundraiser and make even more money for their charitable cause. “SE¯D helps fund the fundraisers so they can be more profitable to better serve their communities. That’s social entrepreneurship,” explains Beaujot.
Prince notes Auto Zone Command has helped save up to nine per cent on input costs by reducing overlap on his farm. He looks forward to using FLIP again next year when the software will be upgraded to do virtual passes around sloughs, rock piles, and other obstacles in his fields (diagram 3).
He notes SE¯D projects aren’t always about raising money. “Sometimes it’s a community-building or awareness campaign that will greatly benefit surrounding communities.”
FLIP – now a standard feature on all SeedMaster tank systems – won the Gold Innovation Award at Canada’s Farm Progress Show in Regina this summer. “The award recognizes the value FLIP offers as we continue leading the way in overlap control,” says Kinch.
SeedMaster is committing $100,000 annually to SE¯D and invites other industry partners to become GoldSE¯D donors by contributing $10,000 each to help SE¯D assist as many communities as possible.
First SE¯DLeaf Recipient
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The first SE¯DLeaf recipient was the Chris Istace Fundraiser in Moosomin, Sask. Istace is battling a reoccurring brain tumor – benign atypical meningioma – that has led to seizures and other health concerns. Surgery in June removed all but 7 mm of the tumor that remains in the lining between his brain and skull. Friends and family planned a fundraising dinner in August to offset future travel and medical costs.
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A
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SE¯D provided a cover the food bill donation helped money, and the
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$2,000 grant to for the event. “Our raise even more community really
Cory Beaujot says the launch of SE¯D (Social Entrepreneurship by Design) is the company’s way of ‘giving back’ as it marks its 10th anniversary. bonded together around this cause. It’s a perfect example of the projects SE¯D funds,” says Beaujot. The Craik and District Fire Department in central Saskatchewan also received SE¯D funding for its annual fundraiser this fall to replace an aging fire truck. The volunteer fire department serves a 50-km radius around Craik – mostly responding to motor vehicle accidents along the busy highway between Saskatoon and Regina. Ron Gilmour, board chairman of the fire department and a SeedMaster owner, says they were eager to attract more people this year and raise significantly more money by bringing in RiderGirl, a popular one-woman play based on a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan – but they needed help covering the cost. That’s when SE¯D stepped in with a $5,000 grant. “The SE¯D grant lets us charge more for tickets, and draw a larger, younger crowd that will spend more money,” says Gilmour. “There’s a real buzz over, ‘How did you get RiderGirl?’ I’m quick to say it was with the help of a good corporate partner, SeedMaster.”
10th Anniversary Gala SE¯D will be officially launched at SeedMaster’s 10th Anniversary Gala on November 26 in Regina. For more information, visit www.seedmaster.ca/ gala and www.seedmaster.ca/sed.
Research Keeps Growers Ahead of the Curve Farmers across Western Canada and the Midwest have been watching SeedMaster’s Research Farm with great interest this year. More than 150 farmers toured the 2,000-acre farm south of Whitewood, Sask., during field tours this summer. “Several more dropped by, phoned, or tweeted throughout the growing season for updates on the research trials being conducted there,” says Owen Kinch, SeedMaster Field Research Manager. One call came from an Alberta farmer planning to visit the farm after harvest. He wanted a closer look at the spring wheat trials to shed light on which row spacing he’ll choose on the new SeedMaster drill he’s purchasing this winter.
Row Spacing and Seeding Rate Trials
More than 150 farmers toured the SeedMaster Research Farm this summer to look at row spacing and seeding rate trials on wheat, canola, and soybeans, as well as side-by-side corn trials.
“The multi-year wheat trials are comparing yields between 10” and 15” row spacing,” says Kinch. Other research being conducted on the farm includes soybean trials measuring the impact of various seeding rates on plant populations; and canola seeding rate trials testing rates of 1.5 to 4.5 lbs/acre to determine the lowest plant population required to produce top yields.
Brian Doane, who farms more than 6,000 acres of wheat, canola, soybeans, and corn nearby, is interested in the row spacing trials. He’s trying to decide between 12” and 15” row spacing on the new SeedMaster system he’s pricing out. “I appreciate that they don’t just tell farmers that 15” spacing is good, they actually do research to prove it,” he says.
Soybeans ‘Impressive’
“A side-by-side corn trial comparing the performance of SeedMaster’s new corn meter (currently under development) with a corn planter has sparked considerable interest,” says Kinch.
“Part of the Research Farm’s mandate is to conduct trials that are relevant to today’s farming operations and will help farmers make important cropping and equipment decisions,” says Kinch.
“We want to know how our new corn roller measures up against today’s planters,” he says. “So do a lot of farmers who would prefer to seed all of their crops with a SeedMaster rather than having to purchase a corn planter, too.”
Maik Kort, an agronomist who specializes in soybeans with Delmar Commodities, was a guest speaker at the June field tour this summer. He says it was a great opportunity for growers to gather information, especially those contemplating newer crops like soybeans or corn.
As a farmer, Doane likes that SeedMaster is helping growers stay ahead of the curve by doing research on newer crops, and testing practices like wider spacing and lower seeding rates. “It shows they have their finger on the pulse of what farmers are thinking.”
FROM THE PRESIDENT (CONT. FROM PAGE 1)
out rollers – such as our UltraPro canola roller, our wheat roller, and our new corn roller – to seed every crop.
Side-By-Side Corn Trials And we’ll offer a detailed look at our side-by-side corn trials – presenting a cost-benefit analysis that examines the advantages of seeding corn with a planter versus the new corn meter we’re developing. Our trials reveal that growing corn is not only about singulation and seed spacing. It became clear that corn planters aren’t generally designed for direct seeding into residue and varying soil hardness. Corn growers typically pre-work their fields. In a no-till scenario, the SeedMaster achieved more uniform seed depth, and of course provided more accurate fertilizer placement considering we couldn’t apply fertilizer with the corn planter. We applied it in a separate pass using the SeedMaster instead. Our research trials confirm what many Prairie farmers already know – that the SeedMaster is the only seeding system they need for all crops (see page 1). The gentle precision of our on-board Individual Row Metering tanks is pivotal in making our seeding systems suitable for every crop. Our IRM tanks allow us to continually perfect new rollers, and make it easy to quickly switch
Nova Superior on Wheat & Soybeans The Nova Smart Cart™ also plays a major role in our versatility to seed all crops with excellent results. The uniformity of our wheat and soybean stands – all seeded with the Nova on our Research Farm this year – was outstanding. The Nova’s manifolds and metering systems are proving superior for crops seeded at higher rates. And its flexible design, combined with our on-board and liquid fertilizer tank options, make it possible for us to build seeding systems to fit any farm. As demand keeps building for SeedMaster seeding systems, the new assembly facility at our production plant is now fully ramped up – doubling our production capacity and enabling us to produce a Nova per day with ease and efficiency (see page 4 photo).
New SeedMaster Employees As we expand our SeedMaster team to keep pace with demand, we’d like to welcome the following
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Kort was impressed by the emergence and strong growth on the field-scale soybean trials. “The engineering of SeedMaster equipment does a great job on soybeans. The emergence was very even – almost like going in with a planter – very accurate and consistent.”
Full results from this year’s trials will be presented on November 27 at the Master Seeders Conference in Regina.
employees: HR specialist Tracy Kydd, new production foreman Jay Hilchey, and Tim Ottenbreit – previously the Canadian Sales Manager for Raven Industries. Tim will be an asset to SeedMaster Tim Ottenbreit and our customers as we introduce new Raven technology to our seeding systems. Please join us at our Master Seeders Conference on November 27. You’ll meet our entire staff and learn about our latest R&D breakthroughs, such as Auto Calibration™ – new industry-leading technology that prevents costly calibration errors. You’re also invited to our 10th Anniversary Gala on November 26 where we’ll formally launch SE¯D, our new philanthropic foundation (see page 2). See you soon! Norbert Beaujot, P. Eng. President, SeedMaster
IDEAL SEEDING SYSTEM (CONT. FROM PAGE 1)
SeedMaster’s new corn meter.
fields we mucked in shouldn’t have emerged as well as they did. The way the SeedMaster floated over wet fields with that Lift Kit™, we were able to seed in conditions that wouldn’t have been possible with my old drill,” says White.
“We want to make corn a major part of our operation. Right now, we put fertilizer down with our SeedMaster and come back later with the planter. It takes three days to plant 450 acres of corn. With the SeedMaster, we’d cut that seeding time in half and eliminate the separate fertilizer pass,” he explains, noting he currently owns a 72’ SeedMaster.
New SeedMaster Corn Meter For his corn, White tested the new corn meter that SeedMaster is developing – seeding 700 acres side-by-side with 160 acres planted with a neighbour’s corn planter. Both crops were very comparable, says White. “I think the yields will be similar, too,” he says, adding if the corn roller was for sale today, he’d buy it.
Our new assembly facility at the SeedMaster manufacturing plant near Regina has doubled our production capacity and allows us to produce a complete Nova every day with ease and efficiency.
“Being able to seed everything with one machine and not having to own a planter is huge,” says White. “We can cover more ground faster with a SeedMaster, and we wouldn’t need a second operator to run a planter.” Brian Doane, who grows wheat, canola, soybeans, and corn near Kelso, Sask., agrees. He owns a corn planter, but is fascinated with the development of
Not Just a Canola Drill SeedMaster ACE Advisor Tim Zerr says, “Our wide row spacings and the ability to raise every other opener to seed on 24” or 30” rows is also fuelling interest in SeedMaster as the seeding system of choice for all crops.” “It’s all about efficiency,” says Zerr, pointing to innovations like Auto Zone Command, Auto Calibration and the Nova Smart Cart. “Farmers want simple, reliable technology that can seed any crop in one pass, and saves them time and money by eliminating things like overlap and calibration errors. That’s why so many are turning their attention to SeedMaster.”
To purchase SeedMaster products, visit our website and contact a dealer near you: BIG EQUIPMENT CO.
MAZERGROUP
RA WEST INTERNATIONAL INC
406.265.9554 HAVRE, MT www.bigequipment.com
204.376.5600 ARBORG, MB 204.728.2244 BRANDON, MB 204.873.2480 CRYSTAL CITY, MB 204.858.2000 HARTNEY, MB 204.523.4414 KILLARNEY, MB 306.435.3610 MOOSOMIN, SK 204.476.2364 NEEPAWA, MB 204.857.8711 PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, MB 204.937.2134 ROBLIN, MB 204.447.2739 STE. ROSE DU LAC, MB 204.759.2126 SHOAL LAKE, MB 204.734.9361 SWAN RIVER, MB www.mazergroup.ca
888.972.9378 VULCAN, AB www.rawest.com
MOODY’S EQUIPMENT LTD.
SCHROEDER BROS. IMPLEMENTS LTD.
CENTRAL ALBERTA PRECISION SEEDING 403.505.9524 PONOKA, AB www.precisionseeding.ca FARM WORLD EQUIPMENT LTD. 306.682.9920 HUMBOLDT, SK 306.864.3667 KINISTINO, SK 306.922.2525 PRINCE ALBERT, SK www.farmworld.ca FARMERS UNION OIL 701.756.6814 MOHALL, ND www.mohallcenex.com FOSTER’S AGRI-WORLD 780.354.3622 Beaverlodge, AB www.fostersagriworld.com GLASGOW IMPLEMENT INC. 406.228.9341 GLASGOW, MT MAPLE FARM EQUIPMENT 306.334.2492 BALCARRES, SK 306.272.3345 FOAM LAKE, SK 306.435.3301 MOOSOMIN, SK 306.547.2007 PREECEVILLE, SK 204.773.2149 RUSSELL, MB 306.554.2536 WYNYARD, SK 306.783.9459 YORKTON, SK www.maplefarm.ca
RAYMORE NEW HOLLAND 306.746.2911 RAYMORE, SK www.raymorenewholland.com
306.452.3444 REDVERS, SK
WATROUS NEW HOLLAND
R-J SALES & SERVICE LTD.
306.946.3301 WATROUS, SK www.watrousnewholland.com
SOUTH COUNTRY EQUIPMENT LTD. 306.642.3366 ASSINIBOIA, SK 306.721.5050 EMERALD PARK, SK 306.424.2212 MONTMARTRE, SK
WESTERN SALES 306.796.4320 CENTRAL BUTTE, SK 306.567.2828 DAVIDSON, SK 306.378.2575 ELROSE, SK 306.867.8601 OUTLOOK, SK 306.882.4291 ROSETOWN, SK www.westernsales.ca YORKTON NEW HOLLAND 306.783.8511 YORKTON, SK www.yorktonnewholland.com
For more information and a free video, please contact us at:
306.483.5115 OXBOW, SK www.nelsonmotors.com
#1 South Plains Rd. West Emerald Park, SK Canada S4L 1C6
PEACE COUNTRY EQUIPMENT 780.837.5433 DONNELLY, AB
www.seedmaster.ca
888.335.9454 LLOYDMINSTER, AB 888.504.0538 VEGREVILLE, AB www.tingleyshc.com
306.638.4516 CHAMBERLAIN, SK www.schroederbros.ca
NELSON MOTORS
TINGLEY IMPLEMENTS INC.
REDVERS AGRICULTURAL & SUPPLY LTD.
306.338.2541 WADENA, SK www.rjsales.ca
403.295.7824 BALZAC, AB 403.652.1410 HIGH RIVER, AB 306.463.2335 KINDERSLEY, SK 306.825.6141 LLOYDMINSTER, SK 403.556.3939 OLDS, AB 306.237.4272 PERDUE, SK 306.934.4686 SASKATOON, SK 306.228.2686 UNITY, SK www.moodysequipment.com
306.692.2371 MOOSE JAW, SK 306.354.2411 MOSSBANK, SK 306.726.2155 SOUTHEY, SK 306.842.4686 WEYBURN, SK www.southcountry.ca
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TOLL FREE: 1.888.721.3001 LOCAL: 306.721.3001 FAX: 306.721.3002
» November 27th, 2013
Seventh Annual
Master Seeders Conference Casino Regina Show Lounge
Join us for a day focused exclusively on the latest advances in direct seeding! Come and network with other progressive no-till farmers!
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Regina, Saskatchewan
� Fascinating research results on row spacing and seeding rate trials on wheat, canola, and soybeans. � New Auto Calibration technology that takes pressure off of farmers by preventing costly errors. � A cost-benefit analysis assessing the value of seeding corn with the new SeedMaster corn meter compared to a corn planter. � Leading-edge innovations in tank metering and overlap control.
O U R F E AT U R E D S P E A K E R S I N C L U D E :
Maik Kort Agronomist – Soybean Specialist, Delmar Commodities Maik will share valuable insight on how to successfully grow soybeans in Western Canada, and he’ll explain why SeedMaster is an ideal seeding system for soybeans. He will address management issues such as seedbed preparation, target plant populations, and insect and disease risks.
Seventh Annual
Master Seeders Conference
Our 2013 Master Seeders Panel: A lively Q&A forum featuring top farmers from Western Canada and the Midwest. Michael Nathe » Redstone, Mont.
Steve Wiens » Wymark, Sask.
He and his sons seed about 4,000 acres of wheat, malt barley, mustard, safflower, and lentils with the 60’ SeedMaster they bought three years ago to overcome poor stands due to uneven emergence with their old drill. Their crops now mature evenly thanks to uniform seed depth across all terrain and soil types with SeedMaster’s independent, hydraulic openers. Curtis says the dual knives let them efficiently and precisely apply higher rates of fertilizer in a sideband close to the seed. He can also tell you about research being conducted on his farm that measures N losses caused by broadcasting fertilizer – a common practice in Montana.
Michael seeds with an 80’ SeedMaster with an on-board tank and two Liquid Sulky Carts™. He switched to SeedMaster several years ago because the independent openers and low maintenance design are well suited to his rocky, rolling terrain. He likes that he can seed at up to 6.4 mph without sacrificing seed and fertilizer placement. He says he typically starts seeding a week earlier than others because his SeedMaster performs so well in wet conditions. And with the gentle precision of his on-board IRM tanks, he has dropped seeding rates by 10 to 15 per cent.
The Wiens seed up to 500 acres per day with the 7012-CT TXB SeedMaster drill and a 560-bu Nova they bought this spring. Since they started using SeedMaster equipment three years ago Steve says he’s seen yield increases of at least three to five per cent across all crops thanks to accurate seed and fertilizer placement. He likes the crop growth advantages that seeding between tall stubble rows gives them on 12” row spacing. And he likes no longer having to guess about his calibration rates with the Real-Time Product Weighing™ feature on their Nova Smart Cart.
The Picks cut their canola seeding rates by 2 lbs/acre with their first SeedMaster drill ten years ago. Kory credits their SeedMaster system with more even emergence, better yields, and the ability to safely apply higher fertilizer rates, thanks to the separate furrows that his dual knife openers create – for complete separation of seed and fertilizer. They’re now upgrading to a 70’ SeedMaster with a 40-bu on-board UltraPro tank and a 520 Nova Smart Cart.
Robert & Joanne Turpin » Battleford, Sask. The Turpins marked their first season with a new 70’ SeedMaster system by returning 17 bags of canola seed to the retailer this year - thanks to the UltraPro Canola Meter™ and Auto Zone Command. They were able to drop their seeding rates and reduce overlap, which also eliminated lodging on their headlands. By upgrading to a larger drill and adding a 780-bu Nova Smart Cart, the Turpins also cut their seeding time in half this spring, which was a huge benefit when wet conditions pushed seeding later than usual.
9:30 AM SED (Social Entrepreneurship
Tyler Nagy » Dubuc, Sask.
Credit card payments accepted by telephone. Cost: $30 / Registration deadline: November 18, 2013
by Design) Update 9:50 AM Research Farm Update –
Canola & Row Spacing 10:20 AM Coffee Break 10:40 AM
The Secret to Growing Soybeans on the Prairies – Maik Kort
11:20 AM Research Farm Update –
Corn and Soybeans 12:00 PM Lunch 1:00 PM
Tyler and his brother seed cereals, canola, flax, and canary seed. They also tried seeding soybeans for the first time this year. They’re considering planting corn with their 60’ SeedMaster system, and are impressed by its ability to seed into standing hay land – something they couldn’t do with their previous drill. Tyler says Auto Zone Command has saved them 20 per cent on input costs by eliminating overlap. And he likes being able to calibrate on the go and fill their tanks with just enough product to finish a field with Real-Time Product Weighing.
To register, call (306) 721-3001 or email joanne@seedmaster.ca
8:30 AM Registration 9:15 AM Introduction & Welcome
Curtis Hershberger » Denton, Mont.
Kory Pick » Macoun, Sask.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
New Technology Interface – Tim Ottenbreit
1:35 PM Company Growth/Development 2:15 PM Coffee Break 2:35 PM IHARF Presentation –
Guy Lafond Tribute 3:05 PM
Master Seeders Panel
4:15 PM Refreshments and
one-on-one discussion
Special ‘Master Seeders’ hotel rates are offered to all conference attendees at: Wingate by Wyndham 1700 Broad Street Tel: (306) 584-7400 Group #CGMSCO
Sandman 1800 Victoria Avenue E. Tel: (306) 757-2444 Group Name: SeedMaster
Ramada Regina 1818 Victoria Avenue Tel: (306) 569-1666 Group Name: SeedMaster