USC Provides 6 Tips for Seed Treater Maintenance
There is no better time than now for seed dealers to get ready for planting season 2020. Already, dealers are receiving seed shipments, and before the crunch time when planters are heading to the field, USC is encouraging seed treatment operators to ensure their machinery and systems are set up for success.
“It can be really helpful to do pre-season tests to avoid some preventable in-season stress,” says Chad Hiltibrand, customer service manager for USC. Hiltibrand also says doing a pre-season test run can identify any maintenance and parts needs.
Here are six steps seed dealers can do now to smooth out foreseeable wrinkles in treating seed for the upcoming planting season:
- Clean the equipment if not done at the end of the previous season, especially the atomizer, chamber, filters and chemical lines.
- Check hoses, bearings, fuses and switches, and order spare parts to have on hand to avoid any down time.
“It’s really best to give the seed treater a thorough look before the season starts,” Hiltibrand says. - Tighten and track conveyor belts.
“Tightening belts is often overlooked,” he says. - Familiarize yourself with the equipment and run processes again if it’s been awhile.
“When something is only for one season a year, it’s not hard to forget some of the steps,” he cautions. - Calibrate your equipment to your seed and chemical specs.
- Perform a test run of your treater to ensure that it is operating correctly.
Hiltibrand encourages seed dealers to do this pre-season checklist as soon as possible, and at least several weeks before the planting season and just-in-time seed treatment starts.
