Morgan Webb
Edmonton
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Plant infatuated Seed Botanist and 630 CHED Garden Radio Host. Owner Seed Check Technologies Inc.
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Articles by Morgan Webb
Inside Surrey's forgotten Edwardian workhouse
Behind an unassuming green door by the side of a footpath in Guildford lies a long and intriguing Edwardian history. It may no longer be in use, but The Spike in Charlotteville remains one of the best preserved examples of a workhouse casual ward from the period. While the building was once the preserve of vagrants and casual workers, its walls and cells can tell us about the Poor Law system of the early 20th Century.
When Fertilizer Prices Spike, Don’t Cut Corners on Seed Testing
Recent disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz have tightened fertilizer supply and pushed prices higher. When input costs rise, the natural reaction is to trim budgets — but seed testing shouldn’t be on the chopping block. Morgan Webb is a senior accredited seed analyst with Seed Check Technologies in Leduc, Alta.
Elevated Fertilizer Costs Make Seed Testing a Strategic Imperative
For those of us working in seed testing and advisory roles, this shift materially changes how we position regulated testing. It’s no longer a discretionary quality check — it’s a core component of risk management. Morgan Webb is president of Seed Check When fertilizer becomes one of the largest per-acre costs, every decision that influences nutrient-use efficiency carries more weight.
How You Can Share Input on the Future of Canadian Germination Testing Standards
I’m participating in a CFIA-led committee regarding Chapter Four, Germination section amendments to Canada’s Methods and Procedures (M&P) for seed testing. These discussions highlight the pressing need for more accurate assessments of seed viability and the vital role industry stakeholders play in the review process.
Why We Need to Talk More About Vigour Testing — And Less About Size - Seed World
When it comes to seed testing, it’s not just about size or germination rates. It’s about understanding the true potential of a seed under real-world conditions. That’s where vigour testing comes in. For years, germination testing has been the gold standard. It’s straightforward: plant seeds in the perfect environment, see how many sprout, and take that as the seed’s maximum potential. But what about when conditions aren’t ideal?
Are We Overlooking the Growing Crisis in Canada’s Seed Industry?
Canada is facing a significant shortage of seed analysts, and it’s a problem that threatens the future of our industry. It’s complex issue that stems from multiple factors, but perhaps the most glaring is the lack of recognition and compensation for this highly skilled work. The truth is, nobody’s paying enough for the level of expertise required. Seed analysis is incredibly demanding — it’s comparable to earning a degree, perhaps even more so.
Why Lifelong Learning Is the Key to Excellence in Seed Analysis
The world of seed analysis is constantly evolving. New technologies emerge, regulations change, and international standards shift — staying current is the only way to keep pace. Even in areas like purity and germination testing, where the core principles remain the same, there’s always room for improvement, new methods to learn, or updates to standards that impact our work. For me, the value of ongoing education extends far beyond just keeping up.
Leading with Passion
Being asked to join the board of an organization like the Society of Official Seed Analysts is truly an honour. When I first got involved in this industry more than 30 years ago, I never imagined I’d have a role like this — especially one that bridges both government and commercial analysis and even involves an international component. One of the roles I was asked to take on is the chair of the purity committee. That’s a big deal — purity standards are in every way crucial for trade.
Why We Need to Talk More About Vigour Testing — And Less About Size - The Alberta Seed Guide
Photo: Morgan Webb is a senior accredited seed analyst with Seed Check Technologies in Leduc, Alta. Photo: Jennylynn Fields When it comes to seed testing, it’s not just about size or germination rates. It’s about understanding the true potential of a seed under real-world conditions. That’s where vigour testing comes in. For years, germination testing has been the gold standard.
Unlocking Global Markets: How Seed Labs Support International Trade
With this topic of tariffs hot on the press, it’s important to think about how seed testing connects to global trade. For companies importing or exporting seed, understanding the regulatory landscape is essential — and that’s where seed labs like ours can play a key role. When you’re bringing seed across borders, it’s not just about logistics. Different countries have specific requirements to protect their ecosystems and agricultural industries.
Seed Testing is at the Heart of Good Seed Month
March is here, and for those of us in the seed industry we call it “Good Seed Month.” This is when the final checks are made before planting season kicks off. The seeds that have been tested, analyzed, and cleared for quality are the ones that will soon be sown into the ground, and now’s the time to ensure they’re in optimal condition for the growing season ahead.
Make a Difference Awards Original
BBC Make a Difference Awards nominations open Morgan Webb Julia Moore/BBC Make A Difference Awards winners with presenter Danny Pike in 2024 The Make a Difference awards honouring community champions has opened for nominations. The BBC Radio Sussex and Radio Surrey awards celebrate people who give their time to improve their communities. Two new categories have been introduced for 2025: the Young Hero Award and the Active Award.
The Los Angeles wildfires have ripped through the city destroying homes, businesses, and wildlife. The disasters extended beyond this devastating reality and threatened one of the cornerstones of the city’s economy and culture: the music industry. From the loss of artists’ homes, to the destruction of historic recording spaces and memorabilia, to the disruption of the live music scene through concert cancellations, this defining industry has a long road of recovery ahead.
Rooted in Passion
PHOTO: Morgan Webb is a senior accredited seed analyst with Seed Check Technologies in Leduc, Alta. (Photo: Seed Check Technologies) I often say that seed testing is the job that picks you. It’s not on the list of careers you learn about as a child like a fireman or a doctor — or even if you’re in agriculture. I grew up on a dairy farm and I thought I’d go into animal science. Turns out I didn’t have the backbone for that. I found my true calling in seed technology.
Small Seeds, Big Impact: The Art of Forage and Reclamation Seed Testing
Working with seeds — especially the small ones — isn’t for the faint of heart. Here at Seed Check, we take on the unique and often tricky task of testing tiny, sometimes temperamental seeds that play crucial roles in restoration, forage, and turf projects. It’s a blend of science, skill and a bit of patience. And while we might make it look easy, there’s a whole lot going on behind the scenes. When we talk about “tiny seeds,” we mean the kind that would make most seed analysts do a double-take.
Region's heroes honoured at Make a Difference Awards
September 30, 2024 at 3:59 PM Eight community heroes from across Surrey and Sussex have been honoured at a BBC awards event. The winners of the Make a Difference Awards were revealed at a ceremony at Ashdown Park Hotel, near East Grinstead, West Sussex. Parnita Senjit, whose therapy dog Lil’ Leo won the animal category in its first year at the awards, said she feels “blessed” that Leo’s hard work has been recognised.
Strictly judge gives Wentworth course full marks
Anton Du Beke says his "favourite place in the whole world" is in Surrey. The professional dancer and Strictly Come Dancing judge teed off against Sir Andy Murray for the PGA pro-am tournament at Wentworth Golf Club, in Virginia Water. He said he had been playing at the course near Windsor Castle for about 10 years. "I love it as much now as I always have," he said, adding it was his "little haven". Mr Du Beke was among the celebrities gathered for the event to play alongside professional golfers.
From Backpacks to Seed Packs: Get Ready to Learn the Art of Grading - Seed World
It’s September, which means school buses are rolling, playgrounds are buzzing, and class is back in session. Back to school has me thinking about back to school for the seed industry too. But, where kids around the province are mourning the end of summer freedom, I myself am totally excited about opportunities to teach our seed expertise to future seed graders… and beyond! To become a certified seed grader, one needs to take a rigorous Canadian Food Inspection Agency exam.
Family's mental health bid is son's long-term legacy
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These are the Qualities Someone Should Have if They Want to be a Seed Analyst
Our company currently finds itself in the position of having to hire a seed analyst. We recently said goodbye to a long-time employee who is moving to a different province. For years, we’ve been fortunate to work alongside experienced staff members who have become like family. However, transitions are inevitable, and the departure of a beloved colleague like her reminds us of the ebb and flow of professional life.
For Those in the Know, the Tetrazolium Test is a Powerful Tool
As someone deeply entrenched in the world of seed testing, I can’t help but extol the virtues of the tetrazolium (TZ) test as a powerful tool in your arsenal this time of year. This test doesn’t just provide quick viability assessments; it’s a multifaceted gem that has revolutionized the way we handle seed testing, especially in today’s fast-paced agricultural landscape. Picture this: a client rushes in, worried about a pending planting schedule and the cleanliness of their crop.
How Seed Analysts Use Customer Feedback to Make Real Change
In the realm of seed analysis and regulations, there’s a constant drive to improve testing rules. This is driven in a big way by the needs of our customers, showing how we take their best interests forward to government to make regulatory change that translates into better service. This journey involves a process of collaboration, data evaluation, and a collective push to enhance the seed trade industry.
Radicle Emergence Testing: Measure Seed Vigour to Set Your Company Apart
As you get ready to begin 2024, you’re no doubt asking yourself how you can set yourself apart from the competition as a new year kicks into gear. As a seed analyst, one of the most exciting and innovative tests I know of that enables customer competitiveness is the radicle emergence test, which measures the speed and uniformity of root protrusion from the seed.
Preserving Seed Purity: Exploring the Vital Role of Licensed Seed Crop Inspectors
I consider myself fortunate to be both a licensed seed crop inspector and an accredited seed analyst. We’re a select group, a handful of individuals with specialized expertise that’s essential to maintaining the quality and purity of seeds in the agricultural industry. Regardless of the crop type, when we’re doing our job, we’re on the lookout for off-types and other contaminants that can be challenging to differentiate.
All About Maturity and why it Defined 2023
Samples with close to 50% Fusarium graminearum are coming in to Seed Check Technologies. Photo: Seed Check Plants can exhibit some intriguing responses to stress. The initial stress this year came in the form of heat and drought. Interestingly, some crops thrive in such conditions, particularly if they receive a bit of moisture — like soybean, corn and other long-season crops. This year, something unusual happened.
Early Detection of Disease is Possible with This Powerful Technology
The AIR spore trapping program is a preventive tool for detecting fungal diseases in crops. It uses, alongside weather models, spore trapping technology to detect airborne pathogens faster than ever, allowing growers and agronomists to take early intervention measures and protect their crops effectively. The program is suitable for many crops, including carrots, onions, potatoes, vines, and more.
Despite the Good Winter, Don’t Take Seed Quality for Granted
As winter comes to an end and the spring planting season approaches, people are preparing for a new growing season. It goes without saying that one important aspect of this preparation is seed selection, as the quality of the seed used can have a significant impact on crop yield and overall success. Or does it go without saying? It’s worth reminding oneself of the two major goals of seed testing: attaining good plant establishment and not introducing any new weeds or diseases to the field.
Secure Act 2.0: It’s a New Day in Retirement Plan Design
For practice owners, the recruitment, development and retention of professional staff as well as lay staff are some of the biggest challenges. Retirement plan offerings can be a differentiator between practices, and the design and implementation of tax-advantaged retirement plans are changing rapidly. On December 29, 2022, the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 was signed into law. This act builds on improvements made in the rules governing retirement plans that were enacted in the SECURE Act of 2019.
Avoid Seed Importation Problems with the Help of a Seed Lab
If you’re in the business of importing seed, the challenges of doing so can be many. Meeting minimum import standards and conforming to regulations is a must. The Seed Import Conformity Assessor (SICA) designation is given to specialized seed graders who are accredited to assess whether seed being brought into the country meets minimum import standards and is in line with federal regulations.
Disease is Back, and not Just in Humans
After the drought of 2021, it was easy to forget that disease was lying in wait. This year brought the perfect conditions for problems in 2023. Respiratory illnesses have exploded. Whether it’s RSV, colds, flus or COVID, it seems people everywhere are running for the Kleenex box. It’s no secret why — after two years of school closures and quarantine, many of us have taken off the mask and jumped back into life.
How a Seed Testing Lab Can Help in Attaining Good Plant Establishment
Seed labs provide important services to pedigreed seed growers and their clients. We rate lots and grade them so that those lots can be bought and sold. Did you know we have a second important job, and that is to get everyone ready for planting time and help them get good plant establishment? Seed growers and their clients can use the information that they get from a seed testing lab to attain the best plant establishment possible. Why is this important?
Seed School is Filling an Important Niche
What happens in a seed lab, and how does it help you buy, sell, import and export seed, especially forage, turf and reclamation seed? After months of planning, I’m happy to announce Seed School, a new initiative designed to give new skills to people who work with small-seeded crop kinds like forage and turf. The course is provided via our Alberta lab, but will also take the form of a road show where we can come to you, or possibly even do it remotely in virtual format.
Why the V-Word is More Complicated Than People Think
The V-word has been used a lot lately, with harvest season either complete or underway and people already looking ahead to 2023. The word, of course, is vigour. It also made headlines earlier this year after reports of what was at the time thought to be poor vigour among certain canola hybrids caused a stir among growers. Every year I inevitably get asked, “So, do you guys have a test for vigour yet?” The reality is, there exists no single vigour test for all species.
Why Small Seeds Mean Big Business
Native seed and reclamation species are a little talked-about area of the seed sector that my seed lab has spent 20 years specializing in. Reclamation species tend to be small seeded but mean big business in the world of seed. As these species continue to thrive and create major revenue for seed companies, those who deal in them and plant them need to know that there are experts available to help deal with any problems that may arise when working with them.
The Grade Tables are Out of Date. Here’s How we Can Fix Them
Around seven years ago there was a change in the Weed Seeds Order where common weeds were downgraded from primary noxious to secondary noxious weeds. That might not sound very earth-shattering, but for the seed testing sector it was a big deal and showed how modernizing our seed regulations can make all the difference to businesspeople — growers included. At the time, there were a lot of weeds that were on the prohibited list that were native species to Canada.
These Skills are Crucial for Success in an Accelerated World
The business world has changed a lot since Seed Check was founded 20 years ago. Here’s what we do to stay at the top of our game, and strategies you can employ to do the same. Learn to thrive under pressure. We email results out as soon as we have them, and customers are able to look up their own results online. Twenty years ago, that wasn’t the case. We’ve learned to work well in a business environment defined by speed where we all expect more in less time.
Take Care During Cleaning to Avoid Mechanical Damage
Mechanically damaged abnormal seedlings on the left (will not produce a plant) and normal seedlings on the right. Morgan Webb President & Senior Seed Analyst, Seed Check The 2021 drought means many seeds are too dry. If they’re not handled properly, yield could be affected again in 2022. As I write this, the leading cause of poor germination we’re seeing in our lab is mechanical damage. At time of harvest, seed was on the dry side. When seed is dry, it cracks easily.
Seed Quality Issues After a Dry Year Make Testing Very Important
Morgan Webb President & Senior Seed Analyst Seed Check Technologies This year has been one for the record books, in many ways. So much so that seed quality is definitely a concern going into 2022, and now is the time to think about testing. There are a number seed quality will be impacted going into the 2022 season. Seed size. I’m seeing fields of wheat that are fully headed out at about a foot tall and even shorter.
Cake Domes are Helping in the Fight Against Bean Blight
Seed Check Dome Test Did you know a cake dome has a lot to do with battling bacterial blight in beans? Years ago, North Dakota State University invented the dome test for bacterial blight in bean. In that state, you can’t plant any bean seed without a test for this disease. There are two primary types of bacterial blight found on dry edible beans in North Dakota — halo blight and common blight. Each is caused by a specific bacterial pathogen.
Creating New Training Opportunities for Seed Graders
Seed grading is a hugely important part of our industry. In normal times, I travel around offering the seed grader course and subsequent exam to people who want or need it. But these are not normal times, and due to travel restrictions, this is not an option. In the absence of a normal travel itinerary, I had to innovate. I was inspired by musicians who, due to the inability to go on tour, have begun broadcasting their live concerts via the internet in a “virtual tour” format.
Importing Seed into Canada? Seek the Help of a Seed Lab
Seed is regularly imported into Canada for a variety of reasons, be it research purposes, sale, conditioning and more. What isn’t as well known is the fact that you should use the services of a seed lab to help you import said seed. Sometimes, people will rely on a staff member to go through the complicated process of interpreting a foreign seed testing report. Or, they may turn to a CFIA-accredited grader to help them. This is problematic.
4 of the Most Devastating Weeds we Know About
There are 26 prohibited noxious weeds in the Seeds Act. These weeds are prohibited to prevent the establishment and/or entry of new weed species into the country. Weeds that are in the prohibited noxious category are generally not found in Canada, or else are found in small numbers. Prohibited noxious weeds can become economically devastating and have a high potential threat of invasion. Four of these weeds are special.
Seed Analysts are Taking Their Work Outside the Lab
If you listen to AM radio, you might recognize Morgan Webb’s voice. Getting behind the mic is just one of the ways Seed Check staff are getting out into the wider community. When he fist started started Seed Check Technologies, Morgan Webb didn’t have a paycheque as he worked to build his business from the bottom up. “I did other jobs that someone with plant identification skills could do.
Fusarium: You're in the Driver's Seat
Alberta’s decision to remove Fusarium graminearum as a regulated pest has put the pathogen back in the news. Here’s why it’s more crucial than ever to think about testing. In case you missed it, a quick news recap: earlier this year the Alberta government removed Fusarium graminearum from the list of pests covered by the Pest and Nuisance Control Regulation, which is part of the province’s Agricultural Pests Act.
Why Highly Skilled, Part-Time Staff Have Made a Huge Difference to my Business
Five years ago, I set out to find staff who wanted highly skilled, part-time positions. Little did I know that this would be the year that would make me more thankful than ever that I did so. Efficiency is important, and as we’ve learned over the past number of weeks, forward thinking sometimes requires us to strengthen the systems we have in place and not always equate of efficiency with “running lean”. It’s been a huge benefit to me as a businessperson to be slightly overstaffed.
Worrying About the Cost of a Germination Test can Really Affect the Results
Spacing seeds out further for a germination test can help avoid the problem of secondary infection during the test, which could potentially be a big problem this year as disease is prevalent. Morgan Webb Seed Check Senior Seed Analyst It’s germination test season and getting one of these tests might seem simple. You pay a small amount of money for a lab to germinate some of your seeds.
Morgan Webb - Bonfire Studios
I always loved games. OK I know everyone says that. And growing up, everyone did play games. It just seemed like some people stopped, and some people didn’t. I guess I just…didn’t. I started out on The Screen Savers, a daily live show about technology on the dearly departed cable network TechTV. I was doing windows tips and answering phones for the call in portion of the show. On Thursdays, we had LAN parties, and I admit I did some serious damage with the lightening gun in UT.
Can You Remember 1,000 of Something? Seed Analysts Can
It’s extremely important that anyone working in a seed laboratory has a verified collection of specimens to help them retrieve, classify, and identify seeds. They are used to ensure accuracy in verifying the crop kind under analysis as well as contaminants of other crop kinds, weed seeds and regulated species. Most purity analysts have a good working knowledge of about 1,000 species rolling around in their heads.
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