Beyond the scope of standard testing, we offer our customers a broad range of uniquely valuable services that can be designed to meet the needs of many applications. In addition to agricultural seeds, we can test soil, yard debris compost, animal feed, bird seeds, or any other non-toxic material that requires precise differentiation under high output microscopic stations. We have a wide range of highly precise equipment.

Customized research projects: We offer services to design and conduct species research studies or testing needs as requested by customers. Examples are: investigate the effect of various seed coating materials on seed performance, study the effect of heat treatments on seed viability and vigor, determine the ploidy level of different species, and study the effect of storage condition on seed quality.

When your research needs extend beyond the capabilities of the seed lab, we are happy to refer you to other OSU campus labs, including the Crop and Soil Science Department Central Analytical Lab, Botany and Plant Pathology Plant Clinic, and the College of Veterinary Medicine's Endophyte Service Lab.

Applications of testing include:

Climate change research. Scientists are interested in determining the change of plant species through time due to climate change. For example, seed was searched in soil samples collected from a large number of sites from the Mojavi Desert.

Revegetation and reclamation. These often use high-value seed mixes that are required to have zero weed contamination.

Environmental impact research. Soil samples yield information about what species have grown in the past, revealing potential.

Construction and road-building. Soil that is moved is often required to be tested to prevent the spread of noxious or invasive weeds.

Archaeological and anthropological reseach. The identity of seeds used by early peoples helps understand the development of agriculture and domesticated crops.

Greens management and specialized turf care. Verifying the composition of high-value seed mixes, doing very large super-searches to detect extremely low levels of weeds. Useful for hydroseeding and pelleting applications, we can examine products to determine if methods cause damage to seeds.

Organic and bio-dynamic agriculture and gardening. Testing compost and compost mixes both for viable weed and other seeds and for toxicity.

Soils and soil-less mixture development. Testing soils and mixes for toxicity and performance compared to standard germination methods.