Seed treatment facilities, methods and apparatus

Abstract

A seed treatment system having a central computerized data store, a user interface, and network connections from the data store to a plurality of retail facilities and a plurality of agricultural produce suppliers. Each retail facility having a seed treatment system configured to uniformly treat batches of seeds with any of a variety of precisely measured chemical formulations. The seed treatment apparatus having a treatment applicator coupled to a plurality of dispensing stations. Each dispensing stations having a pump in fluid communication with a container disposed on a scale. The pump and scale of each dispensing station coupled to a system controller. The system controller is coupled to the data store, configured to provide on-demand agricultural seed treatments to the applicator and chemical usage data from each station to the data store. The data store configured to provide centralized remote monitoring inventory control, supply chain monitoring, and container recycling compliance.

1 . A method of treating seeds comprising:
 (A) selecting a seed treatment recipe;   (B) applying a plurality of seed treatment components to a batch of seeds via a seed treatment system;   wherein said seed treatment system comprises:
 (i) a seed-treater vessel configured to apply the plurality of seed treatment components to the batch of seeds; 
 (ii) a plurality of pump-stations, wherein each pump station is configured to receive a keg, and each pump-station comprising a pump and a station controller configured to control the pump; 
 (iii) a plurality of kegs, each keg comprising a seed treatment component; 
 (iv) at least one flex-tank coupled to a flex-tank pump and a pump controller configured to operate the flex-tank pump; and 
   (C) wherein the plurality of kegs and the at least one flex-tank deliver seed treatment components to the seed treater vessel and batch of seed based on the selected seed treatment recipe.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said seed treatment system further comprises a multi-port manifold coupled to the plurality of kegs and the at least one flex-tank. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said seed treatment recipe is selected from a user interface connected to a programmable system controller. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the seed treatment system is sealed. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising controlling the particularized individual flow rates from each keg based upon the seed treatment recipe stored in a programmable system controller, the programmable system controller in communication with a pump at each of the two or more kegs. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method for treating seed does not include pre-mixing or hand-mixing seed treatment components. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the seed treatment takes place at a retail location or seed treatment facility. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each keg comprises a stirrer apparatus. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein each keg comprises a motor and stirrer-coupler coupled to the stirrer apparatus. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the pump comprises a positive displacement pump. 
     
     
         11 . A seed treatment system comprising:
 (A) a plurality of pump-stations having a receiving region for receiving a sealed liquid keg comprising a seed treatment formulation, each pump-station having a scale and a pump, the scale for receiving and monitoring a weight of the sealed liquid chemical keg received at the pump station;   (B) a plurality of kegs, each ranging in size from about  5  to about  60  gallons and each comprising a seed treatment formulation;   (C) a mix-station comprising a mix tank disposed on a mix station scale, the mix station scale positioned underneath the mix-station, a mix station pump in fluid communication with the mix tank, a mix station pump controller, the mix station pump controller being configured to operate the mix station pump;   (D) a multi-port manifold comprising a plurality of inlets coupled to the plurality of kegs and said mix-tank and an outlet coupled to a seed treater;   (E) a programmable system controller electrically coupled to each pump controller and the scale of each of the plurality of pump-stations, the programmable system controller configured to receive weight readings from the scale of each of the plurality of pump-stations as the seed treatment formulations are dispensed and to control the simultaneous dispensing of seed treatment formulation from each pump in response to a seed treatment recipe;   (F) the seed-treater configured to apply a plurality of chemical treatments to a quantity of seed in a uniform manner, the seed treater in direct fluid communication with each pump station without an intermediate slurry or mixing tank with respect to said direct fluid communication between the seed treater and each pump station;   (G) wherein the programmable system controller is operably connected to a computer network and configured to receive and send data relating to seed treatment formulations;   (H) wherein an air-removal valve is affixed to each of the plurality of pump-stations and is in fluid communication with the pump and the keg; and   wherein each pump is configured to direct seed treatment formulation through the air-removal valve.   
     
     
         12 . The seed treater of  claim 11  wherein each pump station has a pump controller connected to the pump and to the programmable system controller. 
     
     
         13 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 a bar code scanner operably coupled to the programmable system controller, wherein the bar code scanner is configured to read at least one bar code associated with the keg, and the programmable system controller is configured to receive and store a bar code number in an inventory database.   
     
     
         14 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , further comprising: a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader operably coupled to the programmable controller, wherein the RFID reader is configured to read a RFID tag attached to the keg and a set of data stored in the RFID tag is presented to the programmable system controller for report generation and inventory control. 
     
     
         15 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein an RFID reader is affixed to each of plurality of pump-stations and the system controller is configured such that the pump of the pump-station is only operated when the RFID reader can read an RFID tag associated with a keg positioned on the scale of the pump-station. 
     
     
         16 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein the programmable controller is further configured to report, via the computer network, select data collected during seed treatment. 
     
     
         17 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein each keg further comprises (i) a sealed fill port and a (ii) coupler, wherein fluid can only be withdrawn from the transportable keg through the coupler, and the mix tank further comprises a water supply line. 
     
     
         18 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein said mix tank comprises a standalone stirrer. 
     
     
         19 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein said mix tank comprises a stirrer integrated into the mix-tank bowl. 
     
     
         20 . The seed treatment system of  claim 11 , wherein an emergency stop button or switch is coupled to the system controller.