January 8, 2025

By: John Nevills - President Kent Ag Research Inc.

Kent Ag Research offers testing services to clients in corn, soybeans, winter wheat and vegetable crops. In order to conduct quality research trials we have provided instructions below and are setting some important deadlines to keep in mind.

Key Dates:

February 28th, 2025 – 1st Draft of Testing Plans

  • Please email john.kentag@gmail.com your first draft of testing plans on or before February 28th, 2025.
  • Please include the number of plots per location(s) and any special requirements. We will do our best to accommodate these requirements (see special requirements section below for examples).

March 28th, 2025 – Final Plans 

  • Please email john.kentag@gmail.com accurate final plans on or before March 28th, 2025.
  • Any changes, additions or dropouts after this date are subject to full testing fees. Additions after this date cannot be guaranteed.
  • Please include with your final plan; trial names, rep numbers, entry numbers, traits, and special requirements. We use this information for mapping. Mapping starts March 29th.

April 4th, 2025 – Bulk Corn & Soybean Trial Seed (Packaged by Kent Ag)

  • Please be sure to deliver enough bulk seed (include 10-15% extra) so all trials can be packaged at required population.
  • Please deliver or send to the shipping address provided

April 11th, 2025 – Corn Trial Seed (Packaged by client)

  • This is a FIRM deadline
  • Please deliver or send to the shipping address provided

April 25th, 2025 – Soybean Trial Seed (Packaged by client)

  • This is a FIRM deadline
  • Please deliver or send to the shipping address provided

Special Requirements

Please let us know if you require any special requirements when final plans are submitted so that we can accommodate. For example:

  • Plot sampling
  • Oil & Protein collection
  • Special in season notes
  • Crop destruction (regulated material)
  • Corn Silage

Seed Envelope Size & Information

  • Seed envelopes MUST comfortably be able to hold all required seed; all seed MUST be below the perforation line
  • Coin envelopes should be no larger than 3.5” wide by 6.5” tall. See example below
  • Preferably envelopes should be perforated and have a hole at the top for stringing.
  • Please DO NOT hole punch through the plot number
  • Please DO NOT tape over perforation unless ripped. ONLY use masking tape if necessary
  • For 4 row corn plots and 6 row soybean plots – paired envelopes MUST be STAPLED together by the client. Avoid use of paper clips or binder clips
  • Single envelopes MUST be STAPLED shut to prevent spillage during shipping
  • Seed counts and packaging instructions are listed below:
Crop Type Number of Envelopes Seeds Per Envelope
Soybeans – 3 Row 1 400
Soybeans – 6 Row 2 400
Corn – 2 Row 20’ 1 100
Corn – 4 Row 20’ 2 100
Corn – 4 Row 40’ 2 180

 

 

Seed Envelopes MUST contain:

  • Location Name or Code
  • Trial Name
  • Plot Number (planting/randomization order eg: 1001, 1002, 1003…)
  • For quality assurance purposes, please place all envelope information ABOVE the perforation.

Please DO NOT map the trials, it only causes unnecessary confusion and potential for error. If you require a certain mapping arrangement, please let us know in advance and we will accommodate.

Packaging Example

Seed Treatments

Please indicate either on the packing list or on the seed boxes what seed treatment is used. Seed treatment is highly recommended for best trial results.

Shipping Prepackaged Seed

  • Always ensure envelope open end is facing up, ensuring top envelope flaps are securely stapled to prevent seed loss
  • Please do your best to ship complete trials
  • Please ship or deliver seed in location, trial, and PLOT order

In Season Plot Housekeeping

If you need to label/tag your plots in the field, please consider using biodegradable labels/tags. If you use non biodegradable labels/tags you MUST pull them out of the field before harvest to prevent pollution in our cooperator’s fields. This includes wire flags, fibreglass poles/flags, row markers, and nylon/tyvek row tags. Thank you for understanding.

Environment and Climate/Weather

Kent Ag Research cannot be held responsible for damage to plots caused by animals or severe weather events including but not limited to heavy or excessive rainfall, wind, hail, drought or tornadoes. We strive to provide top quality research and take every measure to ensure results are trusted, accurate, and non-biased, however, some factors are out of our control. Thank you and we look forward to working with you again this year!