Study of the Market Potential for an Ultrasonic and Video Imaging System for Quality Assurance of Agricultural Grains and Seeds, A

Ultrasonic scanning and video imaging are two valuable techniques for a variety of seed and grain testing purposes. This study evaluates the market potential of a system being developed by the Iowa State University Seed Science Center, which combines these two techniques to permit precise measurement of seed and grain quality. Emphasis is placed on the Iowa soybean industry's need for a preconfigured Quality Assurance (QA) system, but the study also examines potential use in the nonsoybean agricultural industry. Both hardware and software needs are evaluated according to survey responses from the QA managers of 37 private Iowa firms. In general both seed and nonseed sectors of the agricultural industry expressed abundant interest in the equipment, although the demand for specific system capabilities varied by sectors within the industry. Most Iowa firms make use of in-house testing facilities, so private testing laboratory demand within Iowa appears negligible.