SGS US has been in existence since the 1919. And yet, there’s a good chance that the many essential functions performed by its highly trained staff go unnoticed by those not involved in relevant industries. It all began when a late-19th-century wheat grower noticed that the amount of seed that arrived at a port fell short of the amount that had been shipped. The solution was to have someone ride with the shipment, and verify the quantity and quality once it reached its destination. A company was formed and by 1913, they were inspecting 21 million tons of grain a year at both loading and unloading. Before long, the company diversified, acquiring laboratories in Europe and South America and inspecting many types of products, not just grain seeds, to ensure that they met regulatory standards. SGS is now the world’s leading Testing, Inspection, and Certification company, operating across 115 countries. SGS North America does business in all 50 states as well as Canada and Mexico. 

Amanda Patin, Business Development Director for SGS crop sciences, has been working with seed testing since 2000. While earning an MS at the University of Arizona, she worked on insect resistance to BT insecticide in cotton crops. Patin began her testing career working with Midwest Seed Services, which was acquired by SGS in 2007. After spending more than 20 years developing new seed testing methods and improving existing ones, she is now involved with determining the direction of business acquisitions.

“Our laboratory performs standard germination, vigor, purity and determination of trait presence or absence,” she explains. “We evaluate R&D products including biologicals such as rhizobia as well as chemical seed treatment applications, and look at the effects of light and temperature. I travel to field stations in Illinois, South Dakota, and Minnesota.” The processes involved in seed testing are as complex as they are varied. To begin with, there are three sets of rules for testing seeds in North America: the Canadian M & P (Methods and Procedures), the North American AOSA (Association of Official Seed Analysts) and the ISTA (International Seed Testing Association). All three involve testing for purity, germination, viability, and vigor, but may differ in accreditation requirements, seed certification programs, and other details.

Amanda stressed that the SGS staff in Brookings includes six highly trained Registered Seed Technologists and three Registered Genetic Technologists. 

Growing up on a 4 acre property in Michigan with two older brothers, Amanda’s memories are of hiking out back and cutting down the Christmas tree, and playing with lizards in their broken down pool. She met her husband Albert at a University of Arizona hangout. With Albert involved in Environmental Health and Safety, and Amanda immersed in insecticide resistance methods in the U of A Entomology department, it was an easy fit. “He likes to say that he proposed three times,” she laughs. They have a daughter and a son, both adults, making their way in the world. They enjoy hiking in the mountains of Tucson, and in Pipestone, Minnesota, and they recently acquired a teardrop camper, a longtime dream. “We drive it to the 64-acre plot of land my family owns in the Black Hills,” says Amanda. “It’s a six hour drive, but it’s beautiful.”

“I’m always learning,” says Amanda. “There’s always another question that hasn’t been answered. I’m fascinated by seeds. They’re so simple yet they connect all of life.” When asked her favorite aspect of working in the seed testing and certification world, Amanda doesn’t hesitate. “I love educating new staff members. I teach them about labeling laws, and give them the tools they need to do this important work. The people I work with are amazing.”