How a Box-to-Box Seed Treater Works
Maybe you’re in the market for a seed treater. Or maybe you already own one and need a quick refresher on how it works. Either way, this article will provide a thorough look at the parts of a box-to-box treater and how they operate—and how Unified Ag Solutions can help you along the way. Let’s dive in…
THE TREATER
For the most economical way to start treating, we recommend the USC AT500H semi-automated seed treater. The treater itself is compact, with no conveyors necessary. It even fits in the bed of a pickup. Plus, it’s incredibly easy to operate, with simple controls and innovative features, like the slide-out atomizer and poly-cupped auger (more on those later).
Learn more about the benefits of an AT500 below.
THE PUMP STANDS
With any treater, you’ll need a few pump stands (AKA mix tanks) to house your treatment and any other chemistry you want to apply to your seeds—like inoculants or nematicide. We offer a variety of pump stands to choose from, but UAS will work with you to determine which ones best fit your operation. The pump stands will be set up next to the treater, and tubing will connect them to the treater (this is where the treatment will flow from the pump stands to the treater).
THE CONTROL PANEL AND READOUT SCREEN
Also included with your treater and pump stands will be a control box from UAS. This will be mounted to your pump stand. The control panel communicates with the peristaltic pumps and flowmeters, and allows you to sync your pump stands/chemical rates with the automation of the treater’s atomizer and auger. You can program and regulate flow rates of treatment and inoculant in up to 4 pumps—all from one main control panel.
Also on the panel is a readout screen, where you can see run totals on the amount of chemical applied in each batch. Features also include forward and reverse pumping, as well as the ability to add a second pump head for even faster flow rates. (Run up to 120 oz/min with one pump, or up to 200/oz min with two pumps.)
THE FLOWMETER
Connected to your pump stands will be a volumetric flowmeter and flowmeter readout screen. The flowmeter constantly displays the amount of treatment released from the pump stand into the treater, which is shown on the readout screen.
Unlike box-to-box treaters that use spray tips and PSI calibrations, the flowmeter on the AT500 provides constant, highly accurate flow rates, ensuring the precise amount of chemical is dispersed on any given run. The flowmeters can be easily calibrated for different treatments/use rates too.
To calibrate your flowmeters and calibrate your seed treatment chemical rates, watch the tutorial videos below.
THE ATOMIZER
On the treater unit itself will be a slide-out atomizer and atomizer chamber. These features are the preferred choice when it comes to maximizing accuracy, control and efficiency during seed treatment application. It works much better than treaters that use spray nozzles.
Inside the atomizer chamber, there are sensors connected to the flowmeters on your pump stands. When seed falls into the chamber during treating, these sensors will trigger the pumps to initiate the flow of treatment from the pumps to the treater.
Above the atomizer, a cone-shaped feature separates the seed, thinning out the density of the flow. This cone feature is key, as it will ensure better coverage of seed as it drops past the atomizer. The atomizer rapidly spins and disperses chemical, coating the seeds at multiple angles as they fall. The result is 360-degree coverage.
Learn more about the value an atomizer brings vs. treaters with spray nozzles below.
THE POLY-CUPPED AUGER
After seed passes through and is coated in the atomizer chamber, it then funnels down into a poly-cupped auger. The auger churns upward, rolling seed for a second mode of coverage. Treated seed falls out of the auger and into your empty ProBox.
The poly-cupped auger provides substantial benefits compared to steel or steel-cupped augers. It’s much more durable, and a lot safer on your seeds. The polyethylene plastic handles seed much more gently, keeping it intact as it makes its way up and out. So you won’t see any cracks or broken kernels often associated with steel augers. (That means higher germination rates too.)
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
The treater parts listed above are all you need to get treating. But you can customize your treater with additional parts too, like a dry additive feeder. The AT500 treater comes with a 2” port on the auger that can connect a hose to a dry applicator. Use a dry additive feeder to disperse polymers on your seed—which help active ingredients bind onto the seed and provide a glossier or more vibrant appearance.
THE SERVICE FROM UAS
Sure, you could purchase your treater from a handful of dealers. But at UAS, we pride ourselves on customer service. We’re a family-owned business and we consider all of our customers as part of the family.
When you purchase your treater from UAS, we’ll deliver it ourselves and help you with the install and calibration process to ensure you have a thorough understanding of how to operate your new toy.