Seed Laboratory Testing Services

Steve Beals, RST
Director
Contact

Steve grew up on a small grain and livestock farm in rural Monticello, Illinois, sparking a desire to pursue a career in agriculture. After receiving an Associates’s degree in Applied Sciences at Parkland College while working for Pioneer Hi-Bred Seeds as general labor and Area Assistant, Steve spent 11 years as a Research Supervisor for Cargill Hybrid Seeds. He joined Illinois Crop Improvement as a seed analyst in 2001 where he conducted seed germination and purity work. In 2003 Steve was promoted to Seed Lab Assistant Director and became a Certified Viability Technologist through the Society of Commercial Seed Technologists (SCST) in 2005. He became a Registered Seed Technologist with the SCST in 2007. In 2009 he completed Lead Auditor Training for ISO 9001:2008 standard, and he serves in a leadership role under the ISO:IEC 17025:2017 accreditation for the seed and grain laboratories. Steve also maintains an Illinois Pesticide Seed Treatment Applicator License. Steve has a history of service to the industry, including the Illinois Seed Trade Association Seed Liaison Committee (2002 – Present), SCST Vigor Testing Referee Coordinator (2002 – 2018), AOSA/SCST Annual Meeting Planning Committee Chair (2010), SCST Seed Library/Herbarium Co-Chair (2011 – Present), SCST Board of Directors (2013 – 2016), SCST Vice President (2019 – 2021) and SCST President (2021 – 2023). Under Steve’s leadership the Illinois Crop Seed Lab became an Officially Recognized Seed Testing Laboratory by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in 2017. Steve also became an accredited US Canadian Grader passing all of the required exams for all of the Canadian Seed Regulations Grade Tables (Tables 1 – 6).