Miller Magazine Issue: 143 November 2021

30 MILLER / november 2021 NEWS Seed-X and Petkus announce the signing of a collaboration agreement to develop, distribute and sell next generation AI optical seed and grain sorting machines. Consumers globally, mandate improved food quality and safety. The food has to look homogenous, pleasant and with- out any defects. Moreover, quality increase and production yield in the overall food sector have their own high bench- marks. Therefore, it becomes more and more standard that the last step in seed and food processing is performed with high-tech optical sorters, which are very efficient. Details that can be made visual with these machines and which can be sorted in a second step are providing enormous benefit. Continuous progress is made in the area of computer tech- nology, camera technology and lighting. The software as- pect has gained importance and experienced a tremendous boost due to artificial intelligence and deep learning. This fruitful combination of hardware and software will raise the importance of optical sorters in the future even more. Seed-X, who specializes in AI and deep-learning al- gorithms for profiling of seeds and grains, is working together with Petkus, a leading global manufacturer of optical processing machines for the seed and grain sec- tors, to create the next generation of sorters designed to upgrade seed lots and set higher benchmarks for germi- nation, usability and purity. In order to meet the market’s criteria for germination, purity and health, seed and grain batches go through an ‘enhancement protocol’ whereby seed batches are sorted by several multi-stage screen- ing methodologies. Yet, every year 10%-15% of these im- proved batches fail to meet market standards, automati- cally rendering these batches valueless. “Seed-X has developed a technology that addresses this pain by using AI and machine vision to analyze and charac- terize seeds and grains at the individual level to determine qualification. We were looking for a machine expert with un- paralleled know-how and experience that shares our vision and can complement our proprietary software technology with an outstanding hardware solution - we found this in Petkus,” says Sarel Ashkenazy, CEO of Seed-X. “Technology changes markets and can make a huge contribution when correctly implemented. Petkus has been searching for technological solutions, that when combined with our mechanical strengths, can transform the premium seed and grain markets. We chose Seed-X’s AI and deep learning technology because it brings genuine value to seed and grain companies and handlers who are left with dead inventory that does not meet market standards. By co-developing this AI-embedded optical sorter, we’re changing the fate of these zero value batches, turning them into sellable batches,” says Dr. Khaled Raed, CIO & Vice President of Petkus. "With Petkus’ sales presence and dis- tribution network in 21 countries around the world, this col- laboration is an important step towards creating a new era of smarter seed sorting machines," Ashkenazy added. The agreement between the two companies grants Petkus a license to manufacture, sell and promote the services of AI optical seed and grain sorting machines powered by Seed- X’s proprietary AI algorithm, a move that is set to pave the way for a more secure future for the seed and grain industry. Seed-X and Petkus join forces to create the next generation of sorters