• Prevention of epidemics
• Prevention of the spread of diseases
• Reduced introduction of other plant species
• Reduction in the use of plant protection products
• Improved germination and young plant development
• Contribution to economical and ecological crop production
• Contribution to a high quality harvest and high quality fodder

• Screening test for checking suitability for cultivation and quality condition
• Protects against economic damage caused by poor field emergence, high weed infestation and high incidence of seed diseases
• Prevents soil contamination by weed seeds and pathogens
• Saves high follow-up costs over several years
• Is only offered for certain crops

• Cereals:
  • Wheat
  • Rye
  • Durum wheat
  • Barley
  • Triticale
  • Oats
  • Spelt
  • Einkorn
  • Emmer
  • Other cereals on request
• Buckwheat and millet
• Large-seeded legumes:
  • Grain and forage pea and chickpea
  • Field bean
  • Vetch
  • Mountain and plate lentils

Legend:

R: Survey of percent pure seed, separated from other seed and breakage, chaff, hulls, excrement, dead/live beetles, etc.

B: Survey of weed seeds, other cultivated seeds and dangerous impurities (e.g. ergot) in pieces.

TKM: thousand grain mass

KF: germination capacity/shooting power under difficult germination conditions near the field

STRIP: stripe disease of barley (Drechslera graminea)

STONE: stone blight (Tilletia spp., Urocystis occulta)

ASCO: Stinging spot disease (Ascochyta spp.)

FUS: Fusarium spp.

No, the purpose of the utility value test is only to provide information on the suitability of the seed for cultivation. The results, which are summarized in a test report, are not a certification. For more information on seed certification, click here.

The sample must:

• Be well sealed (e.g. bag, shoe box, ....).
• The sample accompanying bill must not be directly in the sample container, but can be enclosed e.g. in the package to the sample.
• The quantity to be sent in (approx. 1kg or 1/2kg) should be taken into account, otherwise no proper examination can be guaranteed.
• Do not use flour sacks as sample sacks (this can influence the stone fire analysis).
• Do not use spraying agent cartons as an over container (can also influence the examinations).

The sample can be handed in on site or sent by mail to the following address:

AGES GmbH Institute for Seeds and Seedlings, Plant Protection Service and Bees Spargelfeldstraße 191 1220 Vienna, Austria.

You can find the current price list in the downloads at the bottom of the page.

No, only one "pure" cultivar per submitted sample can be tested, no mixtures or blends.

No, we do not sell seeds.

All seed lots approved for organic farming are published in the Organic Seed Database.

Yes, due to

• Spore abrasion on surfaces
• Transmission of rock blight spores via all machinery with which they come into contact (e.g. combine harvesters, seed drills, etc.)
• Often through contract threshing
• Contamination of originally healthy crop

Cleanable equipment, such as trailers or the seeder should be thoroughly cleaned after contact with contaminated crop.

Competence center in field trials as well as for fruit growing and viticulture for the Pannonian climate region.

The reference station is formed by the experimental stations Fuchsenbigl and Grossnondorf as well as a mobile experimental team and the field station Stammersdorf.

Reference environment:

• Dry, deep soils with partly negative water balance (drought stress, irrigation sites).
• Market crop farms with a focus on cereals (e.g. quality wheat production), sugar beet, potatoes and in the immediate vicinity of urban centers
• In some cases high input use and associated potential impacts on food (nitrate, pesticide residues,...).

Main focus:

• Trials and variety value testing within the variety approval procedure including bio-value testing (winter and spring wheat, winter rye, winter triticale, durum wheat, winter and spring barley, sugar beet, sunflower, winter rape, oil pumpkin, grain pea, potato, maize, soybean, alfalfa).
• Variety register tests (DUS testing) for cereals, maize, grain pea, oil pumpkin, poppy seed
• EC control, monitoring and training plots
• Control of maintenance breeding
• Pre- and post-control including GMO monitoring
• Assessment of seed multiplication plots in the course of field certification
• Soil health trials (secondary raw material fertilizers, organic fertilizers, NPK step trials)
• Trials in fruit growing and viticulture
• Assessment of and participation in the authorization of external trial organizers
• Execution of experiments for internal and external clients, participation in the determination of the experimental design in relation to the research question.

Competence center for:

• Cereals
• Beet
• Sunflower
• Control cultivation for cereals, maize, pumpkin and soybean
• Register inspection for cereals, corn, pumpkin
• EDP development
• EDP maintenance and repair

Competence center in field testing for the northern alpine climate area.

The reference station is formed from the Grabenegg experimental station.

Reference environment:

• Mostly heavy clay-rich soils under cool-temperate humid climatic influence with partly long and high snow accumulations (criterion winter hardiness test).
• Market crop and livestock farms with emphasis on corn and field fodder production, cereals
• Mycotoxin problems in feedstuffs.

Main focus:

• Trials and variety value testing as part of the variety approval procedure including winter hardiness testing (winter and spring wheat, winter and spring barley, winter triticale, winter rye, winter and spring rapeseed, corn, field bean, grain pea, soybean, sunflower, poppy, forage legumes and forage grasses as well as catch crops and special crops
• Variety register tests (DUS testing) for cereals, potato, field bean, forage legumes and catch crops
• EC, control, monitoring and training plots
• Assessment of seed multiplication plots in the course of field recognition
• Control of maintenance breeding, pre- and post-control including GMO monitoring
• Trials on soil health (NPK step trial) Trials on plant health, forecast model development, new plant protection strategies and trials with ÖPUL reference
• Propagation and renewal cultivation in the course of the conservation of plant genetic resources
• Assessment and participation in the authorization of external trial providers,
• Execution of experiments for internal and external clients, participation in the definition of the experimental design in relation to the research question
• Technical and EDP-oriented further development of the test technology

Competence center for:

• Grain rape
• Field bean
• Pea
• Control cultivation for grasses, small and large seed legumes, cruciferous plants
• Register inspection for potato, and other crops
• Planning of inter-farm machinery use
• EDP maintenance/repair
• Fertilizer trials
• Plant protection product trials

Reference experimental stations and competence center in field testing for the northern alpine and Baltic climatic region.

The reference station is formed by the experimental stations Linz, Hagenberg and Schönfeld.

Reference environment:

• Same as reference station Northern Alpine and additionally Baltic with medium to light, shallow soils during very cold winters with rather low snow levels (criterion winter hardiness test).
• Market fruit and livestock farms with emphasis on potato and field fodder production, cereals, maize
• increasing share of crop production for biogas production, demand for high biomass yields
• Potential mycotoxin contamination of harvested products.

Focus areas:

• Trials and variety value testing as part of the variety approval process including bio-value testing and winter hardiness testing (winter wheat, winter barley, winter rye, winter triticale, spring barley, spring wheat, oats, corn, winter oilseed rape, grain pea, soybean, poppy, potato, forage legumes and forage grasses, and catch crops)
• EC control, monitoring and training plots mainly for potato
• propagation and renewal cultivation in the course of plant genetic resources conservation
• Assessment of seed multiplication areas in the course of field recognition
• Assessment of and assistance in the authorization of external trial organizers
• Execution of experiments for internal and external clients, participation in the determination of the experimental design in relation to the research question

Competence center for:

• Potato
• Forage grasses & clover
• Other crops
• Control cultivation for potato
• Planning of inter-farm machinery use
• Field recognition
• Genetic resources (gene bank)

Reference experimental stations and competence center in field testing for the Illyrian and Southern Alpine climatic region.

The reference station is formed by the experimental stations Gleisdorf and Hörzendorf.

Reference environment:

• Deep soils with sufficient rainfall and good temperature distribution.
• Market fruit and livestock farms with a focus on maize, oil pumpkin and cereals (e.g. mycotoxin problems in animal feed)
• Increasing share of crop production for biogas production with the demand for high biomass yields

Focus areas:

• Trials and variety value testing as part of the variety approval process, including bio-value testing (winter wheat, winter barley, spring barley, spring wheat winter triticale, oats, corn, soybean, grain pea, oil pumpkin, lupins)
• Monitoring and training plots
• Assessment of seed multiplication plots in the course of field recognition
• Assessment of and participation in the authorization of external trial organizers
• Execution of experiments for internal and external clients, participation in the determination of the experimental design in relation to the research question

Competence center for:

• Maize
• Oil pumpkin
• Soybean

We offer a modern research glasshouse with a high glass area of 3,000 m² for experiments in the field of plant nutrition, phytopathology and plant breeding and rearing.

The fully automated computer-controlled facility is of composite construction and divided into 77 autonomous compartments, each compartment being an autonomous unit in terms of climate control, irrigation, fertilization and lighting. All parameters can be visualized by the control room computer.

The outer standing walls are made of Thermoplus glass and the roof surfaces are made of blank glass. Temperature control is provided by convector and under-table heating, roof and standing wall ventilation, and a combined shading/heating screen. Two compartments are additionally equipped with evaporative coolers. Humidity is controlled by a high-pressure fogging system, which is also suitable for cooling at temperatures above 27° C.

The additional lighting can be controlled by two circuits per compartment, both assimilative and photoperiodic, simultaneously with different types of lamps (sodium vapor, metal halide) and allows quantum density up to 400 µEinstein.

For the automatic irrigation and fertilization system, partially desalinated water of about 10 µs is available in addition to industrial water. Water can be supplied by ebb and flow system, drip irrigation or via bato sprinklers.

In addition to the other cabins and compartments, a cabin suitable for isotope use and an earth house are available. Six fully air-conditioned vector-safe cabins are equipped with thermal wastewater disinfection. The supply and exhaust air is disinfected by HEPA filters.

Furthermore, there is a rolling house (8 x 34 m), which can be used e.g. for infection experiments as well as a cold frame for cultivation and overwintering of young plants.

The phytotron consists of two cabins in which the temperature, humidity, illuminance and CO2 content of the air can be controlled. Phytotrons can thus be used to fully simulate a wide range of environmental conditions.

For example, the current climate can be compared with a climate scenario in which increased temperature and increased CO2 content of the air prevail along with water stress.

The facility consists of two separate walk-in phytocells, each with a usable area of approx. 7 m² and a clear height of 2.07 m.

CO2 control: To simulate environmental conditions, the two cells can each be gassed via a CO2 dosing device, or the concentration can also be lowered. The CO2 absorption of the plants can be measured by an analyzer.

Lighting: Growth light: assimilation-effective light from Na vapor and metal halide lamps, as well as fluorescent tubes at a distance of 50 cm from the light plane. The lamp compartment is made of UV-resistant but still UV-transmissive material.

Light switching is possible in 4 steps up to 30,000 lx with 12 lamps 250 W NaH / 12 lamps 250 W HQ.

Air humidity: 30 - 90 % rH (tolerance: 5 % rH absolute)

Air temperature: + 5°C to + 30° C temporally and spatially (tolerance: 1°C )

Air velocity: at the discharge opening max. 0.2 m/sec

Air flow: vertically through the floor, fresh air supply can be regulated or switched off (65 m³/h)

Lysimeter studies provide a continuous record of data on basic parameters of water balance, nutrient and pollutant dynamics of soils. The matter dynamics prevailing in lysimeters provide a satisfactory approximation of field conditions.

The matter balance of agroecosystems is influenced to a greater or lesser extent by measures such as organic (farm manure, sewage sludge) and mineral fertilization, pesticide use, intensity and type of tillage, crop rotation, irrigation measures, atmospheric deposition, etc.,.

Of particular importance is knowledge of stress causes, stress pathways and mechanisms of action. From this, strategies for the regeneration of stressed and the preservation of intact agroecosystems can be derived.

Location: Climatically, the lysimeter site is located in a transitional area between the Western European climatic region (mild winters and wet, cool summers) and the Eastern European climatic region (cold winters, hot summers). From the point of view of vegetation ecology, the area already belongs entirely to the Pannonian. In this area, average annual temperatures of about 9.5°C and total annual precipitation of about 550-600 mm can be expected. The lysimeter site is located at an elevation of 160 m above sea level.

Both the site of the lysimeter plant and the sampling sites of the soils Fuchsenbigl and Orth an der Donau belong to the main production area Northeastern Plain and Hills and the small production area Marchfeld.

The Marchfeld is an intensively used arable farming area. This area is also called the "granary of Austria". In order to bridge occurring dry periods, irrigation is used in this area. The main crops of the Marchfeld are cereals (quality wheat), sugar beet, field vegetables and table potatoes. Due to intensive arable farming and artificial irrigation, this area is particularly affected by high nutrient discharge into the groundwater.

Equipment: 18 round steel vessels filled with three different soil types from the Marchfeld as well as probe equipment for the measurement of groundwater pollution by agricultural measures (fertilization, crop rotation, pesticides, etc.).

Each lysimeter vessel is equipped with:

• a tipping bucket incl. leachate collector: the tipping bucket is designed as a double rocker with 4 ml bucket volume and records the leachate quantities quantitatively with time resolution
• Tensiometer with temperature sensor at 30 cm intervals down to a soil depth of 210 cm: Tensiometers are in contact with the soil water via a ceramic candle head, resulting in a pressure transfer of the soil water pressure to the pressure transducer of the tensiometer. This allows statements to be made about the soil water balance as a function of the soil type and pore distribution. In combination with a temperature probe, the influence of the soil temperature on the material turnover is recorded.
• TDR probes at 30 cm intervals down to a soil depth of 180 cm: The TDR method (Time Domain Reflectometry) allows the determination of the water content in the soil by determining the round trip time of an electromagnetic wave emitted by the probe. This directly detects the volumetric water content of the soil and allows seepage fronts to be tracked.
• Suction candles at 30 cm intervals down to a soil depth of 210 cm: Via a pressure control system, soil water is extracted by means of a diaphragm vacuum pump by applying a suction voltage and sucked into the collection bottles provided for this purpose. Soil water extraction can be carried out individually for the respective soil depths. This makes it possible to record the material composition of the soil water in the individual soil depths.

Weather station: The weather station can measure the following values:

• Air temperature at 2 m height
• Near-ground air temperature at 5 cm above ground level
• Relative humidity at 2 m height
• Air pressure
• Wind speed at 10 m height
• Precipitation measurement at 1 m height
• Precipitation measurement at ground level
• Soil temperature at 10 cm, 30 cm, 60 cm and 90 cm soil depth

Data acquisition: For data acquisition, each lysimeter as well as the weather station is assigned its own data logger. Every ten minutes a data average is formed and recorded.

Cold house with Kick-Brauckmann vessels for testing of:

• Useful and harmful effects of agricultural inputs
• Drought or water stress
• Over- and undersupply of nutrients
• Testing of active substances

Technique: In the vessel testing station at the Vienna Spargelfeldstraße site, it is possible to carry out scientific experiments in plant pots under controlled outdoor conditions. Over 1,000 vessels can be set up on an area of almost 500 m².

The floor space is provided by 66 mobile tables, each designed to accommodate 16 Kick-Brauckmann pots (specially shaped plastic pots 26 cm high, 30 cm in diameter, 8 l in volume).

The roof and the side walls are glazed. This glazing - both the roof and the side walls - is usually open. In case of rain and strong wind and extreme temperatures, the glazing is automatically closed by the greenhouse computer. The entire vascular experimental station is covered with a plastic bird net.