Participate in Variety Trials
You are invited to be part of our mission to make the seed system more transparent and resilient by signing up to participate in collaborative variety trials on SeedLinked! Jump ahead to collaborative variety trial sign up!
Taking part in collaborative variety trials is a great way to:
- Grow new and exciting varieties before they are released commercially.
- Provide vital feedback on how the varieties perform. Your reviews will be available (anonymously) to help other growers choose seeds on the SeedLinked Marketplace.
- Participate in the discussion on the trial community feed where you can learn from other growers, share your expertise, and build community.
- Get instant access to trial results when you complete each trial.
What am I committing to when I sign up to be part of a collaborative variety trial on SeedLinked?
- When you sign up, you must create a free SeedLinked Account.
- The trial manager will review your request to participate in trials and may or may not ask you to officially join depending on your location, experience, or grower type (gardener or farmer).
- Once you get accepted to join the trial, you will get a confirmation email.
- The trial manager for the trial will send you seeds and will ask you to grow out each variety and submit your reviews, comments, and photos on the SeedLinked website and/or app during the growing season.
- The trial manager for each collaborative variety trial will communicate more specific details about participating.
Sign Up for Collaborative Variety Trials
Check out what trials are available below. Note that this page is updated frequently, so check back often.
2022 Albert Lea Seed Annual Clover Winter Hardiness Trial
This cover crop trial, put on by Albert Lea Seed, is focused on testing the germination, vigor, and winter hardiness of four varieties of clover: generic ‘Variety Not Stated’ (VNS) versions of crimson and berseem clover, ‘Fixation’ balansa clover, and ‘Frosty’ berseem clover. Seed will be shipped in July, and participants are asked to plant a 4′ x 6′ plot of each clover two months before their average first freeze date (see the ‘Historical Date of First Freeze’ map). Winter killed clovers (which these varieties usually are) can be a great way to prep a plot for next year’s spring or summer crops, but some of these varieties might survive and you will be asked to collect data into spring 2023, so keep that in mind when choosing a location for this trial. Learn more and sign up for this trial below.
Updated 8/30/22