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CERTIFIED SEED
DOESN'T COST...IT PAYS
There is some confusion about
the use of the word "Certified" in seed
planting specifications. Often the engineer merely wants the
seed supplier to certify that the seed has been tested at an
official laboratory and that the seed in the bag conforms to
the information on the bag tag.
In the seed industry, there is
another meaning to the word "Certified."
Each state has a Seed Certifying Agency (or Crop Improvement
Association) which writes the rules for seed produced in its
state. Seed Certification is the means of maintaining the
pedigree of a specific variety of seed (such as the named
variety 'Goldar,' which is a variety of Bluebunch
wheatgrass.) Seed growers voluntarily use seed Certification
to assure their customers that extra care has been taken to
provide them with correctly identified, genetically pure
seed.
The blue Certified seed label
identifies seed meeting Certification requirements and
thereby assures the seeder of obtaining varietal performance
of the variety named on the label.
Each variety is released for
propagation because it is deemed superior in one or more
characteristics, such as seedling vigor, low dormancy, broad
range of adaptability, seed production, form and color, or
palatability.
Each grower is responsible for
handling their Certifiable seed so that it will also meet
the Seed Certifying Agency standards for mechanical purity
and germination. Each state law requires that each container
of seed be labeled as to its origin, the germination
percentage and date of germ test, the percentage by weight
of pure seed, other crop seed, weed seed, inert matter, and
number and kind of restricted noxious weeds. This label is
commonly referred to as an analysis tag. By studying both
the Certified and the analysis tags, one can determine the
quality of the seed in the container. Blue-tagged Certified
seed must meet high purity and germination standards, and
have a low weed content (usually less than 0.25%); whereas
there are no standards for noncertified seed other than
state limits on the weeds (often as high as 2.00%).
In addition to Breeder and
Foundation seed, which are sold to growers only, two other
classes of Certified seed are recognized:
Registered
seed is the progeny of Foundation seed which
meets the high field inspection and laboratory
requirements for this class. Bagged seed should have a
purple tag. Registered seed
is more expensive, and is
usually sold to growers.
Certified
seed is the progeny of Registered seed. Bagged seed
should have a blue tag. Certified seed is
affordable, high- quality seed sold for planting by the
end user, such as for re-vegetation.
Source-identified seed is collected from
natural stands or seed production areas where no
selection or testing of the parent population has been
made. In this case, the inspector travels to the
collection site to verify the species, the collection
site, and the pounds collected. A yellow
Source-Identified tag assures the buyer that his
fourwing saltbush was, for example, collected in Wyoming
rather than in New Mexico.
Even though a bag may not have
a purple, blue, or yellow tag, it may still contain the
variety claimed. A seed lot may fail to be Certified merely
because the mechanical purity proves to be slightly lower
than the standard for that variety. Or, since Certified seed
often does not command a much higher price than common seed,
a grower may not go to the trouble and expense of having his
field and cleaning plant inspected by the Seed Certifying
agency. (In Wyoming, for example, a grower pays $4.00 per
acre for inspection.) Some varieties, such as Pryor slender
wheatgrass, can be identifed by the seed lab; while other
varieties, such as Rosana western wheatgrass, cannot. In the
latter case, the integrity of the grower and the seed dealer
determine whether the seed is truly the variety claimed on
the label. Noncertified seed may come from an old pasture
that the rancher recalls his dad planting with such-and-such
variety.
Freedom from worry over noxious
weeds is another benefit of field inspection. Common or
non-cert fields are not walked by the inspector, and a
"clear tag" laboratory test will be based on only 25,000
seeds (about 60 grams). A noxious weed missed in the first
sample may show up in subsequent samples (if they are
taken), often after the seed is in the ground and a costly
spray eradication program is the only course remaining.
Field inspection greatly reduces the chances of overlooked
noxious weed seeds being harvested.
Many seeders already have found
that quality seed pays in better establishment and
permanence. This trend protects reputable seed companies and
encourages growers to produce enough high quality seed to
meet the demand.
If you would like to make sure
to get quality seed, specify: "Certified, blue-tagged seed
shall be supplied where a named variety is specified. Vendor
shall indicate on the bid whether Certified or common seed
is being offered, as well as the origin of the seed. The
blue tags which are removed to mix the seed shall be given
to the reclamation engineer; in addition, mix tags showing
the weighted averages of the ingredients shall be attached
to each bag."
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