Seed Certification in the United States

FRANK G. PARSONS, CARLTON S. GARRISON, AND KELLER E. BEESON.

SEED certification is the system used to keep pedigree records for crop varieties and to make available sources of genetically pure seed and propagating materials for general distribution.

Seed certification does this by means of inspections of fields and seeds and regulations for checking on the production, harvesting, and cleaning of each lot of seed. Seedsmen and farmers thus have assurance of getting genetically pure seeds when they distribute or use certified seeds.

Without such a system, seeds of varieties tend to become contaminated and mixed and to lose identity.

Workers in agricultural experiment stations started before 1900 to select and release better varieties of crops. The seeds of a new variety were given in small amounts to growers, who agreed to multiply and distribute the seeds to their neighbors. At that time there were several good reasons for the practice.

Agronomists and plant breeders had relatively little land at their disposal and therefore could produce a limited amount of seeds. The staff at most experiment stations was so small that few breeders had enough help and time to make substantial increases of seed before it was released. Many believed that once a small increase was made it was the farmer's duty to multiply and distribute the seed to the farmers. The research workers looked to the farmer-cooperators for reports on yield and a rough evaluation of the variety under farm conditions. This was one of the accepted methods of giving information on the adaptation and performance of new varieties.

The plan gave the experiment stations a method of introducing improved varieties and strains to farmers of their respective States, but it was not efficient. Many times the seed was wasted or became so contaminated that its true value was lost, although the new varieties produced at public expense represented many years of effort and were valuable.

Seedsmen and farmers were also distributing so-called new varieties with little regard for their adaptation and value. It was a common practice to rename varieties and so to cause them to lose their original identity. The question was raised as to what could be done to maintain the identity of a variety after it had left the plant breeder.

Members of the Congress distributed seeds of new varieties during the early 1900's. Many farmers got some seeds for increase, but usually the distribution benefited only the farmers who got the seeds.

Because of the difficulties experienced in increasing and distributing seeds of new varieties, agronomists at several of the State agricultural experiment stations began to help growers by inspecting their seed-increase fields before harvest. Wisconsin in 1913 started field inspection work for members of the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station. Montana did so in 1915, Minnesota and Missouri in 1916, and Ohio in 1919.

Seed certification grew from these efforts.

SEED CERTIFICATION is a responsibility of the States. Authority to carry on this service is given by legislation to an agency or organization whose responsibility for the work is defined in the law.

The certifying agencies work closely with the State agricultural experiment stations, the Extension Service, the State departments of agriculture, seed analysts, and control officials. Policies and regulations pertaining to certification usually are initiated by joint action of the experiment station and the certifying agency.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has no direct responsibility for seed certification, but employees of the Agricultural Marketing Service, the Agricultural Research Service, and the Extension Service assist the State certifying agencies and the International Crop Improvement Association in developing procedures for producing and marketing certified seeds.

There are three types of certification agencies. Some are operated by the agricultural experiment station or the Extension Service. Some are operated by State departments of agriculture. Most of them are crop improvement associations.

A State crop improvement association usually has a board of directors, most of whom are seed producers elected by the grower members; a representative of the experiment station; and an advisory committee of representatives of the experiment station. The agricultural division of the State college or experiment station usually provides office facilities and part of the expenses of maintaining the secretary-manager of the association. He usually is a staff member of the college or experiment station.

Most certification agencies do not receive appropriated State funds but obtain operating income by charging fees for their services. The fee schedule includes farm, field, and acreage fees and sometimes a tag and sealing fee.

The acreage fee provides the greatest source of income. It varies with the crop, the extent of the certification program in the State, and the amount of funds required to provide the certification services. For example, in 1960 the acreage fees set by the certification agencies ranged from 15 cents to about 1 dollar an acre for small grains and similar crops, but were 5 dollars or more an acre for crops requiring numerous inspections, such as hybrid corn.

About 2.5 billion pounds of farm seeds and a like amount of seed potatoes were certified annually in the United States in the years 1955-1960.

Certification has usually been confined to seeds of farm crops, although a small amount of vegetable seeds is certified in some States.

Forty-five States had certification programs by 1959 that embraced a few hundred acres to more than 200 thousand acres. In total, more than 1,500 hybrids and varieties were certified in 1959.

PARTICIPATION in the certification of seed and other propagating materials usually is open to all growers. The production and processing of certified seeds is a specialized business, however, that one should enter only as a carefully studied, long-time venture.

Most of the varieties that are accepted for certification have been developed and released by State agricultural experiment stations, but there is a growing interest among some private breeders in having their own varieties certified. This varies with seed firms, for it usually relates to the kinds of seed crops they sell.

Some varieties developed by private breeders have been certified, but private plant breeding of field crops (except cotton, hybrid corn, and tobacco) has not been practiced extensively in the United States. Private breeders were beginning to work with other field crops, however, by the late 1950's. Nothing in the certification procedure prevents the acceptance of privately developed varieties if their owners want certification and comply with the requirements as to eligibility.

In most States, a committee of representatives of agricultural experiment stations decides whether a variety is acceptable for certification. The approval of the experiment station or committee becomes final when the new variety is accepted by the State certification agency.

The requirements for accepting varieties into certification vary.

One reason for this is that consideration must be given to the nature of the breeding or selection involved in the development of the variety. The reproductive habits of different crop plants determine the precautions that must be taken to maintain uniform performance in successive increases of seeds. The method of plant breeding often determines the amount of testing necessary to determine the value of a variety.

It is important, furthermore, to decide whether the variety is to be produced for use within the State or elsewhere. Seeds of cereal, oil, and fiber crops can be grown in the areas where they were developed and are used most, but seeds of some crops, particularly forages, must be produced in areas at considerable distance from where the varieties were bred and where they will be used. That point having been decided, specific requirements are developed to protect the original characteristics of the varieties.

Certification procedures were developed in 1938-1945 for growing seeds of forage crops outside their regions of origin or where they are best adapted for forage. These procedures, which designate the stock seeds to be planted, the limitations on the number of generations of increase, and the number of crops of seeds that can be harvested from a stand, assure the consumer that he can rely on certified seeds of the improved varieties regardless of where they were produced.

The large production in the West of certified seeds of improved varieties of alfalfa and red clover, adapted to the Central, Eastern, and Southern States, was made possible by these special regulations.

FOUR CLASSES of certified seed are recognized in the certification programs throughout the United States. These are listed and defined by the International Crop Improvement Association thus:

"Breeder seed shall be seed or vegetative propagating material directly controlled by the originating, or in certain cases the sponsoring plant breeder or institution, and which provides the source for the initial and recurring increase of foundation seed."

"Foundation seed, including elite in Canada, shall be seed stocks that are so handled as to most nearly maintain specific genetic identity and purity and that may be designated or distributed by an agricultural experiment station. Production must be carefully supervised or approved by representatives of an agricultural experiment station. Foundation seed shall be the source of all other certified seed classes, either directly or through registered seed."

"Registered seed shall be the progeny of foundation or registered seed that is so handled as to maintain satisfactory genetic identity and purity and that has been approved and certified by the certifying agency. This class of seed should be of a quality suitable for the production of certified seed."

"Certified seed shall be the progeny of foundation, registered or certified seed that is so handled as to maintain satisfactory genetic identity and purity and that has been approved and certified by the certifying agency."

Breeder seed generally remains exclusively in the hands of the originating plant breeder or institution and is limited in amount.

Foundation seed usually is under the control of the State agricultural experiment station. Sometimes this control is vested in an organization that produces foundation seed. The agricultural experiment station has some degree of control over the organization. Various State and national programs are responsible for the production and maintenance of foundation seed.

Registered seed, usually one generation advanced from the foundation seed, is used as planting stock for the production of the certified seed.