Seed Marketing Services

WALTER R. CRISPIN.

THE SEED VERIFICATION SERVICE is concerned primarily with the origin of seed of alfalfa and red clover that is, the locality where it is produced.

A voluntary service, it is conducted by the Seed Branch of the Grain Division, Agricultural Marketing Service. It covers shipments of seeds within and between States.

The Department of Agriculture in 1925 decided to investigate the need to set up a system of records that would enable seed dealers and farmers to buy seed of alfalfa and red clover with positive assurance of origin. A study covering records of more than 60 seedsmen indicated that the records and some supplemental information would enable a supervising agency to trace the origin of all lots handled by seedsmen.

After conferences with representatives of the Department of Agriculture, State seed-certifying agencies, State agricultural colleges and experiment stations, the International Crop Improvement Association, National and State Farm Bureaus, and the seed trade, the Seed Verification Service was established in 1927.

The purpose of seed certification is to make available to the public seed of superior varieties of known genetic identity. Much alfalfa seed that for one reason or another is not eligible for certification or is not certified because of the cost is being produced. The demand for it is good when it is truthfully labeled as to origin. The Seed Verification Service facilitates the marketing of this seed, under its true origin, but it does not supplant the State certifying agencies.

Misrepresentation of origin of alfalfa seed before the Seed Verification Service came into being resulted in unfair competition among dealers and in heavy losses to farmers who unknowingly purchased seed that winterkilled because it was not adapted to the localities where it was planted. The names of States, which for years had been producing large quantities of non-hardy alfalfa seed, rarely appeared on tags or invoices.

After inauguration of the Service, the price difference between nonhardy alfalfa seed grown in the Southwestern States and winter-hardy strains produced in the North Central and Northern States increased for a time as a price adjustment to a supply-and-demand basis became effective.

Sowing adapted origins of seed of alfalfa and red clover is important, as indicated by provisions of the Federal Seed Act as to seeds in interstate and foreign commerce. Interstate shipments of alfalfa, red clover, whiteclover, and field corn (except hybrid seed corn) must be labeled to show the origin. If it is not known, a statement that the origin is unknown must be used. Imported seeds of alfalfa and red clover, before being admitted into the commerce of the United States, must be stained to identify the country or countries that produced them.

The climate in which alfalfa seed is grown for any length of time affects its winter hardiness. The rapidly growing, less hardy plants are eliminated by natural selection in a cold climate, as they winterkill. The slow-growing, winter-hardy plants are gradually crowded out in warmer climates by less hardy, rapidly growing plants. Standards of the International Crop Improvement Association specify that when a variety of alfalfa seed is grown outside of its designated region of adaptation, certification shall be limited to one generation from foundation and registered seed. The seed thus produced shall be the certified class.

APPLICATIONS by dealers for enrollment in the Seed Verification Service are made each year. The Service is conducted by offices of the Seed Branch in Washington, D.C., Kansas City, Mo., Minneapolis, Minn., and Sacramento, Calif. Members of the Service are known as verified-origin seed dealers. Before enrollment, the dealer must have his methods of handling seed stocks and records examined and approved by a Federal inspector.

In making application for membership, the dealer agrees to comply with the instructions and procedure for origin verification of seeds; keep prescribed records; confine his purchases of alfalfa seed insofar as possible to lots of seed eligible for verification, with the exception of seeds produced in foreign countries other than Canada; endeavor to obtain acceptable assurances of origin for all such lots; and to submit inspection certificate applications for all eligible lots of alfalfa seed, other than State-certified seed. Such seed must also be reported for verification of origin if the dealer desires to sell it as verified-origin seed.

APPLICATIONS for inspection certificates and proof of origin for each lot listed thereon are submitted to the appropriate office for origin verification. Information on the application includes the kind of seed, name and address of the grower or shipper, shipping point, date of shipment or delivery, shipper's lot number, the verified-origin seed dealer's receiving lot number, the quantity in pounds, place where the seed was grown, and the kind of declaration supporting the origin of each lot.

Growers' declarations of origin are furnished on lots of seed purchased from growers, shippers' declarations of origin on lots purchased from country shippers, and verified-origin seed invoices on lots purchased from other verified-origin seed dealers.

Information on verified-origin seed tags and on State-certified seed tags may be accepted as proof of origin, if tags are properly attached to the bags and there is no evidence that the contents of the bags have been tampered with.

When the origin of a lot of seed reported for verification of origin is questioned, it may be deleted from the application, or a sample may be obtained and examined for incidental seeds indicative of origin. The result of the examination is given consideration in determining action to be taken. When approved and signed by a Federal seed inspector, the application becomes an inspection certificate, and the seed listed thereon is known as verified-origin seed.

The fee for verification of origin was 7 cents per hundred pounds in 1960. Fees are charged to cover the cost of the service.

Dealer's report forms as to verified-origin seed are provided by the Service for the use of verified-origin seed dealers in reporting new lots of verified-origin seed which are obtained when a lot is cleaned or blended with other lots and thereby loses its former identity. These reports give a partial transcript of the blending and cleaning records for all bulk lots.

A CONTINUITY of records and lot identification, which enables a Federal inspector to trace any lot of verified-origin seed from the consumer back to the grower, is a fundamental principle of the Seed Verification Service.

The normal movement of alfalfa and red clover seed is from the grower to the country shipper to the dealer. A country shipper is one who confines his purchases of seeds to those produced in his own locality for shipment to seed dealers or to other country shippers. The record requirements of the Service apply primarily to country shippers and dealers in verified-origin seed.

Prescribed records for verified-origin seed dealers, in addition to acceptable assurances of origin, are receiving record, blending and cleaning record, stock record, labeling record, shipping record, sample record, and a storage record.

Country shippers issuing declarations of origin are required to maintain receiving records, original growers' and shippers' declarations of origin obtained, blending and cleaning records for any lots that are processed, shipping records, sample of each lot shipped; and a copy of each shipper's declaration issued.

A lot number is assigned to each lot as it is received. The bags are tagged or marked with this lot number, which is also shown on all records pertaining to the lot. More detailed records are required for country shippers who handle a large amount of seed than for those who handle only a few lots each season.

Origin designations and districts are specified in the regulations. The origin of a verified-origin lot may be a State or two or three States if the northern boundary of the most southern State is in the same latitude or north of the southern boundary of the most northern State. These are some of the exceptions.

For red clover seeds, the country is divided into divisions or districts designated as Western Division, Rocky Mountain Division, and Eastern Division. Red clover seeds grown in one division are not eligible to carry verified-origin seed tags if blended with seeds produced in the other divisions.

California is divided into three districts, designated as northern California, central California, and southern California. Alfalfa seeds grown in California may be blended with that produced in other States only on the basis of California districts.

Designated parts of States are set up as special districts for example, northwestern Texas.

The origin of seeds produced in Canada and imported from Canada may be shown as Canada, or the Provinces of Canada may be shown.

Not more than three States or three Provinces of Canada may be given as the origin, and the percentage of seed produced in each State or Province must be given in the order of its predominance. The blending of seeds of domestic alfalfa or red clover with such seeds from Canada is prohibited.

VERIFIED-ORIGIN tags and invoices are the commercial documents issued by verified-origin dealers to buyers. They show the origin of seeds of alfalfa and red clover. The documents may be issued only if the information thereon is in harmony with the information on inspection certificates covering the lots and verified-origin seed dealers' reports for bulk or blended lots.

The verified-origin invoice is used primarily in transactions between verified-origin dealers to eliminate the need to attach verified-origin tags.

The verified-origin tag, which shows the kind of seed, where it was grown, and lot number, is the document that reaches the consumer. All verified-origin seeds equal to or better than the standard of quality specified in the regulations must bear verified-origin tags except seeds shipped to another verified-origin dealer or other dealers who file written requests that such tags not be attached.

Tags must be sewed on all bags by machine or attached by a seal in such a way that the bags cannot be opened without releasing - the tags. The lot number must be stenciled on all bags of seeds verified as to origin, regardless of whether tags are attached.