| The Arkansas State Plant
Board Seed Division provides a service to the public for the maintenance
and increase of quality seed. This is provided to insure varietal
purity and seed quality by reviewing and retaining crop production
records and through a series of field and laboratory inspections.
The traditional method for providing this has been through our Seed
Certification program. However, for the past three or four years,
we have also offered some new programs to meet the changing needs
of the seed industry.
Identity Preserved / Quality Assurance
is part of a trend in seed certification that is outside the traditional
certification program. It can involve adding value by maintaining
the identity of a product through production, processing and/or
marketing channels or simply providing inspections for quality control
for variety, weeds, etc. It provides a uniform, unbiased system
for producing and marketing seed. Each program is tailored to the
needs of the company involved and fees are set according to the
complexity and time needed for the required inspections.
If you need assistance in assuring
the quality of your seed production, the Plant Board Seed Division
Staff and Inspection Staff are available for the following services:
- Field Inspections for weeds, other
crops and varietal purity (including flowering inspections for
soybeans)
- Inspection forms / Application forms
tailored to company's needs
- Representative Sampling of each
seed lot
- Laboratory evaluation of each seed
lot for warm germination, purity, noxious weeds and varietal purity
(vigor testing available for cotton, wheat, soybeans, garden beans)
- Roundup ReadyŽ Soybean Field Inspections
(after herbicide application and prior to harvest)
- Laboratory evaluation to verify
the presence of the Roundup ReadyŽ gene (only available for companies
who have their own RR variety)
- Labeling with analysis information
To request any of these
services, please contact the Plant Board Seed Division, complete
the application for Identity
Preserved / Quality Assurance services and return as soon
after planting as possible. Please note there are application
deadlines in order to perform these various services. If you have
not previously used any of these services, some processing time
will be required to determine needs and develop individual programs.
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