Moline, Illinois
May 7, 2007
Freezing temperatures over the
Easter weekend had a serious impact on the winter wheat crop
growing in a large portion of the central United States. Damage
to seed wheat fields will reduce the amount of seed produced in
certain varieties intended for planting the 2008 crop.
The Association of Official Seed
Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) represents organizations across
the United States and other countries responsible for certifying
seed for all major agricultural crops. Seed certification is a
process including field inspections, seed testing, audits, and
documentation that insures the quality and purity of seed
purchased by farmers. AOSCA and seed certification agencies in
the US work closely with the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to carry out the provisions of the Federal
Seed Act pertaining to certified seed.
Seed crop losses are not unusual, as they may be impacted by
drought, freezing, or other annual weather conditions. However,
a wide-spread event like the Easter weekend freeze poses an
exceptional challenge for the seed industry. Fortunately, there
is an emergency provision in seed certification rules that
enable agencies to recertify the “Certified” class of seed to
help provide additional seed supplies to offset severe seed crop
losses.
“Certifying agencies work closely with the seed industry and
occasionally we are asked to exercise the emergency option to
recertify fields planted with the “Certified” class of seed when
it appears the current crop has suffered a major loss,”
according to Larry Svajgr, Executive Director of the Indiana
Crop Improvement Association and current president of the AOSCA
Board of Directors. “This appears to be the case with seed wheat
this year. We want to help seed producers understand the
requirements and steps necessary for our agencies to follow when
considering requests for recertification”.
Seed producers wishing to apply for recertification under AOSCA
procedures should first contact their local seed certifying
agency for assistance. If the agency approves the request and
permits recertification of the “Certified” class for specific
wheat varieties, the seed producer will be required to provide
evidence that such fields were planted with official “Certified”
class seed. The owner of the variety must consent to its
recertification. All other seed certification requirements,
including land requirements, isolation distances, and varietal
purity must be met. Production of an additional generation of
“Certified” seed is allowed for only one year when an emergency
is declared by any official seed certifying agency. The
additional generation of “Certified” seed is not eligible for
recertification.
“Seed producers are trying to assess the extent of damage and
seed crop loss at this time,” said Chet Boruff, Chief Executive
Officer of AOSCA. “Our AOSCA agencies anticipate that requests
for recertification may be submitted soon and we are prepared to
respond as quickly as possible to help seed growers meet the
demand for certified seed wheat”.
For further information about this program, seed producers
should contact the seed certifying agency in their state, AOSCA
through its website at aosca.org,
or by calling 1-309-736-0120. |
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