52 / SEEDWORLD.COM DECEMBER 2017 Since 1965 For a quote or catalog, call 303.431.7333 fax 303.467.7886 sales@applewoodseed.com Individual Species Garden Flowers Pollinator & Conservation Mixtures applewoodseed.com Specialists in Wildflowers ernment is usually the vested member, with some regional exceptions. “Even the color of the blue tags that are used by seed certify- ing agencies is universal,” says Boruff. “Those tags verify that the seed in the bag or container has been produced accord- ing to AOSCA standards, with oversight by one of its member agencies” Seed certification in the United States is a voluntary program. In most other nations and the EU, seed certification is a mandatory requirement. In the U.S., the owner of a variety can make a determination whether or not a variety will be sold as a class of certified seed AOSCA standards deal primarily with maintaining varietal purity. Regulatory requirements that deal with seed quality and labeling – seed germination and purity, for example – are regu- lated on the federal and state levels by seed laws, some of which follow RUSSL, the Recommended Uniform State Seed Law. Seed bags or containers must be labeled to meet the require- ments of state and Federal seed laws. Even when seed is not sold as a class of certified seed, AOSCA standards are usually present and in play. Seed production companies usually follow AOSCA standards for isolation distances, for example, because they want to maintain the varietal purity of their products. “Within the seed industry, AOSCA standards have become the foundation for maintaining purity and quality,” Boruff says. Certification and what it means can sometimes be confusing. Boruff refers to certified, with either a “small c” or a “capital C.” Seed certified with a small “c” may be certified for many things, such as organic, natural, non-GMO, grass-fed, etc. He says, “capi- tal “C” certification means that a third-party has been closely involved with the production of that seed from start to finish and is putting its assurance on the tag that the product in the bag is the variety the buyer paid for. ”The companies we work with today do a great job of maintaining quality, but there is no third- party verification unless there is a blue tag.” Stay with the Standards Producing Certified seed according to AOSCA standards is a logical, methodical process. The logical first step is to know the history of the field. Parent seed of known varieties that has been produced using AOSCA standards is planted and inspected throughout the growing season. Field inspectors understand seed certification standards and inspect the growing crop to make sure it is consistently express- ing the unique characteristics of that variety. They also make sure that isolation distances to prevent cross-pollination are being followed. “The process of certification is essentially the same for every situation,” says Boruff. “Know and understand the standards, then carefully observe whether or not the process is adhering to those standards. That is the value of independent, third-party certifier who can make objective observations.” Many seed certi- fying agencies provide other non-seed certification services such as well: • Identify preserved program for bulk quantities • Quality assurance programs • Organic certifiers •  Weed-free forage programs, especially important for a road project (for erosion stabilization, for example) that must have no noxious seeds. AOSCA does not have a large staff. Seed certification is car- ried on at the local level where management can make decisions that best serve the seed industry and its needs. SW Editor’s Note: This article has been condensed for print. Please go to Seedworld.com to read the full version. A cereals wheat field. PHOTO SUBMITTED BY AOSCA