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Native Grasses and Forbs Pre-Variety Germplasm Certification

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MCIA’s native grass and forbs pre-variety germplasm certification program is designed to assure that the proper identity of native grasses and forbs (wildflowers) is maintained through all phases of seed and/or seedling production. In Minnesota, certified seed or planting stock are often required by government agencies for highway roadside re-vegetation and other projects to ensure that the planting materials are adapted to Minnesota’s harsh climatic conditions. This program was developed to certify germplasm that has not been released as a variety.

Three different levels or seed classes are possible based on the amount of intentional selection that has taken place. They are:

• Source Identified — material is marked with a yellow tag. The location where the material was originally collected from native stands (genetic origin) is indicated on the certification label. Source-identified materials are comprised of the least selected germplasm and are considered to be genetically diverse.
• Selected — material is marked with a green tag. Selected class seed is the progeny of phenotypically selected plants with traits or parentage that has promise but no proof of inheritance.
• Tested — material is marked with a blue tag and is the progeny of plants whose parentage has been tested and proven to possess distinctive traits for which the inheritance is stable but for which a variety has not been named or released.

The certification process consists of several steps through which MCIA verifies that seed and plant production meets the MCIA standards. Steps include seed source verification, inspection of seed production sites and seed testing. MCIA shall issue certification documents (seed labels or certificates) to producers whose production has met all certification requirements. Please contact MCIA to obtain information on how to participate in this program. A directory of producers of certified native grasses and forbs is also available.

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©2005 Minnesota Crop Improvement Association. All rights reserved.
Photos are courtesy of U of MN Agricultural Experiment Station and USDA NRCS.
This page was last updated on August 22, 2005 12:57 PM .