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Category: Seed Certification Program

Agronomic Standards and Seed Certification Handbook Updated

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We encourage MCIA members who participate in our seed certification programs to download the recently updated Agronomic Seed Certification Standards and Seed Certification Handbook. Note that Festulolium and hybrid rye standards have been approved by the MCIA Board of Directors. Revisions to hemp and sod quality seed standards were also approved. Other key changes include, but are not limited to, reformatting standards for consistency, merging information into one document, and clarifying requirements on interagency certification.

These and other MCIA documents can be accessed via the Client Resources page of this website. You’ll find Seed Certification Program documents listed there under the Certification Services header.

If you have questions about the changes or if you would like to request printed copies of the Standards or Handbook, please contact the MCIA office at mncia@mncia.org or call 800-510-6242.

MCIA Seeks Administration and Certification Assistant

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Minnesota Crop Improvement Association is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Administration and Certification Assistant. This full-time position offers a competitive salary and full benefits. This position is located at MCIA’s main office on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. For more information, read the full position announcement on our job openings page.

Try Your Hand at Crop Art to Go

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There are still opportunities to enjoy this year’s Minnesota State Fair, despite the cancellation of most on-site events. One example: the fair’s new Crop Art to Go kits. Minnesota Crop Improvement Association provided crop seeds for these kits, continuing a tradition of more than 100 years of involvement with the fair. Everything needed to create your own work of art is included in the kits: seven varieties of seeds, eight beginner illustrations to use as design patterns, a 5 x 7-inch canvas, glue, paintbrush, toothpicks, a pencil, and directions. To order a Crop Art to Go kit, visit the State Fair’s online shop.

Crop art at the Minnesota State Fair was the inspiration of Orris Shulstad, a former manager of MCIA’s seed laboratory who was also superintendent of the State Fair’s farm crops division. In 1965, Shulstad added crop art to the Certified Seed Show and Field Crop Competition. The annual crop art display remains a popular attraction to this day. Creations from the Crop Art to Go kits can be entered in the 2021 Minnesota State Fair competition.

Don’t Plant Mystery Seeds—Send Them to MDA

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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) has been receiving reports of residents receiving unsolicited packages of seeds appearing to come from China. Officials in other states have reported similar situations. Anyone who has received a package of seeds they did not order should not plant the seeds. What to do? Minnesotans should contact MDA’s Arrest the Pest line at 1-888-545-6684 or arrest.the.pest@state.mn.us. Provide your name, contact information, and the date the package was received. Officials will coordinate shipping the packaging and contents to the MDA Seed Program. The MDA is working with the USDA’s Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance Program on identification and destruction of the seeds. For more information on this topic, read the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s full press release.

List Your Carryover Seed in the Directory

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The 2021 MCIA Directory will include a listing of carryover seed. If you are enrolled in MCIA’s Seed Certification program and you have seed you want to list, please submit the Directory Carryover Seed Inclusion form that was included in your field inspection information packet, which we sent to program participants in May. To download the form, go to Client Resources; you’ll find the Directory Carryover Seed Inclusion form listed there under Certification Services, Seed Certification Program.

Field Inspection Application Deadlines

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Please note these dates to avoid late fees:

  • June 8: Small grains, corn, and sunflowers
  • June 8 or 3 weeks after planting (whichever is first): Soybean post-spray inspections
  • June 8: Soybean bloom inspections
  • 4 weeks prior to each cutting for noxious weed seed–free forage and mulch
  • July 15: Soybeans (pre-harvest inspection only)
  • Year of seeding: Perennials and native grasses and forbs

MCIA will mail information packets for Field Inspection Applications in May. Application forms and instructions are also available on this website. You’ll find them on the Client Resources page, listed under Certification Services: Seed Certification Program.

Ready for Spring?

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Early spring conditions may create more demand for small grains. The seed lab is busy, so don’t delay in getting your seed tested. At best, it will take 7 days and we need test results before issuing final reports, bulk certificates, and tags. A few other items to keep in mind:

  • Update your germination. If you have carryover seed, be sure the label reflects a germination test date that is compliant with the seed law.
  • Be sure you received a passed seed certification report before any tags or bulk certificates are issued.
  • Always tag or issue bulk certificates for the seed you distribute.
  • Resolve any issues about eligibility of seed source before planting.

Tags Required for Seed in Tote Containers

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MCIA now requires that seed being sold in tote containers must be labeled with a certification tag. Sellers can no longer use a bulk certificate when distrib­uting seed in tote containers.

Any seed class may be sold in tote containers using a certification tag as proof of certification. A tote typically weighs between 1,000 and 3,000 pounds. In cases where tote containers are unloaded into the buyer’s vehicle, the tags must be provided to the buyer.