New Procedures for Maintaining the Certification Status of Seed During Coating or Treating
The Australian Seeds Authority has been concerned that certified seed was losing that status during any coating or treating process. This was to the disadvantage of both the seller and the buyer of the seed, so ASA has reviewed its requirements to overcome this problem.
The detailed requirements are available from the ASA or the certification agencies, but the key issues are:-
- The certified seed must be coated or treated only by a seed processor authorised to process certified seed.
- New certification labels must be printed and attached, and a new certification seedlot number must be created. This can be created by the addition of a suffix or prefix to the original certification seedlot number.
- If the uncoated seedlot had been sampled and tested LESS than 6 months prior to the treatment or coating, the certification agency may issue a certification certificate for treated or coated seed. These certification certificates allow the reporting of the purity and germination test results on the uncoated seed lot, and require the original and the new certification seed lot identification to be reported on this certificate.
- If the uncoated seed had been sampled and tested MORE than 6 months before the coating or treatment, a new sample of the coated/treated seed must be drawn and a new seed test conducted, and a new seed testing certificate issued.
- If the coating results in a seedlot which now exceeds the maximum size for that species, the seedlot must be split into two (or more) seedlots which each do not exceed the maximum for that species, and two (or more) new certification seedlot numbers created.
- The new sacks must be labelled in the same way as required for the uncoated/untreated seedlot.
- Seed processors authorised to process certified seed should consult with their chosen certification agency before treating or coating certified seed to ensure they meet all the requirements for the seedlot to retain its certification status.
Lindsay Cook
CEO, Australian Seeds Authority
May 2019