Quality assurance for seed lots
Seed laws require minimum germination and purity for commerce. Breeders and seed companies test every lot before sale and certification.
Purity analysis
- Mechanical purity — percent pure seed vs inert matter and other crop seed.
- Variety purity — grow-out tests, protein electrophoresis, or DNA markers detect mixtures.
- Weed seed examination — identify prohibited noxious weeds.
Germination testing
Standard conditions (moisture, temperature, light) for 7–28 days depending on species. Report germination % and hard seed % for legumes. Accelerated aging tests predict storage longevity.
Certification tags
Official certification (blue tag in many countries) traces genetic source and field inspection history for certified seed classes (breeder, foundation, registered, certified).