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characteristics which the breeder selected, and hence the grower will obtain the benefits which that variety offers. The fact that uncertified seed has a variety name on it, provides no assurance to the seed buyer that it is in fact that variety. It may be, it may not be. It may only be a small proportion of the variety the buyer wants. However, if you buy certified seed, you have the assurance that an independent authority has enforced the rules which are designed to give the buyer seed as close as possible genetically to that selected by the breeder of that variety. Certification really means varietal iden- tity and genetic integrity of seed i.e., you are sure of getting the variety you want, and that it will have a genetic composition as close as possible to that selected by the breeder. How- ever, the Australian seed industry requested some physical standards i.e., for germination and physical purity of the seed, before it can be finally certified to ensure that certified seed should not be sold with very low levels of germinability, or excessive weed seed levels.
the paddock in previous years; • There are a limited number of gener- ations which can be used to produce certified seed. The seed which was pro- duced by the breeder is called “breed- er’s seed”. It must be sown to produce “pre-basic seed”. It in turn must be sown to produce “basic seed”, and basic seed must be sown to produce certified seed; • In perennial species, there is a limit to the number of harvests which can be taken from the seed crop. Usually this is six harvests, but it can be fewer for pre- basic seed; • In perennial species, there is a limit on the establishment of seedlings within the crop. These seedlings represent the next generation, and so they cannot be allowed to represent more than a small proportion of the total plant population of the seed crop; • Paddocks with seed crops in them must have what is called an “isolation dis- tance” from plants of the same species which could flower at the same time. This is to prevent, or at least severely limit, cross pollination. For some spe- cies, for early generation seed crops like pre-basic or basic seed, these can be as far as 5000 metres. Headers and seed transporting and handling equipment must be cleaned out before being used on certified seed. This includes silos in which the seed might be stored, and the machines used to clean or process the seed; or • Very good records must be kept of the harvested seed, both on the farm and in the processing plant, to provide assur- ance to the certification agency that the seed is not mixed with other varieties of that species. If all the rules are followed, there is a high level of certainty that the plants which a buyer establishes with certified seed, will have all the
Bill Fuller BAgrSc, GDipBus, MBA, MAICD is currently the part time CEO of the Australian Seeds Authority and is highly respected in the seed industry having been the CEO of the Australian Seed Federation and Executive Officer for the Pasture trials network.
28/10/2023
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