Seed Division

Division
Overview

Arbitration

Certification
Overview
Outline of Steps to
  Certify Seed
Noxious Weeds
Fees
Cotton Seed
  Certification
  Company
  Responsibility
Use of Bulk Transfers
  in Certification
Info for Producing/
  Advertising/Selling
  Certified Seed
Identity Preserved/
  Quality Assurance
Field Supervisors/
  Area Inspectors
Certified Bulk
  Wheat Information
Certified Bulk Wheat
  Grower / Dealers &   Retailers List
Certified Seed   Directory

Enforcement
Overview
Response Policy
What's needed on an
  Invoice
Saving & Selling
  Rice Seed
Advertising Certified
  Rice On Soybean   Seed
Plant Variety
  Protection

Forms

Lab Services
Seed Test Offered
Seed Testing Fees
General Information
  On Laboratory
   Analysis
Seed Sampling

Laws &
Regulations

Licensing
Obtaining a Seed
  Dealer/Labeler   License 
Obtaining a Seed
  Treater's License
General Information
  on Licensing &   Labeling
Seed Dealer/Labeler
  License List

Seed Links

Organization

1. The Company Field Production Manager will inspect all planters before planting and record on the "Miscellaneous Inspection Form".
   
   
2. Company Field Production Managers will gather maps from growers and conduct field inspections.
   
   
3. Before time for Certification and Phytosanitary field inspections, Company Field Production Managers will provide maps for use by the Arkansas Plant Board Inspectors. Plant Board Inspectors may accompany the Field Production Manager in his Company vehicle.
   
   
4. Company Field Production Managers will stay in close contact with the grower and the Plant Board Inspector throughout the year to help with production acres that did not pass the first inspection.
   
   
5. Company Field Production Managers will inspect all harvesting and hauling equipment and record this information on the "Miscellaneous Inspection Form".
   
   
6. Company Field Production Managers will inspect the gin and seed handling equipment and record this information on the "Gin Inspection Form". The Plant Board Inspector or Certification office must be notified before this inspection is performed.
   
   
7. The Company Field Production Manager will inspect trucks hauling production seed and seed storage wherever applicable. This information will be entered on the "Miscellaneous Inspection Form".
   
   
8. The "Miscellaneous Inspection Form", with all inspection information, will be provided to the Arkansas State Plant Board Certification Office for their files.
   
   
9. The Seed Company will provide the Arkansas State Plant Board Certification Office with transgenic purity data on finished seed lots.

1. ASPB Seed Certification will provide guidance and guidelines of Seed Certification standards.
   
   
2. ASPB Seed Certification Inspectors will inspect acreage for certification standards and phytosanitary requirements with Company Field Production Managers if possible and provide field inspection reports stating whether the acreage has passed inspection or whether a re-inspection will be required at a later date.
   
   
3. ASPB Seed Certification will provide Cottonseed Companies with Certification tags if the seed is processed in AR. If interagency seed, proper bulk transfer forms must accompany shipments.
4. The ASPB Seed Certification Office will review applications and approve varieties for Certification. Variety descriptions must be provided before time for field inspections.
   
   
5. The ASPB Seed Certification Office will administer the Seed Certification Program and conduct audits of procedures and practices as needed.

1. The gin must be thoroughly cleaned just prior to ginning any Foundation or Registered cotton. This includes dropping the rolls and making sure all conveyers and seed handling systems are cleaned. Floors should be swept or blown free of all seed cotton. This should be followed by a five minute (or more) dry run of the gin until all loose seed is eliminated from the system.
   
   
2. After start-up, gin three (3) bales per stand and divert to an alternate location before saving any planting seed.
   
   
3. Seed Company Representatives will supervise the clean-ups, complete and sign the Gin Inspection Form, sending the original to the Arkansas State Plant Board Seed Certification Office.
   
   
4. The Arkansas State Plant Board may audit the above procedures as deemed necessary.
   

Form 24 (Intrastate-within AR-) Bulk Seed Transfer
Form 24 A (Interstate-between states-) Bulk Seed Transfer

Process:

Seller

1. The Bulk Transfer document (form 24) must accompany the shipment of seed.
   
   
2. The seller completes the top portion of the form. This lists the name & address of the original producer, the seller (if different) and the buyer, as well as a description of the kind, variety, grade applied for, lot #, number of bushels in the shipment and date.
   
3. The seller makes a copy of the document and immediately faxes or sends to the Plant Board.

Buyer

1. The buyer completes the lower portion of the form that came with the shipment. This lists the date the shipment is received, the number of bushels, the transfer of authority for issuance of certification labels, and the buyer’s signature/date.
   
   
2. The buyer immediately sends the completed form to the Plant Board.
   
   
3. The buyer is responsible for completion of certification which includes a complete analysis and bagging/tagging in compliance with certification regulations.
   
   
4. If the buyer decides not to complete the certification process and sells the seed as non-certified (if eligible), then he is responsible for complying with regulations regarding an AR Seed Dealer’s license and payment of tonnage fees, as well as all labeling requirements.
   

1. Seed can be called "Certified" only - if it is bagged and tagged with an official certification label. (EXCEPTION: Certified Blue-Tag Grade Wheat may be sold in bulk.) This means going through the entire process of certification - application, field inspection, an inspector's sample on clean seed for purity and germination that makes the grade applied for, and labels printed and attached to the bagged seed. (NOTE: Our regulations now allow certified blue-tag wheat to be sold in the bulk; it still requires this entire process, except bagging, and the labeling information is given on a bulk certificate instead of a tag/label. For more information on selling bulk certified wheat, call the Plant Board Seed Division or your area inspector.)
   
   
2. The only bulk sales of Arkansas certified seed currently allowed - are bulk transfers between two licensed certified seedsmen, and blue-tag grade certified wheat. Seed applied on for certification may be sold from one licensed certified seedsman to another, in bulk, provided the identity of the seed has been maintained at all times and the appropriate bulk transfer form accompanies the shipment. After the seed is moved it must be sampled for a complete analysis (purity and germ), bagged and tagged, to be sold as certified.
   
   
3. Uncleaned seed may be sampled by an inspector - for germ, varietal purity, noxious weeds and moisture as an aid in making conditioning decisions. However, a complete analysis (germ and purity) must be performed on cleaned seed before a certified grade can be issued. These samples on cleaned seed may be drawn by our inspector on bulk seed when blue-tag certified is needed. Registered and Foundation grades are only issued on samples drawn from cleaned, bagged seed.
   
   
4. "Eligible for certification if bagged and tagged" - was originally intended only for invoices, to allow auditors to identify seed that was bulk transferred, and still in the process of obtaining certification. Although this has been used on invoices of sales of seed applied on and approved in the field and the lab, yet lacking the final process of certification (bagging and tagging), it is not encouraged. This seed is not certified and should not be advertised as such. This statement cannot be applied to uncleaned seed. Without an analysis on cleaned seed, eligibility for certification is unknown.
   
   
5. A complete analysis (germ and purity) is required to supply the labeling information on all seed sold, both certified and non-certified. The information required on the label is listed in Circular 10, Section 2.C. The labeling information on bulk sales must accompany each sale, either on the invoice or on a separate sheet or tag.
   
   

6. A $10 Certification Permit - is all that is required for selling your own production of bagged/tagged certified seed or bulk transfers. A Seed Dealers's License($100)is required for any other sales of seed not labeled by the Plant Board (Cir. 10, Section 2. Licensing-Reporting-Labeling). A Certification Permit may be upgraded to a license for an additional $90.