CERTIFICATION OF SEEDS OF FORESTRY

SPECIES

Manisha Thapliyal
Scientist
Forest Tree Seed Laboratory
Silviculture Division
Forest Research Institute
Dehra Dun
SEED CERTIFICATION
1958 – OECD instituted scheme for certification of herbage seeds in
international trade
1966 - certification of cereal seed in international trade by Council of
OECD and rules estd. in 1970, to encourage use of seed of consistently
high quality for improvement of food production in participating
countries.

Seed certification is a legally sanctioned system designed to control and

maintain high- purity seed and for propagating material of genetically
distinct varieties, its parent purity, to evaluate the growing crop and
supervise the preharvest, harvest and postharvest operations during
seed production and processing, as well as conduct sample inspection
(laboratory test), bulk inspection for homogeneity and controlled plot
testing.
In Laboratory
- purity
- germination capacity
- moisture content
- health, etc.

But Field Inspection must for checking purity and control the
identity of the seed from harvest to final processing and
packaging in a merchant’s ware- house
Definition by some foresters “Seed certification is the guarantee of seed
character and quality by an officially recognized organization usually evidenced
by a certificate, which includes such information as certification category,
genuineness of species and variety, year of collection, origin, purity, soundness,
and germinative capacity” .
Broad programme of seed certification scheme ‘ Certification of Forest
Reproductive materials in India’ under Indo-Danish Project
Categories of reproductive material (minimum standards)
Source identified reproductive material :(i) an area falling within the bounds of
a Seed – Zone as demarcated on the seed map and approved by the Designated
Authority and (ii) stand, within the control of State Forest Departments.
Selected reproductive material
Reproductive material approved for collection or raising as selected
reproductive material is derived from selected stands and cultivars which satisfy
the minimum requirements for basic material.
Reproductive Material from Untested Seed Orchards
Reproductive material derived from untested seed orchards satisfying
minimum requirements for basic material/single species seed orchard meant
for gene conservation
From seed orchards established to produce species hybrids or provenance
hybrids
Tested Reproductive Material
(i) Reproductive Material approved for collection or raising as Tested
Reproductive Material, shall originate from seed orchards, stands with proved
genetic superiority to appropriate standards, in one or two characters
important to forestry.
(ii) Material can also be obtained from trees grown from a representative
sample of the original seed lot, which was used to establish the trials.
(iii) Superiority can be certified only in terms of the environment in which the
test has been carried out.
Seed zones
The term ‘ Seed Zones’ in connection with the collection of source identified
reproductive material, means a geographic area delineated on State Forest
Trees “ Seed Zone” map as approved by the Conservator of Forest,
Research (or equivalent authority)
‘Regions of Provenance’ under OECD Scheme
Seed sub zone :
Each Seed Zone, that has altitudinal variation of more than 600 meters, will
be further sub- divided into Sub- Zones, based on 600 meters increment as
follows:
Altitude above msl. Code
0- 600 m (00-06)
601-1200 m (06-12)
1201- 1800 m (12-18)
1801- 1200 m (18- 24)
2401-3000 m (24-30)
3001- 3600 m (30-36)
above 3600 m (36-99)
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR FOREST REPRODUCTIVE
MATERIAL
A.) For Selected Reproductive Material ( Seed Production Area)
Origin, Isolation, Uniformity, Volume Production, Form or Growth
Habit, Wood Quality, Health and Resistance
B.) For Seed Orchards
The objective, design, components, isolation and location must be
approved and registered with the Designated Authority
Characters To Be Assessed - Growth and resistance to pests and diseases of
known economic importance. Where the aim of the test is to assess survival
under extreme ecological conditions, growth may be less important.

Evaluation: a) Result of the test in - numerical data (Means and variance)

b) The difference in both, absolute and relative terms, will be expressed, as
far as possible, as “ genetic gains” relative to standard;
c) The age at which the character is evaluated will be indicated;
d) The evaluation must show statistical superiority (at 95%);
e) Any economic character (s) which are significantly (at 95% level) inferior
to those of standard, must be clearly reported;
f) when the aim of the test is to certify reproductive material with reference to
a character which is essential for survival under extreme ecological
conditions, equality to the average value of the standards for other character
is no longer required;
g) details of test sites, such as location, climate, soil, part use, preparation,
cultivations, damage due to frost, drought, pests and diseases will be
maintained in records;
h) The methodology used for the test and the detailed results obtained
should be made freely available.
Organization And Issuing Certificates
An authority designated by and responsible to Government or Principal
Chief Conservator of Forests of a State, and will usually be Conservator of
Forests, Research/ Development or equivalent officer.
Field Inspection and supervision
For certified and selected seeds – at least one inspection prior to pollination
and one at the time of seed maturity to assess the crop size.
Forest reproductive material, to be certified under the scheme, must be
collected (including extraction, cleaning, packaging and storage) under
supervision of officials duly authorized by the Designated Authority.
Production and Control Measures
All the categories of forest reproductive material must, during collection,
transport, processing, storage, and raising, be kept in lots separated and
identified according to the following criteria.
(i) Genus and where applicable, species, sub- species, variety;
(ii) Provenance, seed source or seed orchard for reproductive material
produced by sexual means;
(iii) Clones, parts of plants and plants produced from them by vegetative
means;
(iv) Indigenous, or non- indigenous;
(v) Year and month of ripening of seed;
(vi) Length of time in the nursery as seedlings, rooted cuttings, grafts or
transplants.
Record of Data And Documentation
Satisfactory records will be kept of collection, processing, raising and
storage of all reproductive material and these records will be available for
inspection.
Sale of Reproductive Material
Seed to be sold and transported in packages. Packages should be sealed by
the supplier and a Seed Analysis Certificate shall be fixed by the seal. The
Seed Analysis Certificate will be issued after the seed has been sampled
properly and tested for purity, germination/ viability, moisture content etc.
in a Seed Testing Laboratory.
Certificate of provenance / clonal identity
All categories of forest reproductive material shall be accompanied by
a certificate of provenance, for material reproduced by sexual means,
or a certificate of clonal identity for material reproduced vegetatively.
The labels shall be issued by the Designated Authority and shall
confirm to specification as:
1. Source Identified Reproductive Material - yellow
2. Selected Reproductive Material - green
3. Seed Orchard Material - pink
4. Tested Reproductive Material - blue
The certification scheme provides rules for re-labelling, re- sealing,
and further divisions of the reproductive material for distribution