Field inspection

The objective in conducting field inspection is to verify the factors which can cause irreversible damage to the genetic purity or seed health.

Field Inspection by seed Certification Officer

Crop stages for inspection

The number of field inspections and the stages of crop growth at which the field inspections should be conducted vary from crop to crop. It depends upon duration and nature of pollination of the seed crop.

Assessment of seed crop yield

It is necessary to avoid malpractices at the final stage during harvest operation. The seed certification officer is expected to fix the appropriate seed yield.

Liable for rejection report

If the seed crop fails to meet with any one factor as per the standards, Liable for rejection report I prepared and the signature of the producer is obtained and sent to Deputy Director of Agriculture (Seed Certification) within 24 hours.

Re-inspection

For the factors which can be removed without hampering the seed quality, the producer can apply for re-inspection to the concerned Deputy Director of Agriculture Seed Certification within 7 days from the date of first inspection order. For re-inspection half of the inspection charge is collected.

Post harvest supervision of seed crop

The post harvest inspection of a seed crop covers the operations carried out at the threshing floor, transport of the raw seed produce to the processing plant, pre-cleaning, grading, seed treatment, bagging and post processing storage of the seed lot.

Seed processing unit

Place where seeds harvested from grower’s field are processed and graded.

Procedures for approval of seed processing unit

Any one can apply for approval to Director of Seed Certification, Coimbatore through Assistant Director of Seed Certification if he/she has space, machines and equipments for processing. The format of the form for approval of seed processing unit can be obtained from Seed Certification Officers or from the office of Assistant Director of Seed Certification. A fee of Rs. 250/- should be remitted in the office of Assistant Director of Seed Certification and a copy of cash bill of the same should be attached along with application. A fee of Rs. 150/- is collected for the renewal of approval of seed processing unit every year.

Procedures for seed processing       

The seed lots in sealed containers from grower/farmers farmers’ field should be brought within 3 months from the date of final inspection of Seed Certification Office. The seed lots should be processed and sampled within 3 months from the date of receipt in the processing unit. Seed samples will be sent to Seed Testing Laboratories through Assistant Director of Seed Certification office to ascertain the quality of seeds. A seed testing charges of Rs. 15/- per sample should be remitted in the Assistant Director of Seed Certification Office.
 

Seed Sampling and testing

Seed samples are also drawn separately from the seed lots of hybrid cotton, hybrid brinjal etc., for the purpose of conducting genetic purity test and sent to Director of Seed Certification from Assistant Director of Seed Certification. A fee of Rs. 200/- is collected in the Office of Assistant Director of Seed Certification for genetic purity test.

Seed lots possessing prescribed minimum seed standards are only tagged. Certification tags can be purchased from the Office of Assistant Director of Seed Certification. White tags are affixed to foundation class of seeds and blue tags for certified class. The cost of white tags is Rs. 3/- and Re. 1/- is the cost of blue tag.

Labelling, tagging, sealing and grant of certificate

Certified seed should be tagged within 2 months from the date of test. A validity period of 9 months is given for the certified seed lots.

If the seed lots are not sold or used within the validity period, then there is a procedure for validation i.e. extension of validity to already certified seeds seed lots.

Validation

It is nothing but extension of validity period to the expired seed lots. For validation of seed lots application should be sent to Deputy Director of Seed Certification in a prescribed Performa. The addresses of Deputy Director of Seed Certification Offices are given separately. Validation fee should be remitted in the office of Assistant Director of Seed Certification after obtaining the permission for the same from the Deputy Director of Seed Certification. Within 10 days from the date of remittance of validation charges, validation work will be commenced by the concerned Seed Certification Officers and samples will be drawn and sent to the Seed Testing Laboratory through Office of the Assistant Director of Seed Certification for the purpose of ascertaining the seed standards. The seed lots possessing prescribed seed standards will be given an extension and validity period for 6 months from the date of test.