SEED PRODUCTION
Seed Certification and Variety Protection
- American Seed Trade Association – ASTA is a valuable resource for seed production, distribution, plant breeding, and other seed-related topics (website)
- A Guide to Understanding Seed Labels for Seeding Certification – Learn the components of seed labels, how to interpret them, and what information is needed for seed certification (NRCS Technical Note)
- Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies – The AOSCA establishes global seed certification standards and hosts National Variety Review Boards to maintain the identity and quality of crop varieties.
(website)- Seed Certification Agencies:
- Alaska Seed Growers Association – T: 907-745-4004
- Arizona Crop Improvement Association
- California Crop Improvement Association
- Colorado Seed Growers Association
- Hawaii State Department of Agriculture
- Idaho Crop Improvement Association
- Montana Seed Growers Association
- Nevada Department of Agriculture
- New Mexico University Seed Certification
- Oregon Seed Certification Service
- Utah Crop Improvement Association
- Washington State Crop Improvement
- Seed Certification Agencies:
- USDA Plant Variety Protection Program (PVP) – This program provides breeders with intellectual property protection for new varieties (website)
Nutrient Management for Seed Production
- Crimson Clover, Vetch, Field Peas: Western Oregon—West of Cascades Fertilizer Guide – This guide covers the nutrient management practices for annual legumes grown for seed (Extension Publication)
- Tall Fescue Grown for Seed: A Nutrient Management Guide for Western Oregon – Learn about the key management topics for tall fescue seed production in Oregon (Extension Publication)
- Annual Ryegrass Grown for Seed (Western Oregon) – This nutrient management guide covers how much and when to apply fertilizers for annual ryegrass seed production (Extension Publication)
- Orchardgrass Seed: Western Oregon—West of Cascades Fertilizer Guide – This guide covers the nutrient management practices for orchardgrass seed (Extension Publication)
- Organic Small Grain Production in the Inland Pacific Northwest: A Collection of Case Studies – Learn more about organic management for weeds and soil nutrients for small grain farmers (Extension Publication)
- For nutrient management information on cereal grains and other crops that can be used as cover crops, contact your local Extension Service.
Economics and Marketing
- Growing & Selling Cover Crop Seed – Learn about the key principles of growing and selling cover crop seed (article)
- Adding Cover Crops for Seed Production to a Corn/Soybean Rotation – This resource offers information on the economic variables that come with cover crop seed production (article)
- Growing cover crop seed as a new farm enterprise – This article describes some of the economic considerations of diversifying into cover crop seed production on your farm (article)
- Cover Crop Seeds in the United States: Industry Analysis and Policy Recommendations – Learn about the financial barriers to cover crop production and actions that can be taken to increase cover crop use in the US (Journal Article)
- The Cover Crop Seed Industry: An Indiana Case Study – This case study on seed dealers who sell cover crop seeds describes how the industry is expected to expand and strategies that they will use to keep up with demand (Journal Article)
- Understanding the market for cover crop seeds in the United States: Background and potential policy directions – Learn more about how the cover crop seed industry is expanding and what is being done to facilitate wider adoption (Journal Article)
Pest Management
- Management Guidelines for the Clover Seed Weevil in Oregon White Clover Seed Production – Learn about what management practices are effective for Clover Seed Wevil in grass production systems (Extension Publication)
Other
- Seed Production Research Reports – Seed Production Research Reports from Oregon State University and the USDA-ARS highlight the current state of research on the most pressing topics in seed production from 1989 to the present day (website)
- Organic Seed Alliance – The Organic Seed Alliance is an organization built on partnerships that strive to provide support to seed growers and remove barriers to production (website)
- Native Seeds Search – This organization has a mission to preserve seed varieties for present-day and future generations while honoring the cultural heritage of these varieties and supporting desert communities that have historically stewarded these seeds (website)
- Cover Crop Seed and Native Seed Vendors for California, Technical Note 85 – This guide lists sources for conventional, organic, and untreated cover crop and native seed for California (NRCS Technical Note)