Alexandria, Virginia
July 9, 2008
Source: Seed E-News from the
American Seed Trade Association
The U.S. seed industry, through
ASTA, has developed the
Guide to Seed Quality Management Practices to offer general
guidance for the development and production of seed products
intended for food, feed, fiber or fuel use and for the
maintenance of product integrity and purity of both
biotechnology-derived seed and non-biotechnology seed. The Guide
covers the plant product life cycle from the point of
incorporation of a trait into a breeding program through
commercial seed production and sale. The Guide to Seed Quality
Management will be maintained in a dynamic and interactive
format on the ASTA Web site and can be found directly through
www.amseed.org/seedquality.
The U.S. seed industry is committed to bringing quality seed to
farmers around the world. The Guide is intended to serve as a
reference document for companies developing individual quality
management practices and operating procedures. Organized to
accommodate different seed business models and practices, the
Guide allows an organization to utilize the guidance for the
respective areas in the seed product life cycle were they
perform. A standard set of information following general quality
management principles is presented for each stage of the plant
product life cycle incorporated within the Guide. Quality
management systems provide structure and rigor to business
practices. Quality control and seed purity are essential to
product development and commercial life cycle and include
practices such as tracking mechanisms, effective record keeping,
protocols for product testing and appropriate isolation during
product development.
With high quality seed, farmers have more choices and the
selection of seed is the single most important factor they can
control in their operations. There is no substitute for quality
seed. Today's seed offers improved genetics, with more solutions
for farmers contained within the seed, providing increased
yields, better quality crops and a higher return on a farmer's
investment. "ASTA is pleased to have developed a tool for
organizations to use in order to provide guidance on applying
quality management systems to seed industry practices," said
ASTA President and CEO Andy LaVigne. "As a first step, we hope
that our members find this guidance valuable as they develop
their own practices and procedures. Beyond that, the Guide can
serve as a foundation for further guidance that may be specific
to certain segments of the seed industry or even for our partner
seed organizations around the world."
Dr. Wayne Guerke, a consultant in the seed industry who has held
positions with the Georgia Department of Agriculture and worked
closely with national seed testing organizations, was one of the
first to see the Guide. He remarked, "The ASTA Seed Quality
Management Guide is a most significant and invaluable
contribution to the broader seed industry...or managing quality
from the breeder to the grower, conditioner and dealer as well
as the testing laboratory. The Guide will serve as an instrument
to elevate the diverse elements of seed production and
marketing...for maintaining high quality seed." |
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