The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that a Watertown, S.D., seed company has paid USDA $1,625 to settle an alleged violation of the Federal Seed Act.

The company, Discount Seeds Inc., settled the case in agreement with officials from USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service. The company neither admitted nor denied the charges.

The case resolved by the settlement involved five shipments alleged to be in violation of the Federal Seed Act. The shipments were: one shipment of Rymin rye seed made to Georgia; three shipments of rye seed 'variety not stated' made to Maryland, Michigan and Tennessee; and one shipment of Jerry oats made to Missouri.

The alleged violations, while not the same for all shipments, were:

•    false labeling as to presence of noxious-weed seeds;

•    false labeling as to germination rate;

•    false labeling as to pure seed; 

•    false labeling as to other crop seed; and

•    failure to keep or supply a complete record of seed.

AMS administers the act with the help of state seed officials. Seed regulatory officials in Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri and Tennessee cooperated with AMS in making the investigations. The Federal Seed Act is a truth-in-labeling law designed to protect farmers and consumers who buy seed.