Application for registration

As per Seeds Act Section 9 (1)of Seeds Act 1966, any person desirous of producing certified seed shall apply to the Assistant Director of Seed Certification who is the registering authority, in the prescribed sowing report form vide Annexure II in triplicate with prescribed registration and certification charges vide Annexure III and other documents required to establish the seed source. 

Separate sowing reports are required for different crop varieties, different classes, different stages and if the seed farms are separated by more than 50 meters and sowing or planting dates differ by more than 7 days and if the seed farm area exceeds 10 hectares. There is no minimum or maximum limit for the area offered by a producer for certification. 

The application shall contain all the information required and reach the Assistant Director of Seed certification concerned within 35 days from date of sowing or 15 days before flowering whichever is earlier for all crops except Paddy. In case of Paddy the sowing report shall be received not less than 15 days before flowering.   

Certified seed producer

The term producer refers to a single person or a firm who / which organises seed farms of notified varieties, from approved sources, register for certification and abide by the rules and regulations of the Seed Certification Agency.  

Certified seed grower

A producer may nominate one or more authorised organisers and may have or engage as many as cultivators or growers who actually do the work of seed production under the direct supervision of the producer him self or his authorised organisers.  

Verification of seed source  

The applicant shall enclose relevant documents such as 1) certification tags, 2) Purchase bill of the seed grower to confirm the seed used for raising the seed crop. 

Normally, the seed rate recommended by the Department of Agriculture is followed for seed production.  However, the registering authority has his discretion to accept lower seed rate based on the merit of the case. Normally, seeds with tags, which indicate expired validity period is not accepted as a source for registration.  

Breeder seed alone can be used for raising seed farm, up to a period of thirteen months from the date of test without seeking permission.  Breeder seed can also be used after lapse of 13 months from the date of test after testing in the Mini Seed Testing Laboratory working in the office of the Assistant Director of Seed Certification, observing the following procedures. 

1.     The sample will be drawn from the breeder seed bags with tag and seal intact.  

2. Seed rate will be fixed by the Assistant Director of Seed Certification based on the results of MSTL by adopting the following formula.

Seed Rate to be recommended  = Minimum germination standard for the crop / Actual germination as per MSTL result X  Seed Rate Adopted

3.The results may be communicated to the producer and the result shall be enclosed along with the sowing report.

4.     Such sort of testing in the Mini Seed Testing Laboratory will be allowed only for a period of twenty one months from the date of initial test by the breeder.

5. The Breeder Seed so tested should be used within two months from the date of test in any one of the ADSCN’s jurisdictions.

Registration of sowing report

The Assistant Director of Seed Certification, on receipt of the sowing report, scrutinises and register the seed farm by making entries in the Master Register maintained in his office in the form given in Annexure IV duly assigning a S.C. number for each sowing report.

Seed Certification number

The number assigned will be in ascending order starting from first April of every year.

This number is represented with a code for the registration authority in the prefix and the year of registration in the suffix as given below:  

          F / 0160 / 02-03

The same number is noted in the tag as seed Certification Number at the time of tagging. The codes for the registration authority namely the Assistant Directors of seed certification are as follows:   

     Coimbatore          :   A

     Erode                   :   B

     Salem                   :   C

     Madurai                :   D

Virudunagar           :   E 

Tirunelveli              :   F

Trichirappalli          :   G

Thanjavur               :   H

Villupuram              :   I

Thiruvannamali        :   J  

Chennai                  :   K

If the area inspected is more than the area registered then additional fees shall be collected for any additional area and it should be paid before issue of processing report.

Under no circumstances the additional area shall exceed 10 percent of the total area registered in Hybrids and Parents and 20 percent in case of all other crops.

Seed balance certificate

While verifying the seed source, a balance certificate for the excess quantity of seed may be issued by the Assistant Director of Seed Certification on request of the producer as in Annexure-V. The Seed Balance Certificate shall be prepared in required format and a single copy will be issued to the concerned producer after maintaining an office copy by the ADSCN.

Certification fee

Along with the sowing report, the producer has to remit the registration charges and field inspection charges. Seed testing fee may be paid along with the sowing report or during submission of seed samples for testing. 

The fee is payable either as cash remittance at the Office of the Assistant Director of Seed Certification or as Demand Draft drawn in favour of the Assistant Director of Seed Certification concerned in any Nationalised or Commercial Banks.  The mode of payment should be indicated in the sowing report. The genetic purity test fee shall be remitted by the concerned producer at the time of submitting the sample in the office of the ADSCN, wherever the genetic purity test is a prerequisite. 

The registration charge is collected for each sowing report. The inspection charges is collected for each acre of seed farm offered. The seed analysis charge is collected for a lot to be tested.  For the purpose of collection of field inspection charges one acre or part of an acre in a sowing report is reckoned as one acre.  The registration charges, field inspection charges, seed testing fee and genetic purity test fee once remitted will not be refunded on any account.  

To whom sowing report to be sent

Registering authority after assigning the SC number shall communicate one copy of the sowing report to the Seed Certification Officer concerned, and the second to the Producer after retaining the third copy.

Rouging space

To facilitate easy rouging in paddy, rouging space shall be adopted at 4 feet apart for foundation class seed production and 8 feet apart for certified class seed production. If planted in lines or sown directly no rouging space is necessary.