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Plants > Seeds > Inspection Procedures  

Canadian Methods and Procedures for Testing Seed

Revised 1997

Laboratory Services Division
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Ottawa

FOREWORD

This edition of the "Canadian Methods and Procedures for Testing Seed" replaces the October 1992 edition, effective October 1, 1997. Although there are a few substantive changes, this edition is essentially an editorial revision of the 1992 edition to align the seed testing methods with changes to the Canada Seeds Regulations introduced in 1996. The Canadian Methods and Procedures for Testing Seed provides the "recognized standard methods" required for carrying out "officially recognized tests" as defined in Section 2 of the 1996 Seeds Regulations.

This edition was reviewed by staff of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) seed testing laboratories in Ottawa and Saskatoon, staff of the CFIA Seed Section and members of the Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada. Their input has been extremely valuable in preparing this document.

Any comments or requests for copies should be sent to:

Chief, Seed Purity and Germination
Ottawa Laboratory (Carling) - Seeds
Fax: (613) 759-7316
E-mail: ashton@inspection.gc.ca

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 PURPOSE
1.2 ACCURACY OF THE RESULTS OF SEED ANALYSIS
1.3 GENERAL DEFINITIONS
1.4 REPORTING RESULTS
2.0 SAMPLING
2.1 SAMPLING THE LOT
2.1.1 General Procedure
2.1.2 Sampling Equipment and Methods
2.1.3 Sampling Intensity
2.1.4 Size of Submitted Sample
2.1.5 Samples for Moisture Test
2.2 OBTAINING THE WORKING SAMPLE
2.2.1 Mechanical divider method
2.2.2 Random cup method
2.2.3 Spoon method
3.0 PURITY ANALYSIS
3.1 INTRODUCTION
3.2 DEFINITIONS
3.2.1 Seed
3.2.2 Pure Seed
3.2.3 Other Crop Seeds
3.2.4 Weed Seeds
3.2.5 Inert matter from the crop kind(s) under analysis
3.2.6 Inert matter from weed plants and other crop plants found as contaminants
3.2.7 Inert material other than seeds
3.2.8 "On-the-line"
3.2.9 Unit Weight
3.3 WORKING SAMPLE WEIGHTS
3.3.1 Precision of weighing
3.3.2 Weights for analysis for numbers per unit weight
3.3.3 Weights for analysis for percentage by weight
3.3.4 Weights for analysis of mixtures
3.3.5 Table 1
3.3.6 Table 2
3.3.7 Analysis of kinds not listed in the Seeds Regulations
3.4 GENERAL PROCEDURE FOR PURITY ANALYSIS
3.5 DETERMINATION OF PERCENTAGE BY WEIGHT
3.5.1 General Procedure
3.5.2 Specific Grade Table requirements for percentages by weight
3.5.3 Table of checking limits for percentages
3.6 DETERMINATION OF NUMBERS PER UNIT WEIGHT
3.6.1 Full Analysis
3.6.2 Sequential Analysis
3.6.3 Table of checking limits for numbers
3.7 UNIFORM BLOWING METHOD
3.7.1 General Procedure
3.7.2 Procedure for Poa species
3.7.3 Procedure for Agrostis species
3.7.4 Procedure for Dactylis glomerata
3.7.5 Procedure for components of mixtures
3.8 EXAMINATION OF SEEDS DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY
3.8.1 Kinds not required to be separated
3.8.2 Unidentifiable free caryopses of the Poaceae
3.8.3 Agropyron and Elymus species
3.8.4 Agrostis species
3.8.5 Poa species
3.8.6 Brassica and Sinapis species
3.8.7 Festuca pratensis and F. arundinacea
3.8.8 Lolium species
3.8.9 Vicia species
3.9 PURITY REPORTING PROCEDURES
3.9.1 Reporting results of percentage tests
3.9.2 Reporting results of tests for numbers per unit weight
3.9.3 Reporting of seeds with variable classification
3.9.4 Reporting Results of More Than One Test
3.9.5 Reporting of varietal contaminants
3.9.6 Miscellaneous Reporting Instructions
3.10 PURITY PROCEDURES FOR COATED SEED
3.10.1 Definition
3.10.2 Obtaining the working sample
3.10.3 Foreign seed determination
4.0 GERMINATION
4.1 INTRODUCTION
4.2 METHODS TO BE USED
4.2.1 Prescribed methods
4.2.2 Modified methods
4.3 DEFINITIONS
4.3.1 Seed Germination
4.3.2 Normal Seedlings
4.3.3 Abnormal Seedlings
4.3.4 Fresh Seeds
4.3.5 Dormant Seeds
4.3.6 Hard Seeds
4.3.7 Dead Seeds
4.4 PREPARATION OF SEEDS FOR GERMINATION TESTS
4.4.1 Source of Seeds for Germination
4.4.2 Number of Seeds for Germination
4.5 GERMINATION CONDITIONS
4.5.1 Planting of Seeds
4.5.2 Substrata and moisture
4.5.3 Water
4.5.4 Temperature
4.5.5 Light
4.5.6 Phytotoxicity testing
4.6 GERMINATION METHODS
4.6.1 Outline of Germination Methods
4.6.2 Table 5. GERMINATION METHODS
4.7 SPECIAL GERMINATION PROCEDURES
4.7.1 Arachis hypogaea, Peanut
4.7.2 Agropyron smithii, Western wheatgrass
4.7.3 Beta spp.
4.7.4 Phaseolus vulgaris, garden bean
4.7.5 Vicia faba, Broad Bean
4.7.6 Coated Seeds
4.7.7 Tetrazolium Testing
4.7.8 Use of Fungicides
4.8 TREATMENTS FOR PROMOTING GERMINATION OF DORMANT SEEDS
4.8.1 Prechilling
4.8.2 Potassium Nitrate
4.8.3 Predrying
4.8.4 Gibberellic Acid
4.8.5 Light
4.9 COUNTS AND DURATION OF TEST
4.9.1 Counts
4.9.2 Early termination of tests
4.9.3 Extension of tests
4.10 CALCULATION AND REPORTING OF GERMINATION RESULTS
4.10.1 Expression of results
4.10.2 Single tests
4.10.3 More than one test
4.10.4 Rounding
4.11 RETESTING
4.12 EVALUATION OF TESTS
4.12.1 Seedling Evaluation
4.12.2 Chemically Injured Seedlings
4.12.3 Frozen and Immature Cereals
4.12.4 Seedlings Infected With Fungi or Bacteria
4.12.5 Borderline Seedlings
4.12.6 Two or more seedlings from one seed unit
4.12.7 Hard Seeds
4.13 GERMINATION TOLERANCES
4.13.1 Use of Table 6: Tolerated differences between replicates
4.13.2 Table 6
4.13.3 Use of Table 7: Tolerated Differences Between Tests
4.13.4 Table 7
4.14 SEEDLING DESCRIPTIONS
4.14.1 AIZOACEAE, CARPETWEED FAMILY
4.14.2 ASTERACEAE, SUNFLOWER FAMILY I - Lettuce
4.14.3 ASTERACEAE, SUNFLOWER FAMILY II - Kinds other than lettuce
4.14.4 BRASSICACEAE, MUSTARD FAMILY
4.14.5 CHENOPODIACEAE, GOOSEFOOT FAMILY
4.14.6 CUCURBITACEAE, CUCURBIT FAMILY
4.14.7 FABACEAE, LEGUME FAMILY I - Large-seeded epigeal, except soybean, peanut, lupine
4.14.8 FABACEAE, LEGUME FAMILY II - Soybean and lupine
4.14.9 FABACEAE, LEGUME FAMILY III - Peanut
4.14.10 FABACEAE, LEGUME FAMILY IV - Large-seeded hypogeal
4.14.11 FABACEAE, LEGUME FAMILY V - Small-seeded
4.14.12 LILIACEAE, LILY FAMILY I - Asparagus
4.14.13 LILIACEAE, LILY FAMILY II - Onion, leek and chives
4.14.14 LINACEAE, FLAX FAMILY
4.14.15 MALVACEAE, MALLOW FAMILY
4.14.16 POACEAE, GRASS FAMILY I - Cereals
4.14.17 POACEAE, GRASS FAMILY III - Corn
4.14.18 POACEAE, GRASS FAMILY IV - Sorghum
4.14.19 POACEAE, GRASS FAMILY V - Other kinds
4.14.20 POLYGONACEAE, KNOTWEED FAMILY
4.14.21 MISCELLANEOUS AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL
5.0 DETERMINATION OF SEED MOISTURE CONTENT
5.1 Samples
5.2 Constant Temperature Oven Method
5.3 Electric Moisture Meter
6.0 EMBRYO TEST FOR TRUE LOOSE SMUT OF BARLEY
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Other Prescribed Methods
6.3 Cautions
6.4 Definitions
6.5 Preparation of Seeds for the Embryo Test
6.6 Preparation of Reagents
6.7 Embryo Extraction
6.8 Clearing of Embryos
6.9 Examination
6.10 Calculation of Infection and Reporting Results
7.0 APPROXIMATE NUMBER OF SEEDS PER GRAM 

Table of Contents | Section 1 | Section 2 | Section 3.0-3.2 | Section 3.3 | Section 3.4-3.6 | Section 3.7-3.10
Section 4.0-4.6 | Section 4.14 | Section 4.7-4.13 | Section 5 | Section 6 | Section 7


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