Benefits, Purpose and Process of Producing Certified Seed

Rick Novak, Director of Seed Programs at Colorado State University and Duane Sinning, Assistant Director of Plant Industries at Colorado State Department of Agriculture will provide a presentation describing the benefits and verification process for producing certified hemp seed and how it will function in the state of Colorado.  The information presented is a result of a joint effort between the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) and the Colorado Seed Growers Association (CSGA) based on the need for certified quality seed for this emerging crop.   CDA Approved Certified Industrial Hemp seed will be derived from varieties that will be proven to produce mature Industrial Hemp plants with a THC below 0.3% in variety test plots across Colorado’s broad climatic conditions. Growers can be assured that the approved varieties will have been tested for levels of THC and the rights to reproduce the genetics will have been established.  Certified seed production will be required to follow specific protocols and guidelines that ensure purity in fields that are free of disease, pests and noxious weeds. The CDA Approved Certified Seed program was developed using the same principles as other agricultural crops with the only exception of testing for THC levels. The field and seed standards are based on national standards adopted for Industrial Hemp by the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA).   The Colorado Seed Growers Association will be one of the first seed certification agencies in the United States to adopt and implement a variety approval process in addition to the field and seed certification standards established for this emerging crop.