Create the ISTA Sample Certificate (Blue & Orange)

First, make sure to follow the ISTA Customer Guide - What You Need To Know

Create the ISTA Sample Certificate before sending in a sample to the OSU Seed Lab.

Please note: the account used to request sampling and testing is the customer that will be billed for these services. Login to your OSU Seed Services account. Make sure to click the CAPTCHA check box that says “I am not a robot”

Note: If at any point in the process buttons do not populate after selecting from a drop down menu, try hitting the “Tab” key on your keyboard.

Go to section “B. Seed Sample Information” and select option “4. Create Online ISTA Seed Sample Certificates”. A “Sample certificate” is a document that will summarize your lot information, applicant information, and testing services needed. It is sometimes called an “ISTA request”.

From the drop-down menu, choose to create a sample certificate for an ISTA blue, an ISTA orange, or if you need to retrieve a copy of a sample certificate you have already submitted.

After making your selection, a form will populate, similar to the example shown to the right.
Start by checking the box next to “Provisional” or “Duplicates” if either of these reports are needed. If a Provisional report is selected, an additional field will populate titled “Tests to Include (Provisional Certificate)” where you can enter what tests you want to be shown on a provisional certificate (e.g.: purity, OSD). If you need duplicate copies of certificates, checking the “Duplicates” box will make a box populate where you can specify how many copies you need. Additional fees apply for both provisional and duplicate options.

Moving down the form, you should see that your information has automatically populated in the “Applicant Name and Address” field. This field is required for ISTA Blue certificates. ISTA Orange certificates do not require this information; if you select “No” from the “Print Applicant on IC” (IC = ISTA Certificate), this section will have “Not Stated” on the certificate. Make sure to type the applicant name and address exactly as you want it to appear on the certificate.

Move down the form and enter the sampling location in the “Sampling Location” field. Be aware that seed must be set down, accessible from all sides, and ready to be sampled when you submit the certificate. The sampler may charge a fee if they arrive and the lot is not ready or available to be sampled. Be specific in this field, and include an address or warehouse so the sampler knows where to find the appropriate lot. For Blue certificates, the “Sampling Location” field will be absent on the form since samples are sent directly to the Seed Lab. Enter the lot number exactly as it is permanently marked on the containers of the lot.

For the “Crop Species” field, select “Find Species…” from the drop-down menu. This will cause a “Find Species” field to populate. Type part of the species name (either scientific name or common name) into the field, then press the “TAB” key on your keyboard. Using only part of the species name will return better search results, so try to keep your search to only one word (for example, “fescue” instead of “creeping red fescue”).

After pressing the “TAB” key, a flashing orange arrow will appear next to the “Crop Species” drop-down box. Choose the correct species from this list.

Once you make your crop species selection, it will appear in the “Print Species on IC as” field. You can make changes to this field as needed (e.g.: removing common name, adding subspecies, etc.). You can then enter the variety or brand name in the “Variety Name” field EXACTLY as you would like it to appear on the certificate. Select the crop year from the “Crop Year” drop-down box. This won’t be printed on the certificate, but is used to determine germination planting methods for the sample.

The “Sender’s Info Printed on IC” field is an optional place to provide a single line of additional information you want printed on your certificate. Some examples may include batch numbers that are not included in lot numbers, or transaction information requested by your customer. DO NOT USE for the applicant name or address. Leave blank if not applicable.
Moving down the form, enter the number of containers in the “No. of Containers” field and choose the container type from the associated drop-down box to the right. If “Other” is selected, specify container type in the “Other Type of Container” box. Next, enter the lot weight in the “Total Lot Weight” field and select the appropriate unit of measurement from the associated drop-down.

Finally, select whether or not the seed is coated and/or treated. If seed is coated or treated, another field will appear for you to enter the name of the coating or treatment used. Note: SDS information is required for any coated or treated sample sent to the lab. Please provide any relevant SDS information with your sample. Failure to provide this information may delay testing of your sample.

Finally, move to the “Tests Requested” section. Check all boxes that apply.
Some important information regarding specific tests:
 Weight Determination (1000wt): Specify in the “Remarks” box if you want us to also report the number of seeds per pound or kilogram, otherwise we will only report the weight of 1000 seeds.
 Complete Australian test: an AU Complete OSD (a Complete Other Seed Determination under Australian Standards) includes soil, ergot, and rodent droppings search, in addition to the OSD. State or country of origin must be stated in the “Other Test or Remarks” box. If ergot or ryegrass are found in the sample, determining whether it is a prohibited species can be dependent on where the seed was grown. Failure to provide this information will result in a delay processing the sample.
 Other Seed Determination (OSD): choose from:
o Complete: includes all seed contaminants in approx. 25000 seeds
o Reduced OSD: includes all seed contaminants in an exam size of your choosing. Specify the exam size in the “Other Tests or Remarks” box, e.g.: “Examine 20g for OSD”.
o Limited OSD: includes only contaminants of species you request us to look for. Specify the list of species in the “Other Tests or Remarks” box.

The “Other Tests or Remarks” box can be used to supply up to four lines of additional information with your sample such as:
 Testing requests for tests that are not listed (see our full list of accredited tests on our website)
 Contact information, such as an email address, that the lab can use to contact you if there are questions about your request
 Other important information for the lab or samplers that does not have a provided field on the form
After filling out the form and ensuring all information is entered correctly, click the “Submit Certificate” button at the bottom of the form. You will be redirected to a page of detailed instructions; read and follow them fully for the applicable certificate type, Blue or Orange (in these instructions, ISC=ISTA Sample Certificate). Finally, click the “Send ISTA Sample Certificate” button. If your submission is successful, a confirmation message will appear, along with a button allowing you to retrieve a copy of your submitted ISTA Sample Certificate.

The PDF of the ISTA Sample Certificate you download will look similar to the example to the right. The left-hand side reads “ISTA Orange Sample Certificate” at the top and is the side that should accompany your sample. The right-hand side reads “Customer Copy” at the top and can be retained for your records.
Make note of the four-digit transaction number listed toward the top of the certificate, as this will allow you to access sample information in Online Services.