Sampling and Samples

When should I order sampling for the Orange ISTA Certificate?

The OIC represents the lot of seed as it will be shipped, so sampling should be ordered only when the seed is ready to be shipped, after any treatment or rebagging. This restriction does not apply to seed certification or other sampling and testing activities. Setting the lot down: in the Willamette Valley, samplers can be expected to arrive within a day, so the lot needs to be set down at the time the request is submitted to the Lab. It is the customer's responsibility to notify the warehouse to set the lot down.

What are the ISTA lot size requirements for Certificate?

The ISTA Rules specify a maximum lot size for each species. A basic rule of thumb is that agricultural and vegetable seeds smaller than wheat, including most grass species, have a maximum lot size of 10,000 kilos. Larger seeds have larger maximum lot sizes, typically from 20,000 – 30,000 kilos. Lot sizes for other types of crops such as trees and flowers vary widely.  Maximum lot sizes can be found in Chapter 2 of the ISTA Rules, which is availble on their website (click on Free Current Rules Chapters).

Can I treat my seed after it is tested?

No. Certificates are valid only for the seed as it was tested, so treating it will invalidate the certificate since it will no longer accurately represent the seed. 

Can I rebag my seed after it has been sampled and tested for an Orange Certificate?

Rebagging is allowed provided that the identity of the seed in the initial lot is preserved, the lot number does not change, there is no processing of the seed, and an ISTA sampler is present during the entire process.

Can a BLUE ISTA Certificate be issued on regular OSU samples?

The majority of samples received at the lab are samples submitted by the Oregon Seed Certification Service and commercial samples submitted by seed companies. These samples are acceptable for Blue International Certificates (BIC), as long as the necessary information to issue the certificate is provided, and a request is sent via Online Services.

If OSU already has test results based on AOSA Rules, can the results be converted for blue ista certificate?

It depends. The AOSA and ISTA Rules differ in sample size, testing procedures, and evaluation criteria for some species. If this is the case, a new test must be conducted for BIC. In most cases, we should be able to use the file sample at the lab to supply seed for the new tests.

WHAT ARE THE FEES?

Sampling (Orange only): Our ISTA sampling is performed by authorized seed samplers who have been trained on ISTA sampling and authorized by the Lab. The sampling fees vary somewhat depending on what agency performs the sampling, and are billed by the sampling organization.