Seed Conditioners

Seed conditioning plants and mobile cleaners must be approved by the North Dakota State Seed Department to condition field-inspected seed for final certification. To be approved, conditioners must meet certain minimum requirements for equipment and management practices.

Conditioners listed on this website meet the minimum requirements established by the department. The ability to properly clean seed also involves skill and experience. Customers are urged to discuss their cleaning needs with an approved conditioner to determine whether they have the ability to meet their needs.  

Seed Conditioner Permit

A permit is required to operate as a certified seed conditioner in North Dakota. Permits are issued on an annual basis following an inspection of the facility by a Seed Department inspector. Seed conditioning facility managers and designated samplers must meet minimum requirements for handling all seed, maintaining proper records and drawing representative samples of all seed lots for certification according to the certification rules and regulations. 

Approved conditioners with multiple facilities or mobile units must have a separate permit for each facility or mobile unit.

Growers who condition their own seed using their own equipment on their own premises are not required to have a permit. However, they are not allowed to condition seed for other growers.

Additional Resources

Application for Approved Conditioner

Quick Reference Guide for Certified Seed Conditioner Requirements

Facility managers must understand and agree to all of the requirements on the permit application. The facility manager and employees are responsible for meeting all terms of the agreement. In general, the agreement covers all items relating to the proper conditioning and handling of certified seed, record retention and adherence to state and federal seed laws, including Plant Variety Protection.

Permission to operate as an Approved Certified Seed Conditioning Facility is granted on an annual basis and may be revoked at any time without notice under the following circumstances:

• Conditions specified in the Agreement are not fulfilled
• Violations of state certification standards
• Violations of state seed laws
• Violations of the Federal Seed Act

Seed conditioned by an unapproved seed conditioner will not be eligible for certification.

Table of Contents

Introduction

General Requirements

Requirements to Operate as an Approved Seed Conditioner

• Seed Conditioner Permit
• Renewal of Permit
• Revocation of Permit
• Facility Management

Equipment

• Primary Cleaning Equipment
• Air-screen
• Disk separator
• Indent cylinder
• Gravity table
• Aspirators
• Precision grader
• Spiral separator
• Secondary Equipment

Housekeeping Requirements

• General Requirements
• Conditioning Equipment

Annual Facility Inspections

• General Process
• Deficiencies - Probationary Status
• Permits
• Conditioning Plants - Fixed Facilities
• Mobile Seed Conditioners

Sourcing Seed

• Locating the Seed You Want
• Variety Selection
• Classes of Certified Seed

Intellectual Property Rights

• General Information
• Types of Variety Protection
• Basic Requirements for PVP Title V Varieties
• Conditioning Protected Varieties
• Penalties for Violations

Conditioning

• Testing Seed Prior to Conditioning
• Sale of Unconditioned Field Inspected Seed
• Conditioning at an Approved Plant
• Grower's Declaration
• Field Inspection Reports
• Lot Sizes and Numbering

Sampling

• Sampling Seed for Final Certification
• Available Tests & Sample Size Requirements
• Sampler's Reports
• Official Samples
• Obtaining Test Results Online

Final Certification

• Conditioning
• Testing
• Seed Tests Required for Labeling Certified Seed
• Re-testing Samples
• Labeling
• Research Fees

Seed Sales Permit and Fees

• North Dakota Seed Laws
• Application for Seed Sales Permit
• Annual Report of Seed Sales
• Labeling Fees
• Inspection
• More Labeling Information

Labeling Requirements for Agricultural Seed

• North Dakota Seed Labeling Requirements

Seed Sales

• Bulk Seed
• C# Certificate
• Retail Only Certificate
• Downgrading Seed Lots
• Combined Lots
• Additional Bulk Certificates
• Seed Transfers - Legal Movement of Certified Seed
• Rejected Lots
• Substandard Lots
• Common Seed
• Germination Tests

Carryover Seed

• Conditioned Seed
• Unconditioned Seed

Seed Laws and Regulations

• Federal Seed Laws
• North Dakota Seed Laws

Interagency Certification

• For Seed Certified by Another State
• For Field Inspected Seed From Another State

Canadian Seed

• Purchasing Canadian Seed for Resale
• Purchasing Canadian Seed for Seed Production
• Selling Seed Into Canada
• Seed Tests and Documents Required to Export Seed to Canada
• Guidelines for NDSU Varieties Licensed in Canada

Seed Regulatory

• Purpose of the Regulatory Program
• Services Provided

Fee Schedules

• Licensing and Permits
• Field Inspection
• Final Certification
• Lab Fees
• Variety Research Fees

Seed Department Deadlines

Reporting Requirements

• Labeling Fee Report
• Research Fees
• Carryover Seed Report

Glossary of Terms

Appendices

• A. Agreement to Operate as a North Dakota Approved Plant to Condition Seed
• B. Plant Clean-Down Checklist
• C. Seed Sampler's Report
• D. Instructions for Completing Sampler's Report
• E. Research Fee Report Form
• F. Application for Seed Sales Permit
• G. Annual Report of Agricultural, Vegetable and Flower Seed Sold in ND
• H. Example of C# Bulk Certificate
• I. Example of Retail Only R# Bulk Certificate
• J. Example of Common Seed Label
• K. Declaration of Carryover Seed Report
• L. Certificate of Transfer
• M. Fee Schedule
• N. Relabeling Request for Carryover Certified Seed form
• O. Instructions for Completing the Relabeling Request for Carryover Certified Seed form

Acknowledgements