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Seed
Certification Agency
(SCA)
Introduction:
It has been internationally agreed that
the Quality Seed production for various
crops can be guaranteed under the banner
of seed certification. Seed Certification
and quality control, are integral and indispensable
components of Seed technology. Seed Certification
Agency is the only authorized body for quality
control of all kinds of seeds in our country.
The Seed Certification Agency was established
in 1974 under Cereal Seed project as per
provision of First Five Years plan (1973-78).
The responsibility of this organization
was limited only with the seeds produced
by the public sector till Third Five Years
Plan (1985- 90). In the Fourth Five Years
Plan (1990- 95) its working jurisdiction
was extended also to seed testing and certification
of the seeds produced by private and NGO
sector. Seed Certification Agency has been
performing its role for full seed certification
of four notified crops. (Rice, Wheat, Jute
and Potato). The Agency certify and maintain
seed quality through Field Inspection, Seed
Testing and Variety Testing as per decision
of the National Seed Board (NSB) and regulations
Provided by the National Seed Policy, 1993,
The Seeds (Amendment) Act, 1997 and Seed
Rules 1998. At present there are three classes
of Seeds (Breeder, Foundation and Certified)
under the Seed Certification Program inn
our country. Besides these, to make adequate
quantities of quantity seeds available to
the farmers, one more class of seed which
is termed as Truthfully Labelled Seed (TLS).
This kind of Seeds quality is maintained
by SCA through market monitoring system.
Location of SCA Campus: The Organizational
set up of SCA consists of the following
three functional wings and a support service
section. These are (i) Field Inspection
wing (FIW) (ii) Seed Testing wing (STW)
(iii) Variety Testing Wing (VTW) and (iv)
Support service section. The SCA is headed
by a Director who is assisted by the Principal
Seed Certification officer in all sorts
of technical and administrative matters
relating to Seed Certification Program of
the organization. There is a Wing Head in-charge
of each technical wing. Designations of
Technical Wings-heads are (i) Principal
Field Control Officer (FIW) (ii) Chief Seed
Technologist (STW) and (iii) Deputy Director
(VTW), Under the Field Inspection Wing there
are five Regional Field Offices which are
located in Dhaka, Chittagong, Bogra, Jessore,
Inshurdi and each region with a regional
Field Officer in-charge of the region. There
are 30 Field officers who work under Five
Regional Field Officers, most of the Field
Offices located in the seed producing and
processing areas of BDC and other private/
NGO seed enterprises.
Under the Seed Testing Wing, there are
two Seed Testing Laboratories of which one
is the National Seed Testing Laboratory
(NSTL) located at SCA Head Office, Gazipur.
The other is the Regional Seed Testing Laboratory
(RSTL) Located at Inshurdi, Pabna. The Variety
Testing Wing has a Twelve hectors control
farm attached to SCA Head Quarter for DUS,
Pre-post control and grow out tests. this
wing also involves to VCU test of Notified
crops. The SCA is physically located in
Gazipur. It is surrounded by other national
apex agricultural research and training
institutions like the Central Extension
Resource Development Institute (CERDI) on
its west, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute
(BRRI) and Bangladesh Agricultureal Research
Institute (BARI) on the East Dhaka- Gazipur
highway passes on the north, Regional Sugarcane
Research Institute and BARI farm on the
South. It is nearly 40 kilomertres away
from Dhaka and is connected by pucca road
with the capital city. The SCA campus provides
a panoramic beauty with its Offices, National
Seed Testing Laboratory (NSTL), Control
Farm and residential apartment buildings.
Functions of Seed Certification Agency:
Service Providers:
Functions of Seed Certification Agency according
to Seed (Amendment) Act, 1997 and Seed Rules
1998. In addition to the functions entrusted
to the Certification Agency by the ordinance,
the Agency shall-
| (a) |
certify seed of any notified kinds
or varieties, |
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| (b) |
certify seed of other registered varieties. |
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| (c) |
outline the procedures for growing,
processing, storage and labelling of
seeds intended for certification and
to ensure that the seed lots finally
approved for certification are true
to the variety and confirm to the standard
regarding the germination percentage,
purity percentage, moisture contents
and such other components of seed quality
for certification under these rules:
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| (d) |
verify, upon receipt of an application
for certification of any kind or variety
of seed, that the seed source used for
planting was authenticated by the Certification
Agency and the record of purchase is
in accordance with these rules and the
fees have been paid; |
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| (e) |
inspect fields to ensure that the
minimum standards for insulation, rouging,
if necessary, and other factors specific
to the kind or variety are maintained
at all times, as well as ensure that
seed borne diseases are not present
in the field to a greater extent than
those provided in the standards for
certification, |
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| (f) |
inspect seed procession plants to
see that the admixtures of other kinds
and varieties are not introduced; |
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| (g) |
ensure that field inspection, seed
processing plant inspection, analysis
of samples and issue of certificate,
including marking, labeling and sealing,
are taken expeditiously; |
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| (h) |
monitor by post control sampling
procedures the seeds quality as declared
on the labes of seed containers offered
for sale by seed Dealers and feed back
results to the Seed Dealers to create
awareness about quality; |
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Finally the field officers make a
comparison between their observed
values in the field and the values
of field standards of different crops
fixed by National seed Board (NSB),
which is shown in appendix-1. They
accept the field for certification,
when the observed values come in conformity
with the standard values, otherwise
the fields are rejected.Seed Certification
Procedure of SCA;To perform the working
activities, the agency has three wings
viz. Field Inspection, Seed Testing
and Variety Testing. The Working procedure
of these wings are described below:
1. Field Inspection Wing
Field Inspection Wing is an important
wing headed by Principal Field Control
Officer (PFCO). There are 4 ( four)
regional and 30 (thirty) Field Offices
in different seed growing areas through
out the country. Regional field officer
supervise and monitor over all activities
of the field Officers. The fields
Officers certify the public, private
and NGO;s sector seed growing plots
through field inspection in such a
ways-
(i) Verifying the Seed Source.
(ii) Verifying isolation distance.
(iii) Timely Inspect the seed growing
plots to metup field standard
(iv) Suggest to roughing operations
properly,
Roles and Responsibilities of SCA
according to Seed Policy, 1993.
* Advise NSB denotification of varieties
for reasons of poor performance or
disease and pest susceptibility;
* Help Department of Agricultural
Extension (DAE) in the promotion and
use of improved seed of HYVs among
farmers;
* Collect samples of truthfully labeled
seeds throughout the country and check
their declared standards through oppropriate
tests.
The SCA has been entrusted with the
responsibility to ensure supply of
certified quality seeds to farmer.
In doing so, the major focus of its
responsibility was centred around
the activities like field inspection
for quality seed production, seed
testing and issue of tags for all
certified seeds. However, under the
strengthening project of SCA its expanded
roles include activities as follows:
* Advise seed producers on production,
processing and quality control of
seeds;
* Carry out post market quality control
through inspection, testing.
* Collect data/ information on seed
production, procession and quality
control for use by the National Seed
Board (NSB);
* Certify all breeder and Foundation
Seeds of controlled crops;
* Certify seeds for seed enterprises
as a services;
* Coordinate the variety evaluation
and release mechanism for Notified
crops;
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| (i) |
carry out varietal description activities
as a part of DUS tests (distinctness,
uniformity and stability), and co-ordinate
and organize multilocation trials for
performance testing or varieties (VCU-
value for cultivation and uses); |
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| (j) |
review and recommend from time to
time minimum standards of seeds quality
of different crops |
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| (k) |
carry out educational programmes
designed to promote the production of
certified seed including a publication
listing seed Dealers and sources of
certified seed; |
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| (l) |
maintain such records as may be necessary
to verify that seed plated for the production
of certified seed were eligible for
such planting under these rules. |
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| (m) |
advise the Board on the denotification
of varieties for reasons of poor performance
or disease and pest susceptibility. |
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2. Variety Testing Wing
Variety Testing wing is carrying out DUS
(Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability)
and VCU (Value for Cultivation and test)
test. DUS test is essential for recognizing,
distinguishing and describing a variety.
The central theme is identification of a
variety through the use of some parameters
of characterization.
DUS test is being carried out in many countries
of the world. In our country sine 1998,
this test has been made as a part of the
variety release mechanism. The ultimate
benefit of DUS test will center around plant
Breeders Rights and Specially Plant variety
Protection in view of the globalization
of agribusiness. the international Union
for the Protection of New varieties of Plants
(UPOV) provides the procedure for conducting
DUS test should be different for each species.
Testing a variety for Value of Cultivation
and its Uses (VCU) is also needed to evaluated
newly developed varieties with regards to
agricultural performance such as yield,
fertilizer requirement, insect-pest resistance
tests, grain size, cooking quality, storability
etc. In addition to this in a routine work
performs pre-post control and Grow out test
as an internal quality control system. this
wing also involves to co-ordinate technical
committee meeting, field evaluation and
variety release system.
3. Seed Testing Wing
Seed testing wing is also an important wing
comprising of (i) National Seed Testing
Laboratory, Gazipur is headed by CST, (ii)
Regional Seed Testing Laboratory (RSTL)
Ishurdi, pabna is headed by Agronomist.
Purity, Germination, Mosture and other tests
are conducted by 6 seed Analysts in two
laboratories. Seed Analysts are fully responsible
to analysis the Seed samples which are collected
from public, private and NGO's sector as
well as market monitoring samples. Chief
seed technologist supervise and monitor
the over all activities of seed analysts.
Actually seed testing wing involving to
assurance of quality seeds. If the test
result of the sample comes in a close conformity
with the seed standard fixed by NSB, the
representing seed lots of processing centers
are accepted for certification., In case
of sub-standard value of test result, the
seed lots are rejected.
In addition to this the field officers
pay to regular visit to the threashing floor,
procession centre, seed lots arrangement,
collect sample and infix Certification tag
after getting satisfactory results from
the seed testing laboratory. This wing is
also involved in maintaining quality control
of all sorts of seeds through market monitoring
system.
Conclusion
Seed is the foundation of agriculture.
With the use of certified quality seeds
in the normal cultivation practices, yield
of crops may be increased up to 10-15%.
In order to co-ordinate the use of increased
quality seed and ensure its production,
supply and distribution, the SCA is striving
hard to extend its collaboration anmd assistance
in the total system of seed Certification
and Quality Control in the country through.
* Implementation of the appropriate National
Seed Policy,
* Development and implementation of the
seed legislation system and international
seed regulations.
* Improvement of technical know-how, skills
by imparting training, visits and organizing
seminars, workshops, symposium, etc. on
seed activities.
* Implementation of the on going SCA-SID
strengthening project.
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