You may have come across a blue tag attached to seed containers in addition to the usual white tag. These blue tags designate the contents as certified seed which is seed of a known variety that has been inspected and found to be genetically pure. These inspections are conducted by an authorized agency to verify that the seed has met state, federal and international requirements. Most certified varieties are protected by federal law and can only be sold by the company that developed them.

There are four classes of certification.
- Breeder class - seed produced directly by the organization that bred the variety.
- The other classes are each one generation removed from the next and handled to maintain satisfactory genetic purity and varietal identity.
Buying certified seed ensures that the qualities and desired characteristics such as yield, vigor and disease resistance that were originally developed in the variety will still be evident in the plant that grows from the seed you bought. Cross breeding with other varieties or non-certified seed can reduce or eliminate these characteristics.
For more information on seed certification, contact the Kansas Crop Improvement Association at (785) 532-6118 or go to http://www.kscrop.org/.
The Department of Agriculture’s seed program is constantly working to ensure consumers are protected by truth-in-labeling principles and fair competition among seed businesses through quality and reliability standards.