The Office of Indiana State Chemist is temporarily located in AGAD (615 W. State Street, Room 18, West Lafayette, IN 47907).
Visitor paid parking is available in the Harrison Street Garage. Our mailing address remains the same (175 S. University Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2063).
What is required for seed and seed labeling of hemp in Indiana?
Hemp seed is now an agricultural commodity crop and thus is now subject to the Indiana State Seed Law IC 15-15-1 and Administrative Rules 360 IAC. A quick overview of this information is that hemp seed must be tested for purity, noxious weeds and germination and that the seed must be labeled properly. This means that the seed label must be affixed to each bag or container and that all required test results must be listed. Examples of that information are: Seed Kind (hemp), variety name or number, purity % by weight, inert % by weight, other crop seed % by weight, weed seed % by weight, noxious weed seeds found or the statement none found, if applicable. The company name and address of the labeler is also required. This is not an exhaustive list of seed labeling requirements.
What is certified seed?
Certified Seed is a new term to many in the hemp world. This term is a specific one that verifies varietal purity and the quality of the seed. For seed to be Certified, the grower must go through the stringent growing standards and inspections from an Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) member. In Indiana that agency is Indiana Crop Improvement Association based in Lafayette. Part of the certifying process for seed is an isolation distance away from all other hemp grow sites, documentation and verification of the source of the seed to be reproduced, varietal purity of the seed to be reproduced, field inspections for verification of the varietal characteristics, cleanliness of the crop from a weed perspective and other documentation. For more information on how to produce Certified Seed, please contact Joe DeFord at Indiana Crop Improvement Association at deford@indianacrop.org or 765-523-2535.
What is a seed breeder?
Plant breeding is a defined science that requires generation after generation of back crossing to breed in certain traits and breed out certain traits. In many crops, back crossing for seven generations is required to create a new variety. Crossbreeding one time, or cross pollinating does not create a new variety. Nor does, selecting certain strains or off types. The vast majority of plant breeders in North America are PhD’s.
