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Research Assures Quality

regon State University (OSU), located in Corvallis, Oregon, in the center of the Willamette Valley, offers degrees in many areas of agriculture, including seed production. It also provides research to assist growers to improve production technology and seed yields and to produce quality seed crops.

Acting as a liaison between OSU researchers and growers is the Oregon State University Cooperative Extension Service with crop specialists in each county. The Extension Service provides technical advice to growers and the latest production techniques through meetings, publications, and farm visits.

Another activity of the OSU Extension Service is seed certification. Field crop seed produced under the certification program is grown according to a uniform set of rules used throughout the nation for isolation of genetic and physical purity and viability. Seed certification also oversees production of seed under the OECD scheme, a worldwide program to ensure the production of quality seed.

OSU operates a nationally recognized Seed Laboratory which conducts purity and germination analysis for all certified and OECD seed lots produced in the state. It also conducts tests on thousands of vegetable seeds, specialty seeds, and field seeds not produced under the certification program.

Phyto-sanitary requirements for seed marketed internationally are met through the inspection process by Oregon Department of Agriculture guidelines. These inspections assure that seed quality meets the standards of international markets.