All seeds shipped out of the United States must meet specific regulations and certifications, but with tighter regulations over the past 10 years, exporting quality seeds has become more difficult.

Iowa State’s Seed Science Center runs almost 3,000 tests on soybean, corn and various other seeds every year to find pathogens that deter the health of the seeds, said Denis McGee, professor of plant pathology.

“Until seven years ago, there was no standard method to prove the health of the seeds exported,” McGee said. “Now there is a better way to obtain certification of seed health.”

McGee heads up the operation in the Seed Science Center. Since the beginning of the project, there have been more than 100 people working on the project.

The United States Department of Agriculture Animal Plant Health Inspection System authorized Iowa State’s participation in the National Seed Health System in August. The basis of the project is to find and develop “methods [that] are meant to be accepted internationally,” McGee said.

Funding for the system came from a donation of $200,000 from the American Seed Trade Association, McGee said.

Eventually, the system will gain enough revenue from fees that it will run independently, he said.

Previously, the only organizations allowed to test seeds for export have been large government and university labs. It was decided to open the opportunity to smaller labs, which meant there needed to be a standard testing procedure, McGee said. This would ensure all seeds are tested and handled the same way. Any organization can apply as long as they meet standards set for facilities, equipment and staff.

“ISU puts sound scientific basis to the whole system,” McGee said

The ISU Seed and Soil Center will provide the administrative process of the system. After getting accredited to test the seeds, Iowa State will provide the training for the staff conducting the tests around the United States, he said.

“Instead of testing seeds, we test the seed testers,” said Manjit Misra, director of the Seed Science Center.

Iowa State also will be responsible for the massive amount of research needed for the system, McGee said. There will be researchers looking for data supporting standardized method development, much of which came from the work of McGee and others.

Several people will be searching for new testing methods with the possibility of becoming standardized.

These new methods will then be sent to seed technology working groups and panels for further testing and possible approval.

McGee said once the system gets going, Iowa State will be in charge of running audits on all labs to make sure everything is up to par. Proficiency tests will be run on lab sites every two years, and Iowa State will be handling all of the check-ups, he said.

This opportunity gives Iowa State an enormous amount of responsibility and “visibility in developing international standards and a process based in science,” said Misra, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

In addition to helping the university, the system will greatly benefit farmers and farming communities.

Misra said the system will make exporting and importing various types of seeds internationally easier.