Sample Collection Guidelines

Guide to collection and shipping a sample

Seed samples

Hybrid purity

A minimum of 100 seeds is a suggested sample size. For hybrids that you are submitting for the first time, we will need a sample of your male and female inbred. If you are not comfortable to provide your inbreds, you can crush the inbred seeds to destroy their germination. We will be able to extract DNA from crushed seeds and use as controls to develop a test.

1. Collect 100-200 seeds (as desired) from a lot.
2. Include inbred controls (if submitting for first time)

3.       Fill out sample submission form and use this as a packing slip.

4.       Ship by express mail

5.       International customers:  Put following shipping documents in an envelope and attach to shipping box:

a.       Phytosanitary certificate

b.       Commercial invoice

Variety Identity by DNA markers

We are assuming that hybrid /variety is pure and there is no variability from seed to seed. Therefore, we will run only 2 seeds (or 2 pools of seeds) to keep cost down. We will compare DNA fingerprint of the sample with your varieties in our database. If you are submitting for the first time, we will need a reference that we can compare with.

1.       Send 10 seeds from a lot to be identified as a variety. Coin envelops may be used.

2.       For new varieties (that we never had before from you), please include a reference that we can compare with.  

3.       Fill out sample submission form and use this as a packing slip.

4.       Ship by express mail

5.       International customers:  Put following shipping documents in an envelope and attach to shipping box:

a.       Phytosanitary certificate

b.       Commercial invoice