b'Corteva uses an internal quality assuranceIf your internal quality assurance system goes system to ensure the quality of its seed, whichover and above whats required by our certi-is something enabled by the seed regulations forfication system, do you feel internal quality canola, corn and soybean. What does this systemassurance systems can be relied on more in our look like? industry? David Harwood We use our own internal system to manageAs an organization that is operating at a Technicalthe physical and physiological quality oflevel that goes beyond the CSGA certification Servicescanola, soybean and corn seed very carefullystandards, were of the view that our stand-Manager, Cortevathroughout the production process.ards are pretty rigorous, and we dont really Agriscience The seed quality testing that we do is rem- need the backstop of a certification system. iniscent of the standards that Sarah referredWe would prefer that we certify our own to, but we have made some modifications.seed crop. If you have an internal quality We use two terms internallywarm germ,assurance program as a quality management which is a smaller seed sample test than asystem, we feel that you should be able to classic germination test, and for some juris- rely on that process as an alternative to stand-dictions where we sell corn, were required toard certification.have a 400 seed test, and so we conduct that test as well.What other parts of our system do you feel can be In addition to that, and this is beyond thechanged?traditional seed certification requirements, weVariety registration is a big one. Variety reg-do a stress test. We still use the term Pioneeristration is an unnecessary level of regulation Stress Test that was developed in the Pioneerin the seed industry. It stifles innovation and business several years ago, where we reallylimits the flexibility of the value chain to be challenge seed corn. We also do the same fornimble and respond as quickly as it might canola and soybeans with very cold germina- otherwise. Weve got a number of crops that tion temperatures, additional chilling, etc., indont require variety registration today, like order to advance the establishment character- corn. Its a thriving industry without variety istics of seed under stress. Thats somethingregistration. Food grade soybeans are another beyond what is required by our seeds regula- example of seed that doesnt require variety tions.registration, and this process works very well. POLLS We also do genetic testing, to test forThen theres crops like oilseed soybeans, trueness to type or to make sure were notwhere were just listing varieties, were not Do you feel the SRMexceeding standards for adventitious pres- testing them for merit. Then theres canola, process has a majorence. We test for other traits as well as otherwhere we just do quality testing for, not merit effect on you and your business? genotypes that may come from pollen flow- testing. 8% ing into a seed field despite isolation, or the presence of genetically modified traits in con-ventional products is something we screen for very rigorously. That is also beyond whats required by our standard certification system. 92% Then, of course, comes trait purity. We test to make sure we have the required percent-ages of the advertised traits, which is againTune into our full-length webinar on this very topic by visiting not something required by the certificationgermination.ca/seed-qualityYes Unsuresystem. SUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY:26GERMINATION.CAJULY 2022'