KENYA  STANDAR D                                   DKS 691:  2023 
ICS 67.020.20,  67.080.20  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Seeds for cucurbit vegetables — 
Requirements for certification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS  2023 Second  Edition  2023   
 KS 691: 2007  
 
TECHNICAL  COMMITTEE  REPRESENTATION  
 
The following  organizations were  represented  on the Technical  Committee:  
 
The University of Nairobi  
Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization  
Kakuzi PLC  
Simlaw seed company  
Seed Trade Association of Kenya  
Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services  
National Potato Council of Kenya  
Horticultural Crop Development Authority  
National Public Health Laboratory  
Ministry  of Agriculture  — Crop  Division  
Government Chemist’s Department  
Kenya Bureau of Standards - Secretariat  
 
 
 
 
 
 
REVISION  OF KENYA  STANDARDS  
 
In order  to keep  abreast of  progress  in industry,  Kenya  Standards  shall be regularly  reviewed.  Suggestions  for 
improvements  to published  standards,  addressed  to the Managing  Director,  Kenya  Bureau  of Standards,  are welcome.  
 
 
 
© Kenya  Bureau of  Standards,  2023 
 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 12 of 2001  of the Laws of Kenya, copyright subsists in  
all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 26 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of Standa rds may  
be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any means without prior permission in writing from the Managing  
Director.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ii KEBS  2023 — All rights  reserved   
 KENYA  STANDARD  DKS 691: 
2023 
ICS 67.020.20,  67.080.20  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Seeds for cucurbit vegetables — 
Requirements for certification  
 
 
 
 
 
KENYA  BUREAU  OF STANDARDS  (KEBS)  
Head  Office:  P.O. Box 54974,  Nairobi -00200,  Tel.: (+254  020) 605490,  602350,  Fax: (+254  020) 604031  
E-Mail:  info@kebs.org,  Web:http:// www. kebs.org  
 
Coast  Region  Lake  Region  Rift Valley  Region  
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Tel.: (+254  041) 229563,  230939/40  
Fax: (+254  041) 229448  Tel.: (+254  057) 23549,  22396  
Fax: (+254  057) 21814  Tel.: (+254  051) 210553,  210555  
KEBS  2007  — All rights  reserved   iii   
 DKS 691: 2023 
Foreword  
 
This Kenya  Standard  was prepared  by the Propagation  Materials  Technical  Committee  under  the guidance  of 
the Standards Project committee  and it is in accordance with the procedures of Kenya Bureau of  Standards.  
 
The standard specifies minimum field requirement in actual production and seed quality requirements. The  
standard has been revised to accommodate recent developments in the seed industry , the changes in the seed 
regulations  and to protect the  consumers  and other  stakeholders.  
 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following documents:  
Minimum  seed  certification  standard,  United  States.  
International Crop Improvement Association, Publication No. 21.  
MS 3.71 Specification  for vegetable  seeds  for planting.  
Seed  and Plant  Varieties  Act, Cap.  326 of the Laws  of Kenya.  
 
Acknowledgement  is hereby  made  for the assistance  derived  from these  sources.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 iv KEBS  2023 — All rights  reserved   
  
 
KENYA  STANDARD  DKS 691: 2023 
 
Seeds  for cucurbit  vegetables  —  Requirements for certification  
 
1 Scope  
This Kenya  standard  prescribes  requirements  for certification of  seeds  for cucurbit  vegetable  crops 
that are locally produced or imported .  
This standard  applies  to     seeds  for cucurbit  vegetables  in Table  1. 
 
 
Table 1 — Cucurbit vegetables  
 
S/no Common  name  Botanical  name  
i) Bitter  gourd  (karela)  Memordica  charantia  
ii) Bottle  gourd  (dudhi)  Lagenaria  siceraria  
iii) Courgette/marrow/squash / 
Zuccini  Cucurbita  pepo  and C, moschata  
iv) Cucumber/gherkin  Cucumis  sativus  
v) Sweet Melon/cantaloupe  Cucumis  melo  
vi) Pumpkin  Cucurbit  maximum  
vii) Ridge  gourd  (turia/gizoda)  Luffa  acutangula  
viii) Round  gourd  (tinda)  Citrullus  lunatus   
ix) Water -melon  Citrullus  lunatus   
x) Horned  melon  Cucumis metuliferus  
2 Normative  references  
 
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content 
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For 
undated references, the latest edition of the reference d document (including any amendments) applies.  
International Seed Testing Association ISTA Rules  
OECD, Seed Schemes; Guidelines for Control Plot Tests and Field Inspection of Seed Crops  
OECD, Schemes for Varietal Certification or the Control of Seed Moving in the International Trade  
Seeds and plant varieties Act - Cap 326  
EMCA Act - Cap 387  
 
  
  
3 Terms and d efinitions  
For the purposes  of this standard  the  terms and definitions  in KS 790 shall apply.  
 
 
4  General requirements  
4.1 General  
The seed companies and the seed growers of  cucurbit  seed shall be registered by the Designated 
National Authority.  
Key parameters required to implement this standard are the variety descriptors, the genetic purity of the 
seed sown, the field and laboratory requirements and the post -control tests.  
4.2 Eligible varieties  
4.2.1 Varieties eligible for seed certification shall be those that have been examined, tested and registered 
in the national list of varieties/variety catalogue.  
4.2.2 The national seed certification authority shall keep the official descriptors of the varieties in hard and 
electronic copies.  
 
4.3 Application for seed field Inspection  
4.3.1 registered growers will make applications for seed field inspection to the certification Authority by 
filling in the prescribed form;  
 The minimum information for an application for certification of a cucurbit  seed field shall include the 
following:  
a) name, address and contact details of the seed grower;  
b) crop and variety to be sown;  
c) physical location;  
d) area and reference number of the field, and its cropping history for the past two cropping seasons;  
e) class of seed to be produced; and  
f) registration number of the seed grower  
g) proof of origin of the seed planted.  
4.3.2 Information and records related to the previous cropping history, origin of seed planted, and field 
inspections shall be kept and used for certification to ensure full traceability of quality, genetic identity  
 and purity of the seed harvested.  
4.3.3 The inspection of seed crops shall be done in accordance with OECD Seed Schemes; Guidelines 
for Control Plot Tests and Field Inspection of Seed Crops.  
4.3.4 The seed lot shall be sampled and tested in an official or authorized laboratory. The sampling and 
testing of seed lots shall be done in accordance with the relevant procedures described in the ISTA 
rules.  
4.3.5 A seed lot that conforms to the requirements set out in Table 3 shall be given a seed test certificate 
and a unique reference number to confirm its status under the certification scheme. One part of the seed 
sample shall be retained for sowing in a post -control plot in the next season, or earlier if that can be 
achiev ed 
4.4 Seed classes  
For the purpose of this standard, the following classes of seed shall apply:  
• Breeders seed  
• Prebasic  
• Basic seed  
• certified seed: -C1-  1st generation  
▪ C2-2nd generation  
• Standard seed  
5 Field  requirements 5.1 The crop shall not be planted  on land on which  the preceding  crop was of the same  
family.  
 
5.2 Isolation distance between crops of the same species shall be not less than  OPV ( Open pollinated 
varieties )   basic 1000 , CI 500 metres for basic seed  and 200 metres for certified Wild plants of the 
same species with the seed crop in and  around  the field shall be eradicated.  Hybrid is 1500 meters for  
basic .  C1 =1000  
 
 
5.3 Fields designated for production of any certified class shall have no fruits removed  for marketing  
purposes.  
 
 
 1  
 DKS 691: 2023 
 
5.4 Rogueing of distinct off -type plants shall be at or before flowering.  The maximum limits for off -type 
plants,  before  a crop intended  for seed  production  is rejected,  shall be as indicated  in Table  2. 
 
 
Table  2 — Maximum  limits  for off -types  
 
Sl no  Seed  class  Limits  for off-types  
i) Basic  seed  % max.  ( Br, pbr, b)  0.0 
 
ii)  
Certified  seed  ( C1, C2, Standard)   
 a) Water -melon,  % max.  1 
 b) Karela,  cucumber,  gourds,  % 
max.  3 
 c) Courgette,  pumpkin,  % max.  2 
 
6.Pest and diseases requirements  
3.1.1  Basic seed crop shall be free from seed borne diseases. Certified seed  crop shall not  have  more  
than 0.2 % plants  infested  with Anthrocnose  (Colletotrichum  lagenarium ) and/or  scab  (Cladospeorium  
cucumerium ). 
3.1.2  Basic seed certified seed shall be free from Pseudomenae lachrymans,  and/or cucumber mosaic 
virus.  
3.1.3   
 
 7 .laboratory  requirements  
 
Certified  seeds  for planting  shall comply  with the requirements  in Table  3. 
 
 
Table  3 — Laboratory requirements for  cucurbits  vegetable  seeds  
 
Sl 
n
o Factor  Requirements/limits  
Basic   
 
i)  
Purity   
a) Pure  seed,  % min.  
98 
  
 
  b) Inert matter,  % max.  2.0  
 
  c) Seed  of other  varieties  by number,  % 
max.  0.0  
  d) Other  crop seed,  % max.   
0.0  
  e) Weed  seed,  % max.  0.0  
 
ii) Germinatio  All others % min,  75  
 n 
 
   
cucumber –  % min   
 80  
iii)  Moisture  content,  % max ( For all cucurbit 
vegetables) . 9 
 
 
 
2 KEBS  2007  — All rights  reserved   
 DKS 691: 2023 
8 Certificates  
8.1 The seed test certificate for a seed lot shall be issued by the national seed certification authority .  
8.2This certificate shall be valid for a period of 9 months.  
8.3 Carryover seed shall be re -sampled and retested for germination upon expiry of the validity period of 
certification. If the test result complies with the minimum requirements, a new test certificate shall be 
issued for the seed lot, which cancels the previ ously issued certificate and shall include  reference to 
previously certified seed lot.  
 
 
9Environment  
 
Cucurbit  seed  shall be produced  and handled  in an environment  complying  with the stipulations  of the 
Environmental Management and Co -ordination Act (EMCA) of the Laws of Kenya and in addition  
conforming  to modern  production  technological  practices.  
 
 
10 Packaging and labelling  
10.1 All classes of seed that have been certified shall be packaged and labelled in accordance with 
prevailing national regulation s. 
10.2 If seeds are treated with any chemical or product harmful for human or animal consumption, the 
container shall carry a label stating the chemical or product used and warning of the health risks.  
10.3 The labels shall be prominent, indelible, legible ,uniquely serialized and fixed to the package by an 
authorized person in such a way that they cannot be destroyed or easily removed.  
10.4 The minimum labelling requirements shall include:  
i. name of the crop  
ii. species (Latin name);  
iii. variety name;  
iv. seed lot number;  
v. net weight;  
vi. seed treatment declaration (if applicable);  
         vi. logo of the national designated authority;  
        vii. name and address of certifying authority;  
       viii. seed class;   
          ix) germination percentage  
         x) percentage purity  
        xi) . name and address of the registered seed company under the provisions as stipulated by the 
National    designated authority  
 
        x. statement of re -packing and re -labelling (if applicable)  
      xi. statement stating “Not for human and animal consumption”.  
xii) A  declaration  shall  be made  on the genetic  modification  status  of the seeds  
 
Note : the label may also contain other information such as the test certificate number and the date of test 
where applicable  
10.5 All containers/bags shall be sealed in such a way that if they are opened illegally, that violation can 
be detected.  
10.6 Repackaging and relabeling are authorized in the following cases:  
a) the national seed certification authority may authorize the re -packaging and re -labelling of a 
particular seed lot that is produced in another country, but shall retain the original label information 
of the producing country; and  
blending of a seed lot with other lots of the same variety and class (generation) is allowable if all seed lots 
of the blend have met the field and laboratory requirements for certification prior to blending. A new lot 
number shall be issued. Details of th e blended lots and their proportions shall be kept by the certifying 
authority for traceability  
 
 
11 Post -control tests  
The Post control tests shall be carried out in accordance with OECD Schemes for Varietal Certification or 
the Control of Seed Moving in the International Trade  
 
12 Sampling  and testing  
Sampling  and tests  shall  be carried  out in accordance  with the current  International  Seed  Testing  
Association  (ISTA)  procedures  and as  prescribed  by the seeds  and plant  varieties  act. 
 
 
KEBS  2023 — All rights  reserved  
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Annex  1 
 
 
Informative annex.  
 
Images of the cucurbit vegetables  
 
 
Bitter gourd (karela)  Memordica charantia  
 
 
 
 
 
Bottle gourd (dudhi)  Lagenaria siceraria  
 
 
 
 
 
Courgette/marrow/squash/ Zuccini  Cucurbita pepo and C, moschata  
 
 
 
 
  
 
Cucumber/gherkin  Cucumis sativus  
 
 
 
 
Sweet Melon/cantaloupe  Cucumis melon  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pumpkin  Cucurbit maximum  
 
 
 
 
 
Ridge gourd (turia/gizoda)  Luffa acutangula  
 
 
  
 
Round gourd (tinda)  Citrullus lunatus  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Water -melon  Citrullus lunatus