DEAS 1037 : 2020 
ICS nn.nnn.nn  
 
© EAC 2020                                                                                                                              1st Edition 2020   
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Millet seed  — Requirements for certification   
 DEAS 1037 : 2020 
ii © EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS 1037 : 2020 
© EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ............... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
4.2 Specific field requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  4 
5 Laboratory requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  5 
6 Certificates  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  5 
7 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
8 Methods of sampling and testing  ................................ ............................ Error! Bookmark not defined.  
9 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ .....Error! Bookmark not defined.  
Annex  B (informative)  Seed crop declaration form  ................................ ........... Error! Bookmark not defined.  
B.1 Field declaration data ................................ ................................ ................ Error! Bookmark not defined.  
Annex C  (Normative)  Seed tes t certificate  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 8 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  9 
 DEAS 1037 : 2020 
iv © EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality  of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that are encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established  an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of representatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representative of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft  East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments received are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards. XXXXXX.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the sta ndards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible  for this document is Technical Committee EASC /TC 012, Seed and propagation 
materials . 
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be subject of patent 
rights.  EAC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1037 : 2020  
 
© EAC 2020  – All rights rese rved 1 
 Millet  seeds  — Requirements for certification  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African Standard specifies the certification requirements for pre -basic, basic and certified seed 
of finger millet seeds (Eleucine coracana  L.) It includes requirements for eligible varieties, field standards, field 
inspections, seed sampling, laboratory standards, certificates, packaging and labelling, and post -control tests . 
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 referenced do cument (including any amendments) applies.  
International Seed Testing Association (ISTA ) Rules  
OECD, Seed Schemes; Guidelines for Control Plot Tests and Field Inspection of Seed Crops  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this standard, the terms an d definitions given in ISTA, UPOV and OECD apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1  
previous cropping  
minimum number of growing seasons that elapse between the production of a crop of the same species in a  
field and the production of a crop entered in the certification scheme in the same field  
3.2  
isolation  
minimum distance betwee n a field of millet seeds and any other millet  seed of the same species that  is 
required to prevent contamination  
3.3  
seed producer  
person or entity registered to produce seed  
3.4  
inspector  
official belonging to a quality control department responsible f or performing field control and sampling of seeds  
3.5  
label  
tag or other device that is attached to seeds or that accompanies any lot of bulk seed and which describes the  
kind of seed and any other required information   
2 © EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  
 3.6  
previous cropping  
minimum numbe r of growing seasons that elapses between the production of a crop of the same species in a  
field and the production of a crop entered in the certification scheme in the same field  
3.7  
seed certification agency  
recognized agency responsible for the certif ication of seed  
3.8  
off-type 
plant of the same species which does not exhibit the recognised and accepted habit and characteristics of the  
variety being grown  
3.9  
variety registration  
recording of a new variety in a national variety catalogue /national va riety list  when it has been tested and 
satisfied the  requirements for distinctness, uniformity, stability, and has value for cultivation and use  
3.10  
roguing  
removal of off -types and diseased plants or any other unwanted plant from a seed crop if they may  reduce the  
quality of the harvested seed  
3.11  
roguing  
removal of off -types and diseased plants or any other unwanted plant from a seed crop if they may reduce the 
quality of the harvested crop  
3.12  
seed certification  
quality assurance system whereby see d is subjected to official control and inspection  
3.13  
seed lot  
defin ed quantity/number of millet  seed bearing the same reference number and for which the origin,  
production history and identity is known  
3.15 
stability  
condition of a variety distinguishin g characteristics to remain unchanged after repeated growing cycles  
3.16  
other seeds  
seeds of any plant species other than that of the crop sample that is being tested. They consist of weed seeds 
and other crop seeds  
3.17  
parental material  
population or lines used by a breeder to maintain a variety  
3.18  
person  
natural person or legal entity  
3.19  
post -control plot  
small plot where a representative sample of a seed lot is grown to determine the identity and purity of the 
variety and to check if the seed c ertification system is operating satisfactorily   
© EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  3 
 3.20 
pure seed  
species stated by an applicant, or found to predominate in a test, and includes all botanical varieties and 
cultivars of that species, including intact seeds and pieces of seed units larger tha n one -half their original size   
4 Abbreviated terms  
— DUS: Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability  
— ISTA: International Seed Testing Association  
— OECD: Organization for Economic Co -operation and Development  
— VCU: Value for Cultivation and Use  
5 Seed clas ses 
For the purpose of this standard, the following classes of seed shall apply:  
a) Pre-basic seed;  
b) Basic seed; and  
c) Certified seed:  
i. 1st generation (C1); and  
ii. 2nd generation (C2).  
6 Requirements  
6.1 Eligible varieties  
6.1.1  Varieties eligible for seed certifica tion shall be those that have been examined, tested and registered 
in at list one member country of the EAC and are included in the national list of varieties/national variety 
catalogue. The country adopting the variety shall test it for at least one seaso n 
6.1.2  The national seed certification authority shall keep the official descriptor of the varieties in hard and 
electronic copies.  
6.2 Application for certification  
6.2.1  The minimum information for an application for certification of a seed crop shall i nclude 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; an d  
4 © EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  
 f) registration number of the seed grower.  
6.2.2  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 identit y and 
purity of the seed harvested.  
7 Field inspection  
7.1 The national seed certification authority shall prepare the inspections’ schedule for the inspectors, 
based on all necessary information on the application form, to ensure that the timing of inspec tions allows the 
standards in Table 1 to be properly assessed.  
7.2 The inspector shall inspect the field in accordance with OECD seed schemes and shall check for 
isolation requirements, off types, the presence of noxious weeds and diseases.  
7.3 A minimum o f two (2) inspections shall be done for each seed production field to check if the field 
standards specified in Table 1 are met.  
7.4 At the time of the first inspection, the inspector shall confirm with the grower the previous cropping of 
the field, checki ng on isolation, and the proof of origin/authentication of the variety planted by usi ng the labels.  
7.5 Depending on the degree of contamination, the inspector may give instructions for off -types and 
diseased plants to be rogued. In case of noxio us weeds f ound in the field, the grower shall be instructed to 
remove the weeds before final inspection  in the field . 
7.6 The field inspection report shall indicate the field status and comments for any corrective actions 
required such as re -inspection t o confirm th e field standards. All field inspection reports shall be provided to 
the grower after each inspection in a timely manner. The field inspection report in Annex B shall be signed by 
both the inspector and the grower or the grower’s representative.  
8 Field requirements  
8.1 Pre basic and basic seed shall be produced under the responsibility of the breeder or maintainer . 
8.2 Certified seed shall be produced for up to a maximum of 2 generations . 
8.3 For hybrid seed, certified seeds shall be produced from one gene ration .  
8.4 The national certification authority shall inspect and certify the production of pre -basic, basic and 
certified seed crops . 
8.4 A fiel d producing a seed crop of millet  shall be approved for certification if it complies with the 
requirements in  Table 1.  
Table 1 — Field requirements for millet  seeds  
Species  Category  Previous  
cropping  
(number of  
season)  Isolation  
, m, min. Off types, 
%, max. Plant affected 
by seed born 
disease  
%, max*2  
Finger millet  Pre-basic seeds  2 3 10 1 0.1 
Basic seeds  2 5 1  
Certified  2 5 6 0.5  
© EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  5 
  
9 Laboratory requirements  
9.1 The harvested seed from the field approved for certification shall be kept as an identified unit until 
processing. After processing, a sample shall be submitted to laboratory for testing where a c onformed sample 
shall be given a certificate with a unique lot number for the purpose of tracking and sampling.  
9.2 The maximum size of a seed lot for certification purposes is 30 000 kg; lot s larger than this shall be 
divided and given separate lot number s. 
9.3 A seed sampler shall draw a representative sample from each lo t according to the ISTA rules.  
9.4 The submitted sample shall be divided into three sub -samples, one for testing in the laboratory, one to  
be stored for reference purposes in case re -testing is necessary, and one for the post -control tests. The 
samples shall be marked with the same identification as the seed lot, securely sealed and shall be stored in 
cool and dry conditions to prevent contamination and loss of germination.  
9.5 Laboratorie s authorized by the national seed certification authority to conduct seed testing for 
certification shall follow the methodology established in the ISTA rules for millet  seed.  
9.6 The seed lots shall comply with the laboratory standards specified in Table 2. 
9.7 A seed lot that conforms to the standards set out in Table 2 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 
sampleshall be retained for sowing in a post -control plot in the next season, or earlier if that can be.  
Table 2 — Laboratory requirements  for millet seed  
s/n Parameter  pre-basic 
seed  Basic 
seed  Certified 
seed  
i.  Pure seed, %, min . 97 97 97 
ii.  Inert mater %,  max. 2.6 2.6 2.6 
iii.  Other seeds  %, max , max. .0.4 0.4 0.4 
iv.  Germination, %, min . 75 75 75 
v.  Moisture, %, max . 12 12 12 
vi.  Ergot (Claviceps spp) , 100m2, max. 0 0 0 
vii.  Head blight , 100m2, max. 1 1 1 
viii.  Head smut , 100m2, max. 0 0 0 
ix.  Finger millet blast (Pyricularia grisea), 
100m2, max. 1 1 1 
 
10 Certif icates  
10.1 Imported millet seeds lot shall have required certificates including certificate of origin, phytosanitary 
certificate and test certificate . 
10.2 For locally produced seed, the test certificate shall be issued upon compliance with field and labo ratory  
requirements . 
10.3 Test certificate shall be valid for a period of six months .  
6 © EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  
 10.4 After the expiring of the validity of the certificate the seeds shall be re -sampled and retested for 
germination. If the test result complies with the minimum standa rds, a new test certificate shall be issued for 
the seed lot, which cancels the previously issued certificate, and shall include the lot number of the cancelled 
certificate.  
10.5 The test certificate shall indicate at least the result of the purity and ger mination test and date of the 
test. 
10.6 Issuing of certificates shall be in accordance to ISTA rules . 
11 Packaging and labelling  
11.1 All classes of seed that have been certified shall be packaged in new containers which shall be marked 
with the company n ame and crop species and shall have  the official label of the national seed certification 
authority.  
11.2 The labels for each class are identified by the following colours:  
a) Pre-basic seed: Violet band on white ; 
b) Basic seed: White ; 
c) Certified 1 Seed : Blue ; and 
d) Certified 2nd seed: Red . 
11.3 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.  
11.4 The labels shall be prom inent  and fixed to the containers by an authorized person in such a way that 
they cannot b e destroyed or easily removed. The labelling shall be indelible, and legibly marked on the 
containers with the following information : 
a) front label:  
i. name of the crop, ― millet seed‖;  
ii. species (scientific name);  
iii. variety denomination;  
iv. seed lot number;  
v. test certificate number;  
vi. date of test;  
vii. net weight; and  
viii. seed treatment declaration (if applicable ). 
b) back label:  
i. logo of the national certification authority;  
ii. name and address of  certifying authority;  
iii. seed class;   
© EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  7 
 iv. date of test  and country of production; and  
v. statement of re -packing and re -labelling (if applicable).  
11.5 All containers/bags shall be closed either by hand or machine stitching and shall be sealed in such a 
way that if they are opened illegally, that violation can be detected.  
11.6 Repackaging and relabelling 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 pr oduced in another country, but shall retain the original label information of the 
producing country; and  
b) 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 lab oratory requirements for certification prior to blending. A 
new lot number shall be issued. Details of the blended lots and their proportions shall be kept by the 
certifying authority for traceability.  
12 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 .  
8 © EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  
 Annex C  
(Normative)  
 
Seed test certificate  
This certificate is issued for a seed lot which has satisfied all the requirements of the certification scheme  
Previously issued certificate number..............  Certificate No. ………….  Standard: .................  
APPLICANT INFORMATION  
Seed Lot Reference  Number  Species and  Variety  Class  Weight of lot  Number of  
containers  
     
Name of t esting laboratory:  Test number:  
ANALYSIS RESULTS  
Purity  Germination  Moisture  
content,%  Pure  
seed, 
% Inert 
matter, 
% Other  
crop 
seeds , 
% Weed  
seeds per 
kg Normal  
seedlings  Abnormal  
seedlings  Fresh  seeds  Hard  
seeds  Dead  
seeds  
          
Kind of inert m atter:  
Kind of other crop seeds:  
Kind of weed seeds:  
Other determinations  Statement of packaging and re -labelling: (if  
applicable)  
 
 
National Seed Certification Authority  
Signature ………………………………………………………………….  
Place and date ………………………………………………………… …  
© EAC 2020  – All rights reserved  9 
 Biblio graphy  
RS 275 -2: 2015 , Seeds — Requirements for certification — Part 2: Rice  
 WD/TC/018/004: 2020    
 
© EAC 2020 – All rights reserved