DEAS 1035 : 2020  
ICS 65.020.20  
 
© EAC 2021                                                                                                                              First Edition 2021  
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Banana  seeds  — Requirements for certification   
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS 1035 : 2021 
ii © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS 1035 : 2021 
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Classes of banana seed  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  3 
5 Categories of banana seed  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  3 
6 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  3 
6.1 Eligible varieties  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .... 3 
5.2 Application for certification  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  43 
5.3 Field inspection  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 4 
5.4 Specific requirements  for banana seed (nurseries and field) ................................ ...........................  4 
6 Size of the suckers and plantlets  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  6 
5 Certificates  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  6 
6 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
7 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  6 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  7 
 DEAS 1035 : 2021 
iv © EAC 2021 – 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, pri vate 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.  
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 al ways have the latest versions of the standards 
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 d ocument 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 1035 : 2021 
 
© EAC 2020 – All rights reserved  1 
 Banana  seed  — Requirements for certification  
1 Scope   
This Working Draft East African  Standard specifies the requirements for certif ication for banana ( Musa spp) 
seed . 
It applies to tissue culture, macro -propagation and conventionally produced planting materials . 
 
Draft East African Standard specifies the certification requirements 
for pre -basic, basic and certified seed of banana ( Musa L. species). 
It includes requirements for tissue culture, macro -propagation and 
conventionally produced planting materials categories,  eligible 
varieties, application for certification, s pecific nurse ries and field 
requirements, field inspection, size of  the suckers and plantlets, 
certificates, packaging, labelling, and p ost-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 document (including any amendments) applies.  
International Seed Testing Association ISTA Rules  
OECD Schemes for Varietal Certification or the Control of Seed Moving in the International Trade . 
Rwanda :  
The provided references to be deleted and find applicable references There are no normative references in 
this document.  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the follow ing terms and definitions 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   
2 © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 3.1  
seed  
part of pl ant which is or is intended to be used for propagation and includes any true seed, any vegetative 
material including seedling, corm, cutting, bulb, bulbil, layer, marcott, root, runner, scion, set, split, stem, stock, 
stump, sucker or tuber so used or inte nded to be so used  
3.3  
previous cropping  
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  
3.4  
isolation  
distance or ti me between two crops of banana that is required to prevent contamination either mechanically or 
by cross pollination  
3.5  
seed producer  
person or entity registered to produce seed  
3.6  
inspector  
authorized official responsible for carrying out field and se ed inspections for certification purposes  
3.7  
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  
3.8  
seed certification agency  
national auth ority responsible for the certification of seed  
3.9  
off-type 
plant of the same species which does not exhibit the recognised and accepted habit and characteristics of the  
variety being grown  
3.10  
variety registration  
recording of a new variety in a natio nal variety catalogue /national variety list  when it has been tested and 
satisfied the  requirements for distinctness, uniformity, stability, and has value for cultivation and use  
3.11  
basic seed  
plantlet from tissue culture certified planting material: pla nting material from pre-basic seed and propagated 
through macro -propagation or conventional method  
3.12 
seed certification  
quality assurance system whereby seed is subjected to official control and inspection  
3.13  
seed lot  
defined quantity/number of banan a seed bearing the same reference number , origin,  production history and 
identity   
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  3 
 3.14  
stability  
condition of a variety distinguishing characteristics to remain unchanged after repeated growing cycles  
3.15  
production cycle  
period which elapse from the time of planting  to the harvesting of the first bunch or period between two 
subsequent harvest s 
3.16  
seed from tissue culture  
plantlets produced through micro -propagation (in vitro multiplication) which have been hardened in the screen 
house  
3.17  
macro -propagation  
mass multiplication using large plant parts (corms, part of shoot) where the apical dominance is removed to 
induce the growth of multiple lateral shoots  
3.18  
micro -propagation   
multiplication using small shoots and plant growth hormones under la boratory conditions, to induce multiple 
lateral shoot and root formation  
3.19  
suckers  
lateral shoot that develops from the rhizome and usually emerges close to the parent plant under conventional 
conditions  
4 Classes of banana seed  
For the purpose of this  standard, the following classes of seed shall apply:  
a) pre-basic seed;  
b) basic seed; and  
c) certified seed.  
5 Categories of banana seed  
For the purpose of this standards the following categories of banana seed  shall apply : 
a) tissue culture plantlets;  
b) macr o-propagation plantlets; and  
c) suckers.  
6 Requirements  
6.1 Eligible varieties  
6.1.1 Varieties eligible for seed certification shall be those that have been registered  in at least one-member 
country of the EAC  in the national list of varieties/national variet y catalogue . The country adopting the variety 
shall test it for at least one season .  
4 © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 6.1.2 The national seed certification authority shall keep the official descriptor of the varieties it has 
registered in hard and electronic copies and these shall be made  available within EAC on request . 
5.2 Application for certification  
5.2.1 The minimum information for an application for certification of a seed crop shall include the following:  
a) name, address and contact details of the banana seed grower /producer ; 
b) crop an d variety to be sown;  
c) physical location;  
d) area and reference number of the field /screen house , and its cropping history for the past two 
cropping seasons;  
e) class of seed to  be produced;  
f) registration number of the seed grower ; 
g) proof of origin of the seed to be planted; and  
h) date of planting.  
5.2.2 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 identity and 
purity of the planting material obtained . 
5.3 Field inspection  
5.3.1 Starting material for each category shall be from certified planting materials and the producer shall 
keep all records for the traceability of the origin of the starting materials . 
5.3.2 All the categories (tissue culture and macro propagated plantlets, and conventional suckers) of 
banana planting materials shall be inspected and certified by the national certification authority 
before their distribution . 
5.3.3 For conventional suckers two inspections in field are necessary – at 3-4 months after planting and 
when plants have bunches (near to be harvested). The field producing conventional planting materials shall be 
re-inspected and re -certified on an annual basis . The cultural condition s (isolation, off -type, pests and 
diseases)  of the conventional field and the stage of development of the crop shall be such as to permit varietal 
identity and varietal purity and health status to be adequately checked.  
5.3.4 For macro -propagation and tissue c ulture  plantlets , at least one inspection will be conducted in the 
nurseries to check on general plant vigour , pests/ diseases  and genetic purity . 
5.3.5 The inspector shall inspect the banana plantlets  in the nurseries,  in accordance with the protocols  
and guidelines of the  EAC Partner S tates. 
5.4 Specific requirements  for banana seed  (nurseries and field ) 
Field  for the production of banana  seeds shall comply with minimum requirements as specified in Table 1.  
    
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  5 
 Table 1  — Nurseries/field requirement s for ba nana seed   
S/N Variables   
 Standard for each class  
Macro -propagation : 
nurseries  Tissue culture 
(basic/Foundation ): 
nurseries  Conventional 
suckers 
(Certified) : field 
i.  Minimum number of 
cropping seasons  Does not apply  Does not apply  2 seasons  
ii.  Isolatio n distance, m , 
min. 2 2 500 
iii.  Pure living clones , true-
to-type variety , %, (by 
number) , min. 98 95  98.0  
iv.  Weevils and nematode , 
%, max.   0 0 2  
v.  Banana bacterial wilt,  
Fusarium wilt ( Panama 
disease ) Absent  Absent  Absent  
vi.  Black  sigatoka, yellow 
sigatoka  and cigar end 
rot Absent  Absent  Absent  
vii.  Banana bunchy top 
virus, banana bract 
mosaic virus, banana 
streak virus   Absent  Absent  Absent  
  
6 © EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  
 6 Size of the suckers and plantlets  
The diameter at the base of the banana seed sucker shall be of range from a min imum of 5.0 to a maximum of 
15.0 cm.  
The diameter of the tissue culture and macro -propagated seed should be 4 -6 cm at the collar region, with 
about 3 to 4 leaves . 
5 Certificates  
5.1 Banana seed lot shall have required certificates including certificate of o rigin, phyto -sanitary certificate 
and inspection  certificate  for compliance . 
5.2 For locally produced seed, the  inspection  certificate shall be issued upon compliance with field /nursery  
requirements . 
5.3 Inspection certificate shall be valid for a period o f six months.  
5.4 After the expiring of the validity of the certificate the seeds shall be re-inspected  for diseases . If the test 
result complies with the minimum standards, a new inspection  certificate shall be issued for  the seed lot, 
which cancels the p reviously issued certificate, and shall include the certificate number of the  cancelled  
inspection . 
6 Packaging  
Banana  seeds may be packaged in containers that preserve the quality of the seeds . 
7 Labelling  
Banana seed  shall be labelled  or accompanied by d ocuments providing the following information:  
a) variety;  
b) category as tissue culture, macro -propagation plantlets or suckers;  
c) reference number of lot;  
d) number planting materials ; 
e) identification of the producer ; and  
f) country of production . 
  
© EAC 2021 – All rights reserved  7 
 Bibliography  
International Seed Testing Association ISTA Rules  
OECD Schemes for Varietal Certification or the Control of Seed Moving in the International Trade.  
UPOV , International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants  
 WD/TC/018/006 : 2020    
 
© EAC 2020 – All rights reserved