KENYA  STANDARD  DKS 1170:  2023 
ICS 65.020.20  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Seed  for brassica  vegetable  crops  — 
Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
© KEBS  2023 Third Edition  2010  
 
 KS 1170:  2023  
 
TECHNICAL  COMMITTEE  REPRESENTATION  
 
The following  organizations  were  represented  on the Technical  Committee:  
 
Kenya  Seed  Company  
Seed  Trade  Association  of Kenya  (STAK)  
Institute  of Packaging  
Consumer  Information  Network  
Kenya  Plant  Health  Inspectorate  Service(KEPHIS)  
Kenya  Organic  Agriculture  Network  
Kenya Agricultural Research Institute  
Horticultural  Crops  Development  Authority  
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  Standards 
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 1170:  
2023 
ICS 65.020.20  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Seed  for brassica  vegetable  crops  — 
Specification  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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  
P.O. Box 99376,  Mombasa -80100  P.O. Box 2949,  Kisumu -40100  P.O. Box 2138,  Nakuru -20100  
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Fax: (+254  041) 229448  Fax: (+254  057) 21814   
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 © KEBS  2023 — All rights  reserved  iii  
 KS 1170:  2023 
Foreword  
 
This Kenya Standard was  prepared by the Propagation Materials Technical Committee under the 
guidance of  the Standards  Projects  Committee,  and it is in accordance  with the procedures  of the Kenya  
Bureau  of Standards.  
 
The revision of this standard has been necessitated by the need to incorporate new developments in 
the seed  industry.  
 
This standard specifies minimum field requirements in seed production and seed quality. It is subject to 
the provisions  of the Seed  and Plant  Varieties Act,  Cap. 326  and the regulations  that may be framed  
thereof.  
 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was made to the following 
documents:  The Seeds  and Plant Varieties Act,  Cap. 326  of the Laws  
of Kenya.  
Minimum  seed  certification  standard,  United  States.  
International Crop Improvement Association, 
Publication No. 21.  OECD  Schemes  for seed  
certification.  
Acknowledgement  is hereby  made  for the assistance  derived  from these  sources.  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
iv © KEBS  2023— All rights  reserved   
  
KENYA  STANDARD  DKS 1170:  
2023 
 
Seed  for brassica  vegetable  crops  — Requirements for certification  
1 Scope  
 
1.  
This Kenya  standard  prescribes the  requirements  for certification of  seeds  for 
Brassica  vegetable crops that are locally produced or imported . 
 
This standard  applies to seeds  of the vegetables  in the Brassica  family  given  in Table  1. 
 
 
 
Table  1 — Genus  — Brassica  
 
Sl no Common  name  Botanical  name  
i) Cabbage  Brassica  oleracea  var capitata  
ii) Cauliflower  Brassica  oleracisa  var botrytis  
iii) Kales  Brassica  oleracia  var acephala  
iv) Brussels  Sprouts  Brassica  oleracia  var gemmifera  
v) Broccoli  Brassica  oleracia  var italica  
 
2 Terms and Definitions  
 
The terms and definitions in KS 790 shall apply  
 
  
 
3 Requirements  
 
General  field  requirements  
4.1 General  
The seed companies and the seed growers of  brassica  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  
 
5.0 Field requirements   
  
5.1 The crop shall not be planted on land on which the same kind of crop or any other cole crop  was grown  
in the previous  two seasons,  unless  the seeds  of the previous  crop were  certified.  
 
5.2 An isolation distance of not less than 500 m shall be provided all around a seed field to separate it  from 
fields of other varieties crops, other varieties and fields of the same variety from which no seed  production is 
intended. This distance can be disregarded if there is sufficient protection from undesirable  pollen  sources  
and seed  borne diseases.  
 
5.3 Off type plants shall be rouged at or before flowering.  Maximum off type plants allowed for certified  and 
commercial  seed  shall  be 0.1 %. Basic  seed  crop shall  be required  to be practically  free of off types.  
 
1) Glossary  of terms  for seeds.  
© KEBS  2010  — All rights  reserved  1  
 KS 1170:  2010  
 
5.4 At least  two inspections  shall  be made.  
 
6.0 Specific  field  quality  requirements  
 
The minimum  requirements  for producing  seed  of Brassica  crops  shall  be as given  in Table  2. 
 
Table  2 — Specific  field  quality  requirements  
 
Sl no Factor  Maximum  permitted  
  Basic  seed  (%) Certified  seed  (%) 
i) Plants  affected  by seed  borne  
diseases  0.0 0.1 
ii Off-types  0.0 0.1 
    
 
7.0 Seed  quality  requirements  
 
Seeds  shall  comply  with the requirements  given  in Table  3. 
 
Table  3 — Seed  quality  requirements  for brassica  vegetable  seeds  
 
Sl no Factor  Requirements  for 
all seed classes  
A Purity  Percentage ,%  
i) Pure  seed  m/m,%,  min. 97 
ii) Inert matter  m/m,  %, max.  1 
iii) Other  crop seed,  m/m,  %, max.  1 
iv) Objectionable  weed  seeds  m/m,  %, max.  0.3 
B Germination  capacity,  percentage  by count   
i) Cabbage  75 
ii) Cauliflower  70 
iii) Kales  70 
iv) Brussels  sprouts  75 
v) Broccoli  75 
C Moisture  content,  max,  m/m,  % 10 
 
 
8.0 Brassica vegetables Seed disease  requirements  
 
Request table for diseases from KEPHIS   
 
9.0 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.  
 
  
 9   Environment  
 
Brassica seed  shall be produced  and handled  in an environment  complying  with the stipulations  
of the Environmental Management and Co -ordination Act (EMCA)  Cap 387  of the Laws of 
Kenya and in addition  conforming  to modern  production  technological  practices.  
 
 
 
2 © KEBS  2010  — All rights  reserved  
  
 
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  
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 laboratory 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 tr aceability  
 
 
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. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
2) Name  of the chemical.  
 
© KEBS  2010  — All rights  reserved  3