If you have questions about individual seed growers or seed lots for Oregon or any other state, we recommend contacting your local state certification agency. The Oregon Seed Certification Service and other state Seed Certification Agencies are an invaluable source for information which may save you a great deal of money. The use of healthy seed is essential for good yields and quality. Be absolutely certain that the seed you are using is relatively free of major diseases and pests. As a general rule, use only certified seed.
Certified seed is inspected by professionals and considered to meet certain strict standards.
For example, certification almost invariably prohibits the known presence of bacterial ring rot, rootknot nematodes and certain other diseases which can lead to devastating crop losses. Strictly enforced tolerances have been established for other lesser pests and diseases. Certification is not a guarantee of quality. Certification reports typically emphasize what is seen during visual field inspections. Diseases present at low levels during inspection may go unobserved, increase dramatically before harvest, and lead to seed tuber infection levels far beyond tolerances.