First, the breeder plants the new variety and selects mature heads that appear completely normal in every respect with the varietal characteristics. These seeds are considered a head row, and represents one parent plant from the previous year. All the plants in the head rows are evaluated collectively and individually, and the entire row is discarded if any abnormalities are seen. Uniformity is critical to the success of a variety. Remaining head rows are harvested and the seeds combined to become the following year's breeder seed, which when harvested, yields foundation seed.
Certified seed is sold to growers for typical production and processing.
The process from choosing the original seeds from the new variety through certification takes at least five years, Vaughn said. Numerous standards and inspections, both in the field and in the lab, must be met to ensure the genetic purity of the new variety. As researchers, our goal is to release the best variety, but there can be some factors that likely will be encountered under large-scale production that were not encountered in small plot research before it was released. With time, other aspects of a variety's strengths and weaknesses may show up. When Lemont was introduced, it took some time for growers and processors to learn its characteristics and take advantage of its potential.