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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Plant and Seed Analysis (PSA) Laboratory provides comprehensive seed and plant testing services to support both public and regulatory needs. Our work ensures high-quality seed, protects Minnesota’s agricultural resources, and helps prevent the spread of plant pests and noxious weeds.
External (Public) Seed Testing
The MDA-PSA Lab offers fee-based testing for a variety of seeds, including germination, purity, noxious weed seeds (state, national, or regional), Tetrazolium, and seed count. Individuals and organizations can review the Seed Fee Schedule and Submission Form and are encouraged to contact us in advance to confirm availability and submission details at mda.seed.service@state.mn.us.
Internal Regulatory Testing
The lab also supports Minnesota’s regulatory programs to maintain safe and healthy plant systems:
- Minnesota Seed Regulatory Program (SRP): Conducts purity exams, germination testing, and noxious weed screening.
- Noxious and Invasive Weed Program: Performs genetic testing to identify noxious weeds down to the species level.
- Export Certification: Provides testing to verify that plants and seeds meet import requirements of other countries and are free of plant pests.
- Surveys for Plant Diseases: Supports early detection of national, regional, and state pests by testing for bacteria, fungi, viruses, oomycetes, and phytoplasmas using advanced techniques such as microscopy, selective culturing, ImmunoStrips, ELISA, PCR, qPCR, and sequencing.
- Nursery Certification and Plant Regulation: Tests samples collected during nursery inspections to ensure compliance with state plant health standards.
Representative Seed Sampling
A representative sample must be collected for each seed lot, as the accuracy of any analysis depends on the quality of the submitted sample. To ensure the sample truly represents the seed lot equal portions should be taken from multiple, evenly distributed locations. Full access to all parts of the seed lot is essential for obtaining a representative sample.
The American Association of Seed Control Officials (AASCO), an organization of seed regulatory officials from the U.S. and Canada, publishes the Handbook on Seed Sampling. This handbook provides methods, guidelines, and equipment recommendations for both regulatory and industry applications to ensure uniform seed sampling for laboratory testing.
AASCO also offers a training program and certification to verify that seed samplers can effectively follow proper sampling procedures and understand the basic principles of the Federal Seed Act.
For additional questions about representative seed sampling, contact the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Seed Regulatory Program.
Submitting and Shipping Samples
A specific sample bag is not required, though the MDA-PSA Lab can supply sample bags upon request by emailing mda.seed.service@state.mn.us. If you don’t have an MDA-PSA sample bag, use zip-top bags and double bag the sample to prevent leaks or contamination.
Recommended Sample Weights
| Seed Type | Minimum Weight (recommended) |
|---|---|
| Grass Seed, Alsike Clover, White Clover, or seeds not larger than those | 60 grams |
| Alfalfa, crimson clover, red clover, flax, lespedezas, millet, rapeseed, ryegrasses or those of similar size | 150 grams |
| Proso millet, sudangrass or those of similar size | 500 grams |
| Cereal, vetch, sorghum, corn, soybean, or those of similar size | 1000 grams recommended; 500 grams required |
Packaging and Mailing
Box your samples securely and include:
- The completed Seed Fee Schedule and Submission Form
- Your payment
Mail samples to:
Laboratory Services Division – MDA-PSA Lab
601 Robert Street North
Saint Paul, MN 55155-2531
If you prefer to drop off your sample, email mda.seed.service@state.mn.us
for directions.
Testing Services and Submissions FAQs
The MDA-PSA lab completes various tests to confirm seed quality and composition. These core tests include purity, germination, and noxious weed testing. The MDA-PSA lab also completes additional specialized testing such as molecular identification of Palmer amaranth for internal regulatory purposes. Tetrazolium and seed count tests are also available.
Summary of Services:
- Physical Purity Test: Reports percentages of pure seed, inert matter, other crop seed, and weed seed present in a seed lot. (For single kinds and mixtures, see details below.)
- Germination Test: Reports percentages of normal, dormant, and total viable seeds when germinated under ideal conditions.
- Noxious Weed-Seed Test: Identifies the presence of noxious weed seeds following state and federal regulations. A Minnesota Noxious Exam applies if you intend to sell your seed only in the state of MN. A USA Noxious will apply if you would like all states considered as potential selling regions. The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service publishes the state requested updates annually and updates the State Noxious-Weed Seed Requirements, located at the bottom of their website.
- Tetrazolium: A quick estimate of viability that is separate from a germination test. Does not replace a germination test.
- Seed Count: Number of seeds/lb or seeds/gram. Helpful for determining planting rates and packaging.
The MDA-PSA lab is ISO/IEC 17025 Accredited for purity, germination, and Palmer Amaranth genetic testing. ISO accreditation guarantees adherence to international standards for technical competence, accuracy, impartiality, and continuous improvement.
Additionally, the MDA-PSA lab is a member and accredited by the Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA). AOSA is a body dedicated to seed testing education, training, and research. AOSA sets the regulatory and industry standard for seed testing and maintains the official rules and procedures. For more information visit the AOSA website.
Our team includes registered seed technologists, certified seed analysts, and a molecular plant pathologist each with years of experience in the field.
Single Kind: A single kind is one species sold as one “lot” of seed.
Mixture: A mixture is a combination of different species intended to be sold and planted together.
Billing Guidelines for Mixtures
- For purity tests the highest price kind will be billed at full price. Each additional kind will be billed at half price by category.
- For germination tests each kind will be charged individually by category. Kinds making up less than 5% of the mixture will not be germinated.
- Refer to the Seed Fee Schedule and Submission Form for pricing.
The following table contains an example of how to calculate the price of a mixture based upon the MDA Seed Fee and Schedule form pricing:
| Crop Kind | % of Mixture on Label | Category (from MDA Price List) | MN Purity + Noxious Weed Charge | Germination Charge | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barley | 92% | 1 | $10.50 (half price) | $13.00 | |
| Radish | 6% | 3 | $27.00 (full price) | $21.00 | |
| Turnip | 2% | 3 | $13.50 (half price) | 0 | |
| Sum | 100.00% | $51.00 | $34.00 | $85.00 |
Submit payment with your seed samples and submission forms as follows:
- Checks:
Make checks payable to “Minnesota Commissioner of Agriculture.”
Include one submission form per lot of seed submitted for testing.
One check per group of samples is acceptable. - Credit Cards:
Credit card payments are not accepted at this time. - USPS Money Orders:
USPS Money Orders may be accepted only if you contact us in advance to confirm the total cost of services.
Please note: Money orders cannot be refunded once submitted.
Please contact the lab at mda.seed.service@state.mn.us.
You may also contact Supervisor Diandra Viner, Registered Seed Technologist (RST) and Certified Genetic Technologist (CGT), at diandra.viner@state.mn.us or 651-201-6450.
Additional information is available on the MDA’s Seed Regulatory Program webpage.
