Seed Production of Vegetable, Tuber and Spice Crops (2+1)

Central Seed Laboratory and State Seed Laboratory

1. The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, establish a Central Seed Laboratory or declare any seed laboratory as the Central Seed Laboratory to carry out the functions entrusted to the Central Seed Laboratory by or under this Act. The Seed Testing Laboratory at the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, has been notified as the Central Seed Testing Laboratory and it was established during 1960. The functions assigned to this laboratory are:
a. Initiate testing programme in collaboration with the State Seed Laboratories designed to promote uniformity in test results between all seed laboratories in India.
b. Collect data continuously on the quality of seeds found in the market and make this data available to the Committee;
c. Carry out such other functions as may be assigned to it by the Central Government from time to time; and
d. Act as referee laboratory in testing seed samples for achieving uniformity in seed testing. The State Seed Testing Laboratories are required to send five percent samples to the Central Seed Testing Laboratory along with their analysis results.

2. The Act envisages the establishment of State Seed Testing Laboratories in each State by notification in the official Gazette. The functions assigned to this laboratory are to carry out the seed analysis work of the State in a prescribed manner. There are eight notified Seed Testing Laboratories are available in Tamil Nadu.