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Kansas Crop Improvement Association

KCIA Field Inspections

KCIA conducts field inspections as part of seed certification but also provides inspections for non-certified crops requiring service inspections or as part of quality assurance or identity preserved programs. 

Quality Assurance and Identity Preserved Programs

For seed crops not requiring certification, adding KCIA third-party verification can give you enhanced customer confidence and appreciation, and greater value for your product offerings. 
The Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) offers two programs, administered by individual state certifying agencies, to create, or enhance quality management systems. 
Through the cooperation of sister agencies, multi-state and national QA programs can be implemented. 
Participants in these programs are permitted to identify their products by the appropriate trademarked or registered logo as proof of the commitment to quality.

 

Identity Preserved    IP logo

Identity Preserved (IP) refers to the maintenance of a product’s specific traits or characteristics through growing, production and marketing channels. The purpose of AOSCA’s IP certification program is to assist in preserving the genetic and/or physical identity of a product. In order to use the IP logo, these specific minimum requirements must be met. Identity Preserved programs are designed to assure the identity of certain traits or physical qualities. Several AOSCA IP programs have been specifically developed to address transgenic crops and these provide a “systems approach” to assure that certain products meet tolerance levels of genetic material derived from biotechnology.  (excerpt from AOSCA.org)

Quality Assurance  QA logo

The purpose of AOSCA’s Quality Assurance (QA) program is to provide a complete service for seed merchandised as varieties, hybrids, brands or blends that are generally not marketed as certified seed. System guidelines are very similar to certification guidelines and enable the seed producer to market seed with the assurance to each customer that the seed is of known purity and quality as verified by an unbiased third-party agency. The program provides coordinated, professional and unbiased field inspections and laboratory testing for quality control in seed in addition to an unbiased record system for use in meeting state and federal seed law requirements. Seed buyers have confidence that the designated seed has met purity standards related to a known description across seed lots and years of production. (excerpt from AOSCA.org)

If a more customized program is desired, KCIA can work with companies to develop proprietary programs, or enhance a company’s existing program with reliable third-party oversight. 

A program can be as simple as a pre-harvest inspection, or a complete traceability program. 

Give us a call and we will be happy to discuss the possibilities.