Regulatory Programs

Seed Regulation

The Bureau of Feed and Seed administers laws and regulations to ensure that agricultural, vegetable, and lawn seeds are labeled consistently and accurately. The seed label must include a total percentage of germination and purity (total of pure crop seed, other crop seed, inert material, and weed seed.) Noxious weeds must be listed as none or zero, or must be expressed in numbers per pound by the maximum allowed tolerance, as outlined in the Missouri Seed Law and Regulations manual. If the seed has been treated with a poisonous compound, then an appropriate warning as to danger to man or animal must be labeled. Other items listed on the label must be: name and address of the labeler, kind (or kind and variety) of the seed, lot number of the seed, date of germination testing, net weight, and origin of the seed. Missouri does allow the statement “variety not stated” to be used. The program conducts routine inspection of all in-state warehouses and of retail facilities selling seed, both from in-state and out-of-state labelers.

Approximately 5,000 official tests on 2,300 samples of seed were performed in 2004 for compliance to proper labeling. Distributors of seeds found to be labeled with incorrect information were immediately issued a “stop sale.” The overall labeling compliance rate for 2004 was 95.78 percent. Another 453 samples of seed were tested as a service to farmers and distributors with carry-over seed to ensure the quality of seed and to prevent the spread of prohibited and restricted weeds in Missouri.

Missouri Seed Law (266.011-266.111 RSMo).
Missouri Seed Regulations (2 CSR 70-35.010.35.050)

Seed Permit Application (PDF: 19kb/1 page)
Submitting Seed Service Samples (PDF: 37kb/1 page)
2007 Seed Summary Results (PDF: 374kb/37 pages)

To contact Missouri seed laboratory analysts:
  David.Hoskins@mda.mo.gov or (573) 751-4340
  Nev.Higgins@mda.mo.gov or (573) 751-4340

To directly contact feed and seed inspectors in your area:
  Area 1:  Richard.Lollar@mda.mo.gov
  Area 2:  Richard.Schroeppel@mda.mo.gov
  Area 3:  Mike.Harter@mda.mo.gov
  Area 4:  Devin.Hart@mda.mo.gov

*Click on map to view a printable copy in pdf format (382kb).

For further information contact the Bureau of Feed and Seed.