DE Department of Agriculture Adds New Test Options and Increases Fees for Seed Lab
Beginning January 2nd, the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s seed laboratory will offer additional testing service options to assist producers. For the first time since 1999, DDA is increasing fees for services performed by the DDA Seed Lab. The laboratory has not changed its fee structure in 24 years; however, the rising costs of testing supplies and equipment necessitated this increase.
Additional Information from the Delaware Department of Agriculture:
Under 3 Del. C. § 1507, DDA’s Seed Lab can charge for seed testing services.
The Plant Industries Section, which oversees the DDA Seed Laboratory, has added services, including Noxious Weed Count ($10/sample) and Cold Germination ($15/sample). In early 2024, the lab will add the Falling Number test, which helps identify flour quality by testing the enzymatic activity and structural integrity of starch chains in cereal crops. The Falling Numbers test will be $50/sample.
The following fee schedule will take effect on January 2, 2024, and be applied to each sample submitted:
| Germination | Purity | Noxious | |||||
| Soybeans | $10 | $10 | $10 | ||||
| Corn | $10 | $10 | $10 | ||||
| Small Grains | $10 | $10 | $10 | ||||
| Vegetables | $10 | $10 | $10 | ||||
| Grasses | $15 | $35 | $20 | ||||
| Grass Mixes, each component | $20 | $20 | $20 | ||||
| Flowers, Ornamentals, Herbs | $15 | $20 | $15 |
For testing, one pound of seed should be submitted in a clean bag labeled with the type of seed and the date it was harvested. Samples are expected to be free of foreign matter, including debris and chaffing from the seed. Uncleaned samples and samples containing other grains will be subject to a cleaning fee of $30 per sample.
The Seed Lab also offers the following analyses:
- Vomitoxin: $46/sample
- Aflatoxin: $46/sample
- Round-Up Tolerance: $20/sample
- Seed Count (conditioned samples only): $10/sample
For additional details about these changes or submitting samples for testing, please contact the Delaware Department of Agriculture’s Seed Laboratory at 302-698-4590 or visit https://agriculture.delaware.gov/plant-industries.
