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Plant Industry - Seed

Aida Galarza
Agriculture Manager III

ATLANTA SEED LABORATORY

Lonnita Pritchett
Laboratory Supervisor

Mailing Address:
Georgia Department of Agriculture
Seed Laboratory, Room 536
19 MLK Jr. Drive SW
Atlanta, GA 30334
Tele: 404-656-3635
Fax: 404-463-8568

TIFTON SEED LABORATORY

Scott Hobby
Laboratory Supervisor

Mailing Address:
Georgia Department of Agriculture
Seed Laboratory
P. O. Box 1507,
3150 U. S. Highway 41 South
Tifton, GA 31793
Tele: 229-386-3145
Fax: 229-386-7227

The Seed Division administers the Georgia Seed Law and Rules by regulating truthful labeling and minimum seed quality standards for seed offered, exposed or transported for sale to protect consumers and prevent major crop failure. The Division is responsible for operation of the state seed laboratories in Atlanta and Tifton, licensing of seed dealers, investigating seed arbitration complaints, and supervision of inspectors for seed regulation at dealer locations.

Submitting a Service Sample. Through our service seed testing program, farmers, seed conditioners and dealers submitting samples for analysis are assured of standardized testing methods that provide reliable seed quality and labeling information. Please keep in mind that the laboratory analysis can be only as representative of the seed lot as the submitted sample. Service samples from individual Georgia citizens are not charged seed testing fees for purity and germination tests; however, requests for special seed quality tests may incur a testing fee. Service samples submitted by seed dealers for seed analysis will incur a fee per sample as detailed in Seed Testing Fees.

To submit a service sample, please check section 40-12-3-.03 of the Georgia Seed Rules and Regulations for the recommended quantity of seed to send for testing.
Enclose a completed Seed Testing Request Form or a statement with your name, address, telephone number, seed kind, variety and lot number (if applicable), seed treatment applied to seed (if applicable) and the test(s) requested.
If you are submitting several samples or plan to routinely submit samples, we request that you use seed sample envelopes that we provide. These envelopes aid us in managing samples in the laboratory and have spaces for recording all necessary identification information. Envelopes are available from seed inspectors, county extension agents and by request from the Atlanta or Tifton seed laboratories.
Package the seed in a sturdy container to protect seed from damage during shipping.
Mail sample(s) with necessary identification information to either the Atlanta seed laboratory or Tifton seed laboratory address.

SEED DEALER LICENSING

In-state license

All establishments offering, exposing or transporting seed for sale in Georgia must apply for a seed dealer license. Seed dealer licenses are issued for three year intervals. All current seed licenses expire on July 31, 2003 and every subsequent third year, followed by license renewal in August. New seed dealers should apply by submitting a completed Georgia Seed Dealer License Application form.

Out-of-state license

Any interstate dealers shipping seed into Georgia should request an out-of-state seed dealer's license packet. The packet includes an application and all legal forms needed for the process.

Fee requirements: A $50.00 filing fee is required with all new seed dealer license applications and renewals.

FILING SEED ARBITRATION COMPLAINTS

For all seed complaints between a purchaser and seller, the purchaser must file an arbitration complaint against the seller in accordance with the Georgia Seed Law as a prerequisite to initiating any legal action. Complaints must be filed in a timely manner to permit investigation of the crop in the field. A $75 filing fee is required when filing arbitration complaints, but may be refunded by the seller on recommendation from the Seed Arbitration Council. For more detailed information read Georgia Seed Law Article 4 section 2-11-70. To file a seed arbitration complaint, please submit a completed Arbitration Complaint Form and the required fee to the Georgia Department of Agriculture. For more information, contact Aida Galarza.

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