Goiás Agricultural Defense inspects the quality of seeds sold in the State

With the rainy season approaching, the time when the new grain crop is sown and pastures are formed, the Goiás Agricultural Defense Agency (Agrodefesa), as the body responsible for inspecting the trade of propagation material, has intensified its actions to collect seed samples for inspection and diagnosis of the standards established for the species and category, in accordance with the provisions of current legislation, ensuring the quality of production in Goiás.

Coordinated by the Agrodefesa Plant Health Department, the collection actions are carried out by state agricultural inspectors assigned to the 12 Agrodefesa Regional Units distributed throughout the state. The samples are sent to the Plant Health Department for verification of the packaging and identification of the samples, as well as the official documentation, and then forwarded to the Seed Analysis Laboratory (Labsem). Last month, for example, the Rio Itiquira Regional Unit, based in Formosa, carried out a blitz at agricultural stores and seed retailers in the region, collecting material to be analyzed.

“The Government of Goiás has a commitment to the state’s producers to ensure the quality of production. Through Agrodefesa, our inspectors collect the seeds sold in the state to analyze their origin, whether they have the correct documentation, and also to diagnose their quality,” emphasizes the president of the agency, José Ricardo Caixeta Ramos. “Production in Goiás has grown with each harvest and to do so we need to attest to the quality of the seeds sold to our producers,” he adds.

The seeds inspected include samples of forage seeds for pastures and major crops, such as soybeans, corn, beans and sorghum, among others. “Low-quality seeds or seeds that do not meet the established production standards can cause major losses to producers, either due to the need for new sowing or the waste of time and inputs, which increases production costs,” adds Daniela Rézio, Plant Health Manager at Agrodefesa.

As explained by the coordinator of Agricultural Input Programs at the Management, Márcio Antônio de Oliveira e Silva, the seeds are collected from commercial establishments or rural properties and sent to the Agrodefesa Seed Analysis Laboratory (Labsem). “Producers who wish to assess the quality of the seeds they have already purchased can contact the Local Agrodefesa Units to schedule a visit by inspectors to collect samples,” he advises.

Laboratory analysis and health education

At Labsem, the collected samples are duly received according to the procedures determined by the relevant legislation, and are sent for fiscal analysis. The evaluation process includes several stages and follows guidelines established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa). The materials are subjected to purity analysis, determination of other seeds by number, germination test, analysis of coated seeds, viability test, examination of infested seeds (damaged by insects) and other complementary tests.

According to Labsem manager Anna Carla Souza Luccas, Goiás currently has one of the main official laboratories in the country, having achieved the highest score in the Seed Proficiency Testing Program in 2023, promoted by the Rio Grande do Sul Metrological Network, with the approval of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa). “The Government of Goiás, through Agrodefesa, has invested heavily in the official seed analysis laboratory, with the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment and ongoing training of its professionals. These analyses help the state's producers ensure that they are planting quality seeds, with the expected production potential for a good harvest,” she argues.

After analyzing the samples, the Laboratory forwards the Official Seed Analysis Bulletin (Baso) to the Agricultural Inputs Coordination of the Plant Health Management. If the analyzed batch does not meet the standards established by Mapa, Agrodefesa notifies the seed producer of the irregularities diagnosed and also offers the possibility of reanalysis if the producer does not agree with the result.

The coordinator of the Rio Itiquira Regional Unit of Agrodefesa, Patrícia Silva Marques Dias, emphasizes that in addition to inspections, health education actions are also carried out on the importance of only selling quality seeds that meet the established legislative standards. “In addition to helping rural producers not use poor quality propagation materials, which can cause waste of time and economic losses, Agrodefesa also guides livestock farmers and farmers on the importance of purchasing quality seeds for planting their crops or pastures,” she concludes.

Inspection of the seed trade is determined by State Law No. 14.245/2002, regulated by State Decree No. 6.295/2005, which establishes Plant Protection in the State of Goiás. According to the legislation, all seeds or seedlings, packaged or in bulk, stored or in transit, identified or not, are subject to inspection, in accordance with the established norms and standards.