As part of the plant variety registration process in Canada, a breeder must provide a reference control seed sample to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). This sample must be properly tagged and signed by the breeder. It plays a key role in both the registration process and the ongoing certification of your variety.
On this page
- How to submit your sample
- How your sample is tested
- Results: What happens to your sample after testing
How to submit your sample
As you prepare to submit your sample, keep in mind:
- sample amount
- sample packaging
- sample tagging
Refer to our procedures for the registration of crop varieties for an in-depth look at how to submit your reference sample.
Samples can be submitted to:
Variety Registration Office
c/o Pre-market Application Submissions Office
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
1400 Merivale Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0Y9
How your sample is tested
Once received, we record the sample information and enter it into our registration database. We then check the sample and its seed tag to ensure they meet registration requirements. Consult required seed tag information for more information.
After the variety is registered, the reference sample is sent to the Ottawa Plant Laboratory – Fallowfield, where it will be stored as part of a national archive of legal reference material. When the next planting season comes, a portion of this sample will be planted out in a reference control plot.
During the growing season, the plot will be inspected multiple times at each growth stage to assess if it matches the description of variety you submitted in your application, as well as to see if it meets purity standards.
The description of variety is a key document used in the seed certification system. It helps seed crop inspectors assess varietal identity and purity. It is also used for common seed verification and to ensure it meets minimum purity standards. Once a variety is registered, the description is available to the public if requested, with potential for online access in the future.
Results: What happens to your sample after testing
When testing is unsuccessful
If the sample does not match the description or meet purity standards, you will be contacted to either:
- send us a new sample (for example, if the wrong sample was submitted or if the sample was compromised), or
- update your description of variety
Your new sample will be tested with the same process as the first one.
You can amend your description of variety at any time, but significant changes may require a new registration if the variety is no longer considered distinguishable and stable.
When testing is successful
If the sample matches the description and meets purity standards, it is kept in an archive for Canada's national seed certification system and used to compare against pedigreed seed samples collected through the variety verification program.
The reference sample will continue to be planted year after year, as needed, for the variety verification program. Over time, the sample may run out or may deteriorate with age. When this happens, we may contact you to request a new sample.
If a new seed sample is available, it should be sent to the CFIA's Seed Science Unit:
Ottawa Lab Fallowfield
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
3851 Fallowfield Road
Ottawa, Ontario
K2J 4S1
If a new sample is not available, canceling the variety's registration should be considered. Without a reference sample, we can't verify the variety's identity and stability, which could affect the national seed certification system's quality assurance.
Often, a seed is not maintained because the variety is no longer in use. To avoid confusion in the marketplace, we encourage you to cancel registration for varieties no longer being marketed, especially if a new variety has replaced them in the marketplace.