852 



Seed Improvement in Canada. 



[Dec, 



tion in its work of producing registered seed, it provides a service 

 of market intelligence to growers, and it pays cash subventions 

 to the Provincial Departments of Agriculture. 



The combined seed crop and cleaned seed competitions, which 

 are a recent introduction, have two distinct phases. The first 

 consists of a standing field crop competition; the second of a 

 thrashed and cleaned seed competition, in which the seed is 

 judged in the granaries of the competitors, after ^thrashing. 

 Awards are based on the combined scores — 35 per cent, on the 

 field score, 65 per cent, on the bin score. The cleaned seed part 

 of the competition is thus recognised as the more important. 

 This system of awarding prizes now applies to all seed crops, 

 except potatoes, in which case the basis is reversed, namely 65 

 per cent, on the field score and 35 per cent, on the bin score. 

 The foundation seed used by competitors must be of approved 

 origin, that is, it must have been either registered or approved 

 by the seed committee of the Province ; the minimum quantities 

 of cleaned seed submitted vary from 15 bushels in the case of 

 clovers and timothy to 200 bushels in the case of oats. 



The primary object of these combined competitions is to 

 encourage the development of commercial seed centres such as 

 are promoted by the Canadian Seed Growers' Association and 

 other organisations. The demand for superior quality seed has 

 grown materially during the last few years, and it is claimed 

 that the combined competitions stimulate the production of the 

 special kinds of seeds most suitable to the different localities, 

 this being the chief purpose of the seed centres. 



With regard to potatoes the Markets Division of the Seeds 

 Branch has made a detailed survey of available supplies. It 

 knows the location, quantity and varieties of the seed, all of 

 which is the product of fields inspected by trained pathologists. 

 To be eligible for certification the growing crop must pass the 

 Department's inspection standard for freedom from disease, 

 and purity of variety. They are then graded, sacked, sealed 

 and marketed on the basis of the Department's certificate. 

 Comparative yields from certified seed and common local stock 

 seed are well illustrated by the results of the 1990 demonstra- 

 tions in Ontario. For instance, Green Mountain certified seed 

 from New Ontario gave a yield of 218.3 bushels per acre, as 

 compared with 189.2 bushels per acre from common stock. 



