Language selection

Search

Seed Program Regulatory Authority Standard SPRA 101 - Definitions, acronyms and references for the seed program

This page is part of the Guidance Document Repository (GDR).

Looking for related documents?
Search for related documents in the Guidance Document Repository

Date

Version 2.0 of Definitions and Acronyms for the Seed Program was issued October 25, 2014.

Contact

The contact person for this Seed Program Regulatory Authority Standard is the National Manager, Seed Section.

Review

This Seed Program Regulatory Authority (SPRA) Standard is subject to periodic review. Amendments will be issued as necessary so that the SPRA Standard continues to meet current needs.

Endorsement

This Seed Program Regulatory Authority Standard is hereby approved.

space
Director, Plant Production Division

space
Date

Distribution

The most up-to-date version of this document will be maintained on the CFIA web site. The National Manager, Seed Section will maintain the signed original.

0.0 Introduction

As a technical science and specialized field of activity, pedigreed seed production and certification often involves the use of technical and specific jargon as well as references and acronyms. This Seed Program Regulatory Authority (SPRA) standard provides a list of the common terms and their definitions as established by legislation, regulations or standards, or by common understanding. These definitions apply in all seed program documents.

This SPRA also provides a list of acronyms commonly used in seed program documentation and lists standards, guidelines and other references applicable to the development and implementation of the seed program.

1.0 Scope

This SPRA standard defines the fundamental terms relating to the seed program, as they apply to all areas, for the preparation and use in seed program design and documentation and for mutual understanding.

Definitions contained within seed program documentation may expand on general definitions contained herein.

2.0 Definitions

In addition to the definitions contained in this document, for the purposes of this SPRA, the definitions contained in the Seeds Act and the Seeds Regulations also apply.

The definitions contained herein are specific to the uses of these terms in Seed Program documents, and are based on internationally accepted or commonly accepted usages. Definitions taken from other sources reference the source in brackets ( ) after the definition.

Accreditation
procedure by which an authoritative body gives formal recognition that a body or person is competent to carry out specific tasks (ISO Guide 2)
Agency
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Alternative Service Delivery (ASD)
organizational approaches (including privatization) that government could use to deliver services (Government of Canada, Dept. of Finance)
Authorized Service Provider (ASP)
an individual or entity that is licensed by the CFIA to conduct activities subject to the conditions of the licence
Applicant
an individual or entity that has communicated a request for registration, accreditation or other authorization to carry out a specific activity
Approved Conditioner (AC)
an establishment that prepares seed of pedigreed status and in respect of which a registration as an approved conditioner is in force (section 78, Seeds Regulations)
Assignee
a party that is assigned by the seed grower to receive a seed crop certificate and who takes responsibility for a seed lot
Audit
a systematic examination to determine whether activities and related results comply with the planned arrangements and whether these arrangements are implemented effectively and are suitable to achieve objectives (ISO 8402:1994)
Audit Criteria
the criteria against which an audit is conducted; principally, the auditee's quality manual and procedures, and the Seed Program SPRAs, QSPs, SWIs, and standards in Acts and Regulations administered by the CFIA
Audit Scope
the organizational activities and physical locations which are included in the audit
Audit Team
the group of auditors, one of whom is the lead auditor
Auditee(s)
the individual or entity to be audited
Auditor
an individual who conducts audits
Authorized
having received written permission to perform specified activities described in the authorization; see Licence
Authorized Exporter (AE)
a seed establishment authorized by the CFIA to sample, seal and label seed for export, subject to the conditions of the authorization
Authorized Exporter Program (AEP)
a CFIA program whereby:
  • registered seed establishments are authorized to sample, seal and label seed certified for export pursuant to the OECD Seed Schemes; and
  • accredited seed laboratories are authorized to test seed and issue reports of analysis for export seed lots
Authorized Importer (AI)
an establishment that prepares imported seed and in respect of which a registration as an authorized importer is in force (section 78, Seeds Regulations)
Authorized Seed Crop Inspection Service (ASCIS)
an entity licensed by the CFIA pursuant to subsection 4.2(1) of the Seeds Act to provide pedigreed seed crop inspection services; a type of Authorized Service Provider
Breeder status seed
seed recognized by the CSGA as being seed of a variety (or cultivar) that has been produced by a recognized plant breeder, or a plant breeder responsible for the maintenance of the variety, under conditions which have ensured that the specific traits of the variety have been maintained; the source for the initial and recurring increases of seed for pedigreed status seed (CSGA)
Bulk seed
seed not packaged in a fastened container (section 78, Seeds Regulations)
Bulk Storage Facility (BSF)
an establishment that stores in bulk seed graded with a Canada pedigreed grade name and in respect of which a registration as a bulk storage facility is in force (section 78, Seeds Regulations)
Canadian Wheat Board Area
that part of Canada comprising
  • (a) the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta; and
  • (b) those parts of British Columbia known as the Peace River District and the Creston-Wynndell Area
(subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Candidate
an individual seeking accreditation as competent to carry out a specific activity
Certificate
written assurance, issued by a third party that a product, process or service conforms to specified requirements (ISO, Guide 2)
Certification
procedure by which a third party gives written assurance that a product, process or service conforms to specified requirements (ISO Guide 2)
Certification Agency
an agency that conducts certification activities
Certified (uppercase C) status seed (CERT)
the approved progeny of Breeder, Select, Foundation or Registered status seed produced by seed growers, that has been managed to maintain varietal identity and purity; the class of seed recommended for commercial crop production (CSGA, Circular 6)
certified (lowercase c) seed
seed that has been officially certified; may apply to any generation of seed
Common seed
non-pedigreed seed
Complete Systems Audit
an audit carried out on all elements of a quality management system
Condition
with respect to seed, means to prepare seed by cleaning, processing, packing, treating, or changing in any other manner the nature of a seed lot (subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Conformity Verification Audit
an audit conducted periodically to verify the conformity of the activities of an individual or establishment with the documented procedures of their approved quality management system
Conformity Verification Body (CVB)
an independent body that has an agreement with the Agency under subsection 14(1) of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act to administer specific tasks, including assessing, recommending for acceptance and subsequent audit of establishments, operators, graders, samplers or laboratories that process, import, sample, test, grade or label seeds (subsection 2(1), Seeds Regulations)
Correction
repair, rework or adjustment related to the disposition of an existing non-conformity (ISO)
Corrective Action
action taken to eliminate the causes of an existing non-conformity, defect or other undesirable situation in order to prevent recurrence (ISO)
Corrective Action Request (CAR)
a request issued by the auditor for a corrective action to take place to bring an entity, establishment or product into compliance or conformance; the documentation of a non-conformance
Critical Non-conformance
a deviation from the documented quality management system such that conformance with the stated procedures is absent and the deviation will have significant effect on the quality of the product
Crop Certificate (CC)
a document issued by the Canadian Seed Growers' Association which certifies that the seed crop identified on the certificate has met the seed crop standards of the CSGA for the crop kind and stated pedigreed class (adapted from CSGA, Circular 6)
Cross-pollinated crop kind
a species of plant which is fertilized by pollen from another plant in order to produce a viable seed, e.g., corn; as opposed to self-pollinated, capable of being fertilized with pollen from the same plant, e.g., wheat
Description of Variety (DoV)
the description of the inheritable characteristics of a variety; used for variety registration, crop inspection and variety verification testing; provided by the responsible plant breeder at the time of application for registration through the CFIA's Variety Registration Office, or eligibility for certification through CSGA
Determinate Growth Habit
the terminal bud ceases vegetative activity when flowering begins
Fastened (Sealed)
with respect to a package [of seed] means sealed in such a manner that it is impossible to open the package easily without leaving evidence of it having been opened (subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Foundation status seed (FDN)
the approved progeny of Breeder or Select status seed produced by seed growers recognized by the CSGA for the production of seed of this class, and which has been managed to maintain its specific varietal identity and purity (adapted from CSGA, Circular 6)
GB Grader
an individual who has been accredited to sample and examine seed of the large seeded crop kinds listed in Tables I  – VI and XVIII of Schedule I to the Seeds Regulations to establish the grade of the seed lot
GD Grader
an individual who has been accredited to establish the grade of a seed lot based on a review of documents attesting to the quality of the seed
Heterogeneous
not being relatively uniform
Homogeneous
being relatively uniform; in the case of a seed lot, the lot will be as uniform as practicable
Hybrid
the first generation progeny of a cross between two parental plant lines intended to reproduce specific parental characteristics in the first generation (F1) progeny; not intended for further propagation; an assemblage of cultivated plants which is clearly distinguished by any characters (morphological, cytological, chemical or others) and for which the maintainer has specified a particular formula of hybridisation (OECD)
Indeterminate growth habit
the terminal bud continues vegetative activity throughout the growing season
Inspection
evaluation for conformity (or compliance) by measuring, observing, testing or gauging the relevant characteristics (ISO Guide 2)
Inspector
an employee of the CFIA who is designated as an inspector pursuant to section 13 of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency Act (section 5, Seeds Act)
Investigation sample (INV)
a sample which may be used as evidence in a court case and for which the continuity of possession must be maintained
Label
includes any legend, word, mark, symbol or design applied or attached to, included in, belonging to or accompanying any seed or package (subsection 2, Seeds Act)
Lead Auditor
an individual who has completed advanced training and is qualified to lead an audit team
Lead Inspector
a senior inspector of an Authorized Seed Crop Inspection Service who is responsible for providing guidance to Licensed Seed Crop Inspectors
Licence
the authorization, permission, or other recognition granted by the CFIA to an external party permitting the external party to perform activities specified in the licence
Licensed Seed Crop Inspector (LSCI)
a private individual licensed under subsection 4.2(1) of the Seeds Act to inspect pedigreed seed crops and complete Reports of Seed Crop Inspection
Licensed Operator
an individual licensed by the CFIA, who supervises all operations in a registered seed establishment and who is ultimately responsible, where applicable, for the proper handling, storage, sampling, testing, processing [conditioning], grading, labelling and documentation of seed in the establishment (section 93(1), Seeds Regulations)
Licensed Sampler
an individual licensed under subsection 13.1(2.1) of the Seeds Regulations to sample seed; an individual licensed to obtain and prepare officially recognized seed samples according to officially recognized standard methods (subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Lot designation
a number, mark, symbol or test number that identifies a seed lot (subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Major Non-conformance
a significant deviation from the documented quality management system such that the program integrity or the ability of the facility to meet the requirements of the regulations or the standards is in doubt; if continued without correction, the deficiency may result in the process or the product not meeting the regulations or standards
Meets with tolerance (MWT)
a measure of the conformity of a product with a standard such that the criterion tested is within an acceptable range of statistical probability (tolerance) of the standard
Mini-bulk containers
a container that holds 250-2000 kg of seed
Minor Non-conformance
a deviation from the quality management system that results in a decrease in confidence in the facility's ability to meet the regulations or standards, but does not affect the overall performance of the quality management system
Monitoring
periodic, targeted verification of processes or products to confirm that quality control parameters are maintained within specifications; includes audits, inspections, sampling, surveys or other activities
National Designated Authority (NDA)
the authority designated by, and responsible to, the government of a country participating in the OECD Seed Schemes for the purpose of implementing the Rules and Regulations of the OECD Seed Schemes (OECD Seed Schemes)
Non-compliance
failure to meet legal requirements such as those in legislation and regulation
Non-conformance
failure to fulfill requirements, including implementation of the procedures in a documented quality management system, or in the case of a product, a non-regulatory standard; failure by a product, process or service to fulfill specified requirements (ISO, Guide 2)
OECD Basic status seed (OECD B or OB)
the progeny of Pre-Basic status seed which has been produced under the responsibility of the variety maintainer and according to generally accepted practices for the maintenance of the variety; intended for the production of Certified seed; equivalent to Canada Registered status of self-pollinated crop kinds, and Foundation status of open-pollinated crop kinds (OECD Seed Schemes)
OECD Certified 1st Generation status seed (OECD C1 or OC1)
the first generation of seed produced from Basic seed, equivalent to Canada Certified status seed; intended for the production of either Certified seed or crops for purposes other than seed production; in Canada, only Certified 1st generation is recognized as equivalent to Canadian Certified status seed (OECD Seed Schemes)
OECD Certified 2nd Generation (OECD C2 or OC2)
seed produced from OECD Certified 1st Generation seed; no equivalent Canadian pedigree, considered as Common status seed in Canada except in special circumstances; eligible for export (OECD Seed Schemes)
OECD Not Finally Certified status seed (OECD NFC or ONFC)
seed from a crop which has met field standards but has not yet been finally certified as OECD Basic or OECD Certified seed pending purity and germination testing of the seed (OECD Seed Schemes)
OECD Pre-Basic status seed (OECD PB or OPB)
seed, produced by plant breeders, planted to produce OECD Pre-Basic or Basic status seed; equivalent to Breeder or Select status of self-pollinated crop kinds and Breeder or Foundation status of open-pollinated crop kinds; the breeder may produce multiple generations of Pre-Basic seed from the same line but the seed must be labelled to indicate the number of generations prior to OECD Certified 1st Generation (OECD Seed Schemes)
OECD Seed Schemes
OECD Schemes for the Varietal Certification or the Control of Seed in Moving in International Trade
OECD tag / label
the official label attached to seed certified pursuant to the OECD Seed Schemes, indicating the species, variety name, pedigree status, lot reference number, and country of origin, among other information
Off-type
a plant that deviates in one or more characteristics from the official description of the variety (CSGA, Circular 6)
Official Certifying Agency
an organization in a foreign state that is empowered by the government of that state to certify seed crops as to varietal purity, where that state is a participating member of the OECD Seed Schemes or a member of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Official Reference Control Sample
an official sample of Breeder status seed submitted with the application for variety registration to the CFIA's Variety Registration Office or the application for eligibility for certification through the CSGA; used as the variety standard for comparisons with seed of the variety from subsequent generations
Official Seed Crop Inspector
an individual employed by the CFIA who is certified to conduct inspection of pedigreed seed crops and complete Reports of Seed Crop Inspection in support of the issuance of a crop certificate
Official Seed Sampler
an employee of the CFIA who is designated as an inspector pursuant to section 13 of the CFIA Act and who is trained, evaluated and certified to sample seed
Official Tag
a label that is issued or approved by the CFIA in respect of seed having pedigreed status; used to identify the variety, identity, origin and pedigree status of a seed lot; certification
Officially-Recognized Laboratory
a seed testing laboratory that is designated by the Minister as an accredited laboratory under section 2(1) of the Seeds Act
Officially-Recognized Sample
a sample of seed that has been
  • (a) drawn by or under the supervision of a licensed sampler and prepared by a licensed sampler according to recognized standard methods; or
  • (b) drawn and prepared according to recognized standard methods by an individual accredited to do so by
    • (i) a government body, or an officially recognized body, that has the authority to regulate the import, export or marketing of seed,
    • (ii) an official certifying agency, or
    • (iii) a seed testing laboratory accredited by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) to issue international seed lot certificates, if the sample is to be tested by the accrediting laboratory or by another laboratory accredited by ISTA
(subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Officially-Recognized Test
a test performed according to recognized standard methods on an officially-recognized sample in an officially-recognized laboratory or, in the case of determinations of impurities in the kinds or species set out in Tables I to VI and XVIII of Schedule I or seeds of similar size, an accredited grader (subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Open-pollinated (OP)
seed produced as a result of un-controlled pollination, as opposed to hybrid seed produced as a result of a controlled pollination (CSGA)
Orange International Certificate (OIC)
a certificate issued according to the Rules of the International Seed Testing Association that attests to the quality of a seed lot
Out of Tolerance (OT)
a measure of a criterion that fails to meet a specified standard even when a range of statistical variation (tolerance) from the standard is applied
Partial Systems Audit
an audit carried out on specific sub-components of a quality management system as compared to a full systems audit
Pedigreed seed crop
a seed crop for which the CSGA, based on a Report of Seed Crop Inspection and conformity with certification requirements, has issued a crop certificate indicating that the crop has been granted Breeder, Select, Foundation, Registered or Certified crop status
Pedigreed seed
seed that is derived from a pedigreed seed crop and recognized as of Select, Foundation, Registered or Certified status
Phytosanitary Certificate (PC)
an official certificate issued by National Plant Protection Organization of a country attesting to the phytosanitary status of an export commodity
Post-control
variety verification testing of Certified status seed which is not further multiplied (OECD Seed Schemes)
Pre-control
variety verification testing of early generation seed prior to Certified status (OECD Seed Schemes)
Primary sample
a small portion taken from the seed lot during one single sampling action (SWI 132.1.1)
Producer
a grower of crops not intended for further propagation, but intended for human or animal consumption or processing
Progeny
the offspring of plants
Quality Management
all activities of the overall management function that determine the quality policy, objectives and responsibilities and implement them by means such as quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement within the quality system (ISO)
Quality Management System (QMS)
a documented system of policies and procedures established, implemented and regularly reviewed and improved by an individual or entity, and intended to result in the consistent production of a quality product
Quality verification (QV)
a procedure to verify the correct implementation of a process; can include inspection, obtaining a sample, or testing a sample as part of a Quality Management System
Quality System Procedure (QSP)
a document that specifies, as applicable, the purpose and scope of an activity and the quality parameters that must be respected
Re-certification
the production of an additional generation of Certified status seed from Certified seed upon permission of the CSGA or for export purposes
Recognized Standard Method

for testing seed means the:

  • (a) Canadian Methods and Procedures for Testing Seed,
  • (b) Rules for Testing Seed, published by the Association of Official Seed Analysts, as amended from time to time, or
  • (c) International Rules for Seed Testing, published by the International Seed Testing Association, as amended from time to time
(subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Regional Seed Officer (RSO)
any CFIA personnel designated as responsible for seed programs in a region including a Regional Program Officer, Inspection Manager, or senior seed inspector
Registered Seed Establishment (RSE)
an establishment registered by the CFIA to condition, store or import seed and which is audited by the Canadian Seed Institute (CSI) for compliance with the Seeds Act, the Seeds Regulations and CSI standards
Registered status seed (REG)
the progeny of Breeder, Select or Foundation seed produced by seed growers recognized by the CSGA and managed to maintain varietal identity and purity (CSGA, Circular 6)
Reject Number
a statistical determination of the variance permitted from a standard before the criterion is considered to not meet the standard; a calculation of statistical variation; tolerance
Report of Seed Crop Inspection
a form on which the seed crop inspector describes the seed crop offered for pedigreed status and which is appraised by the CSGA to determine if the crop as described meets the requirements of the CSGA (CSGA, Circular 6)
Retained sample
a sample that represents the seed lot and is drawn by or under the authority of the person responsible for the seed lot and according to appropriate sampling methods, clearly identified to crop kind, variety and lot number, stored in a manner that maintains integrity, and retained as objective evidence of the quality of the seed lot that it represents
Schedule I
Schedule I to the Seeds Regulations which specifies the purity and germination standards for seed; the Grade Tables
Seed crop varietal purity standards
the standards established by the Association of Official Seed Certification Agencies (ASOCA) and approved by the CSGA for the maximum number of off-types, other crop kinds and other impurities in a seed crop field; the CSGA applies AOSCA standards for the certification of seed crops
Seed Grower
a member of the CSGA who grows pedigreed seed
Seed Import Conformity Assessor (SICA)
an individual who has been accredited to assess the conformity of seed with minimum import standards based on a review of documentation
Seed lot
a quantity of seed, each portion of which is, within reasonable limits, uniform with respect to purity, germination, variety, type and quality (subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Seed Program Regulatory Authority Standard (SPRA)
a document published by the Seed Section of the CFIA that describes the supporting legislative and regulatory authority for specific related seed programs
Seed sample container
those types of containers that maintain the integrity of the sample
Seed varietal purity standards
the standards established by AOSCA and approved by the CFIA for the maximum number of weed seeds and other impurities in a seed lot by crop kind and pedigreed status
Seed Year
the period beginning on July 1 of a year and ending on June 30 of the following year
Select status seed (SEL)
the progeny of Breeder or Select seed produced in a manner to maintain its varietal identity and purity by seed growers who have been granted Select plot grower status by the CSGA (CSGA, Circular 6)
Self-pollinated crop kind
a species of plants capable of producing viable seed from fertilization with pollen from the same plant, e.g., wheat; as opposed to cross-pollination requiring pollen from another plant for the production of a viable seed, e.g., corn
Semi-Determinate growth habit
the terminal bud continues vegetative growth after flowering but terminates this growth before indeterminate types
Specific Work Instruction (SWI)
a document published by the Seed Section of the CFIA that contains detailed directions on how to deliver a specified activity
Static bulk lot
a quantity of seed that is moved from the original storage container to facilitate the drawing of an official sample; quantity of seed temporarily stored in a conveyance bin such as a truck box, railway car or trailer
Stream sample
a primary sample obtained from the entire cross-section of a moving flow of seed using an automatic sampler or an approved manual sampling tool
Sub-sample
a portion of the composite sample that is obtained by mixing and dividing the composite sample by an approved method
Submitted sample
a sample submitted to a seed testing laboratory; may comprise either the whole or a sub-sample of the composite sample
Surveillance
activities that provide for observations, samples, or other information on a broad range of geographic areas, regulated parties, products or other defined sectors
Systems Audit
an audit of the quality management system of an entity prior to and in support of on-going registration, licensing, accreditation or authorization to determine the quality management system's capacity to conform to the related standards and regulations or conditions of the registration, accreditation or authorization
Un-tampered sample
a sample that has been drawn in accordance with approved sampling and/or mixing and dividing methods and which has not been examined, altered or tested in any manner
Variant
any seed or plant which:
  • (a) is distinct within the variety but occurs naturally within the variety;
  • (b) is stable and predictable with a degree of reliability compared to other varieties of the same kind, within known tolerances; and
  • (c) is described as a variant in the official variety description (CSGA, Circular 6)
Varietal Blend (VB)
a seed mixture that contains two or more varieties of the same kind or species
Varietal Certificate
a certificate provided by the CFIA attesting to the varietal identity of a seed lot certified pursuant to the OECD Seed Schemes
Varietal Identity (VI)
a measure of the trueness to type of a variety based on an assessment of the characteristics resulting from a given genotype or combination of genotypes used to identify the crop or seed
Varietal Purity (VP)
a measure of the proportion of plants or seeds within a population that conform to the description of the variety based on an assessment of the number of off-types in the crop or seed
Variety
an assemblage of cultivated plants, including hybrids constituted by controlled cross-pollination, that
  • (a) are distinguished by common morphological, physiological, cytological, chemical or other characteristics; and
  • (b) retain their distinguishing characteristics when reproduced
(subsection 2(2), Seeds Regulations)
Variety Verification (VV)
seed testing to determine the varietal purity and varietal identity of a seed lot represented by the sample that is tested; may include field plot grow-out, and biochemical or molecular testing
Volunteer Plant
unwanted plants growing from residual seeds from the previous crop or a replanted crop
Working Day
every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday except recognized national public holidays (e.g., Christmas Day, New Year's Day)
Working sample
a sub-sample taken from the submitted sample in the laboratory and used for quality analysis or other tests

3.0 Acronyms

The following acronyms apply to Seed Section documents including any SPRA, QSP, SWI, or manual or procedures documents.

AAFC
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
AC
Approved Conditioner
AE
Authorized Exporter
AEL
Authorized Exporter Laboratory
AEP
Authorized Exporter Program
AES
Authorized Exporter Sampler
AI
Authorized Importer
AOS
Area Operations Specialist (Seed)
AOSA
Association of Official Seed Analysts
AOSCA
Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies
ASCIS
Authorized Seed Crop Inspection Service
ASD
Alternative Service Delivery
BOT
Below grade, out of tolerance
BR
Breeder status seed
BSF
Bulk Storage Facility
BWT
Below grade, within tolerance
CA
Certificate of Analysis (issued by Fallowfield lab)
CAR
Corrective Action Request
CC
Crop Certificate
CERT
Certified status
CFIA
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Circular 6
CSGA Canadian Regulations and Procedures for Pedigreed Seed Crop Production (Circular 6)
CSAAC
Commercial Seed Analysts Association of Canada
CSGA
Canadian Seed Growers' Association
CSI
Canadian Seed Institute
CSTA
Canadian Seed Trade Association
CVB
Conformity Verification Body
DOK
Declined for Other Kinds
DoV
Description of Variety
DOV
Declined for Other Varieties
EC
European Commission
EU
European Union
Fallowfield
Ottawa Plant Laboratory – Fallowfield, CFIA
FDN
Foundation status seed
HC
Health Canada
HVS
Higher voluntary standard
ISO
International Organization for Standardization
ISTA
International Seed Testing Association
JHA
Job Hazard Analysis
LSCI
Licensed Seed Crop Inspector
LSTS
Laboratory Sample Tracking System
M & P
Canadian Methods and Procedures for Testing Seed
M
Meets the labelled grade
MRRS
Management Resources and Results Structure
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet
MWT
Meets the grade, with tolerance
NDA
National Designated Authority
NFC
Not Finally Certified
OECD
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
OECD B
OECD Basic status (OB)
OECD C1
OECD Certified 1st Generation status (OC1)
OECD C2
OECD Certified 2nd Generation status (OC2)
OECD NFC
OECD Not Finally Certified
OECD PB
OECD Pre-Basic status (OPB)
OIC
Orange International Certificate (ISTA)
OSH
Occupational Safety and Health
OT
Out of tolerance
OVD
Demoted for Other Varieties
PPE
Personal protective equipment
P & G
Purity and Germination
PC
Phytosanitary Certificate
PNT
Plant with a Novel Trait
PRS
Product Registration System (CFIA)
QMS
Quality Management System
QSP
Quality System Procedure
QV
Quality verification
REG
Registered status seed
RPO
Regional Program Officer
ROA
Report of Analysis (seed) (also SAC)
RSE
Registered Seed Establishment
RSO
Regional Seed Officer
SAC
Seed Analysis Certificate (also ROA)
SCST
Society of Commercial Seed Technologists
SEL
Select status seed
SICA
Seed Import Conformity Assessor
SLAAP
Seed Laboratory Accreditation and Audit Protocol
SPRA
Seed Program Regulatory Authority
SSF
Sample Submission Form
SSTS
Seed Science and Technology Section, Saskatoon Laboratory
SWI
Specific Work Instruction
VI
Varietal Identity
VP
Varietal Purity
VRO
Variety Registration Office
VV
Variety Verification
WHMIS
Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System
WTO
World Trade Organization

4.0 References

This SPRA identifies the references relating to the seed program, as they apply to all areas of seed program design and documentation. These references allow for a common foundation in understanding the seed program documents.

In all cases, the most recent version of the references should be consulted.

4.1 Legislation and Regulations

4.2 CFIA Seed Program Regulatory Authority Standards, Quality Systems Procedures and Specific Work Instructions

Seed program documentation is developed in a hierarchical structure.

The Seed Program Regulatory Authority (SPRA) describes the supporting legislative and regulatory authority for specific related seed programs. The numerical codes applied to the SPRAs are as follows:

The Quality Systems Procedure (QSP) establishes the quality parameters for delivery of the specified seed programs that derive from the regulatory authority. There may be multiple QSPs under a single SPRA. QSPs are coded numerically as follows:

The Specific Work Instructions (SWI) provide detailed operational guidance for inspectors, program officers, other CFIA personnel and in some cases, external partners and industry personnel for the actual delivery of the specified seed program. SWIs are derived from the QSPs. There may be multiple SWIs under a single QSP. SWIs are numerically coded in the same way as QSPs as follows:

Additional guidance documents, forms, explanatory notes, and other written materials are appended to, referenced in, or serve as supplementary information to the above documents as required from time to time.

Following is a list of the Seed Program documents currently in use. From time to time, other documents may be created or re-established from previous documents.

4.3 Seed Industry References

Date modified: