United Kingdom
March 6, 2026

Cope Seeds' grass and small seeds specialist, George Mallender, discusses the benefits of certified over farm-saved seed in his latest blog…

As a seeds specialist, I’m seeing more growers place renewed emphasis on getting the basics right from the start – and that begins with seed. Variety choice, seed quality and traceability all play a crucial role in driving strong establishment, consistent performance and long-term productivity.

Investing in high-quality, certified seed isn’t just about compliance, it’s about maximising yield potential, protecting crop uniformity and giving new crops the best possible foundation. In a challenging and increasingly volatile growing environment, starting strong makes all the difference.

The quality and variety of a seed determines its strength, resilience, crop yield and its end quality, which is why using the best seed has never been more important.

Why certified seed is so important:

• Certified seed assures growers that, through a rigorous process, the seed has been tested
  and chosen for its superior genetic and agronomic properties.

• Certified seed gives confidence in varietal purity, ensuring you are drilling exactly the variety
  you selected. Farm saved seed can begin to drift over time, with volunteer cereals or off types
  reducing uniformity. This can affect consistency, disease resilience and ultimately market
  specification.

• Certified seed gives confidence in cleanliness, ensuring admixture is kept to an absolute
  minimum by meeting high regulatory standards and using only the cleanest seed lots.

• Certified seed helps keep seed borne diseases at bay. It is thoroughly tested not only for
  germination, vigour and admixture, but also for seed borne diseases including Fusarium
  graminearum, Microdochium nivale, Septoria and Bunt. This is especially important in organic
  and low input farming systems.

• Certified seed plays a role in managing mycotoxins in the human food chain. Reducing the
  level of mycotoxins in wheat is exceptionally important in low input systems, and starting with
  clean, tested seed forms a key part of that management process.

• Using certified seed frees up time on farm and removes the need for cleaning, testing and
  storing farm saved seed separately.

• It is easier to provide buyers and those in the food chain with proof that your crop has been
  grown from a traceable source. Knowing the origins of a crop can be vital to some buyers,
  and being able to demonstrate a commitment to quality and traceability adds value.

• Using certified seed supports plant breeders who are essential in developing new varieties
  that can withstand changing environmental pressures, evolving disease threats and market
  demands.

Website: https://copeseeds.co.uk/

Published: March 6, 2026