Published on 7 May 2025

Certification of seed and plant propagating material

Plant propagating material undergoes testing and authorisation in a two-stage system: first, registration of the plant variety, followed by certification of seed and propagating material. The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) coordinates this authorisation procedure, working with selected offices from the Agroscope Research Station to form the Swiss Federal Service for Seed and Propagating Material (SFSP).

The research station Agroscope Changins keeps a nuclear stock of grapevine plants. These plants are virus-free. — © Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Authorisation procedure

The official certification of seed and propagating material involves a two-stage authorisation process.

• The first stage is variety registration. The FOAG Varieties Ordinance contains the variety catalogues.
• The second stage is the certification of seeds and propagating material after each propagation step.

SFSP certifying authorities inspect seed crops in the field. They collect samples and analyse the seeds and propagating material.

Seed certification

Purity testing in the seed laboratory — © Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Arable and forage plant seeds must be certified before being placed on the market. Testing focuses on variety identity, germination capacity and the presence of seeds from other species.

The certifying authority for the Swiss Federal Service for Seed and Propagating Material (SFSP) is Agroscope's Reckenholz site (Zurich).

Seed potato certification

Seed potatoes must receive certification before being placed on the market. Testing focuses on seed quality and plant health. A defined generation sequence is used during propagation to test for infestation with leaf roll virus and potato virus Y.

The SFSP certifying authority is Agroscope's Changins site.

Certification of fruit and vine propagating material

Defective grafting site of a grafted vine — © Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Propagating material for fruit trees and vines requires a plant passport to be placed on the market. While certification is not required, it significantly contributes to sustainable fruit and vine production in Switzerland. Testing focuses on plant health, with particular emphasis on freedom from viruses and phytoplasmas. Agroscope produces nuclear stocks – healthy and true-to-type starting material for certified varieties – for both fruit and vines.

The SFSP certifying authority is the FOAG, with Veriplant AG serving as the inspection organisation.

Trade control

Risk-based controls are carried out on officially certified seed in trade. The results are reported in the multi-annual national control plan (MANCP).

Sampling — Examination of seeds in the trade — © Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Trade controls carried out — Seed in big bags with a seal at the puncture point. — © Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

Closure seal — Control of seeds in trade in Switzerland — © Federal Office for Agriculture FOAG

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Further information

The FOAG provides a reduced English-language version of its website that does not include all further information such as documents, legislation or links. These can be found on the pages in the three official languages (German, French and Italian).

• Links

  OECD Seed Schemes

  ESCAA European Seed Certification Agencies Association

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