Farm Saved Seed
Unlock Your Farm's Full Potential with Farm Saved Seed
The NAAC’s Farm Saved Seed (FSS) processors take pride in offering a first-class service to growers for all their farm saved seed requirements.
1. Quality Seed under your control
Our Farm Saved Seed (FSS) processors have seen demand for their services grow over the past 20 years, with FSS now a major market segment in the UK seed industry. This growth is drive by the direct benefits farm saved seed brings to you:
♦ Seed is ready when needed: Prepared on your schedule.
♦ Maintain quality control on your farm: Full oversight from production to processing.
♦ Professional processing, on-farm: Expert equipment and knowledge brought to you.
♦ Select bold seeds for optimal yield: Vigorous seeds for stronger crops.
♦ Seed cleaned and treated to your specification: Customised to your farm’s needs.
Strong partnerships between FSS processors, agronomists, and customers ensure timely processing and seed availability. Our processors are flexible, adapting to your requirements for the best results.
2. NAAC Seed Trials - Seed Size Matters
Independent trials by SGS (2021-2024) have proven that larger seed sizes of typical UK varieties of winter wheat and spring barley consistently led to superior performance. Carried out in greenhouse and field conditions, the results highlighted that seed size is a vital factor in potential yield.
These trial results highlight the importance of drilling only viable seed. Larger seeds, from the same lot, demonstrated higher germination, increased initial vigor, longer initial root and shoot lengths, higher root and shoot mass, greater initial tillering, and more initial leaves compared to smaller seeds.
Based on these findings, a crop drilled with smaller or uncleaned seed would likely result in lower yield and potentially lower grain quality than a crop from larger, professionally cleaned seed. Every small, unproductive seed in your drill is a lost opportunity.
3. Understanding Seed Royalties
Under Section 9 of the Plant Varieties Act 1997, farmers must declare farm saved seed and pay a royalty to the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) for eligible varieties. This applies whether seed is processed or straight from the barn. These payments support continued investment in improved varieties.
This covers wheat, barley, oilseed rape, oats, triticale, field peas, field beans, linseed, rye, and potatoes. Farm-saved seed must not be marketed, purchased, given, or transferred to another business for re-planting.
The easiest way to pay royalties is through an NAAC seed processor, typically as a tonnage-based component of your processing invoice. Most farmers choose this convenient method.
4. The Advantage of Professional Processors
If you’re farm saving, using a professional mobile seed contractor is a smart investment. They don’t just select larger, more productive seeds; they also remove weed seeds, stones, and other debris that can block drills and reduce yield. As agronomic progress accelerates, starting with the best possible seed sample is fundamental.
Many mobile plants feature multiple advanced grading types: aspiration, gravity separation, de-stoning, de-awning, and screen grading.
This multi-stage process ensures superior cleaning and precise selection, optimising your seed quality.
5. Essential Seed Treatments for Crop Health
Significant investment in accurate seed treatment equipment and trained operators means NAAC mobile processors have access to a full range of seed treatments; fungicidal, nutrient and biological. These can be tailored to specific fields requirements, giving your crop the best start.
It’s generally advisable to treat FSS with a single purpose dressing to protect against common seed and soil-borne diseases. We also recommend testing your seed for germination and vigour; this can be arranged through a NAAC seed processor.
6. The Verified Seed Standard: Your Assurance of Quality
Quality control and traceability are crucial for farm-processed seed. NAAC members can join the Assured Land-Based Contractor (ALBC) (Verified Seed) Scheme to promote professionalism and high standards of safe, traceable working practices.
Launched 26 years ago, the ALBC (Verified Seed) scheme was an industry leader, establishing the first independently audited quality standard for farm-saved seed services, offering customers genuine assurance about mobile seed processing contractors.
Over the years mobile seed cleaning contractors have seen a steady increase in demand for their services. The NAAC has responded by providing its members with the tools they need to provide a quality service and the ALBC Verified Seed Standard offers an additional layer of reassurance to customers.
The ALBC Verified Seed Scheme applies to contractors processing seed on-farm using mobile machinery for use under the direct control of the farmer, where the seed is not for sale or intended for sale.
Ready to elevate your farms performance? Discover how NAAC Farm Saved Seed can benefit you!
Useful Links
BSPB Farm Saved Seed Declarations: https://www.bspb.co.uk/seed-declarations/
BSPB Combinable Crops Information: https://www.bspb.co.uk/seed-declarations/combinable-crops/
For top tips for growing farm saved seed: https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/top-tips-for-growing-farm-saved-seed
What you need to know about farm-saved seed from combinable crops: https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/what-you-need-to-know-about-farm-saved-seed-from-combinable-crops
