This fact-sheets provides guidance on organic regulations for seeds, seedlings, and planting stock.
Seed, Annual Seedling, and
Planting Stock Guidelines
O rg a n i c C e rt i f i c a t i o n F a c t S h e e t
The organic integrity of your farm starts with your seeds, seedlings, and planting stock. Both annual
and perennial crop producers must source products that are compliant with the organic regulations.
USDA organic regulations require the use of organically grown seeds,
annual seedlings, and planting stock. 7CFR §205.204
Seeds and planting stock practice standard
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Organic seeds must be used unless a seed is not commercially available in an organic form. This
requirement includes cover crops and forages. Sprouts must be produced with organic seed.
Organic annual seedlings must be used to produce an organic crop. Temporary variances to
this requirement may be granted in the event of a natural disaster.
Organic planting stock must be used unless the planting stock is not commercially available in
an organic form.
Organically produced crops from non-organic seeds or planting stock may be sold with an
organic claim. However, planting stock may not be represented as organic until 1 full year of
organic management.
Treatments used to prepare a seed or planting stock for planting are only permitted if all
ingredients comply with the USDA organic regulation. Non-compliant treatments are
considered a prohibited material.
The search for organic seeds and planting stock
AGR 3000 – Updated July 2019
Seed, Annual Seedling, and Planting Stock Guidelines
Page 2
Reasons for choosing a non-organic seed or planting stock
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The needed form or variety is unavailable. For example, your farm may require seeds with
specific disease resistance that is not available organically.
The organic variety’s quality is unacceptable.
The seed or planting stock is not available in sufficient quantity.
Cost is not a valid justification for the use of non-organic seed or planting stock.
For the production of edible sprouts, there is no exception to the requirements to use organic seed.
Inputs used for treatment of seeds or planting stock
Treatments used to prepare a seed or planting stock for planting are only permitted if all
ingredients comply with the USDA organic regulation. Treatments that must be evaluated for
compliance include:
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Inoculants: The materials used in Rhizobium or other microbial preparations cannot be
genetically modified.
Pelleting: Ingredients used in pelleting must be non-synthetic or included on the National List at
§ 205.601 for an appropriate use.
Fungicides, herbicides and insecticides used as seed treatments must be compliant for organic
production, including inert and active ingredients. Botanical or biological preparations cannot
be genetically modified.
Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs)
GMOs are not allowed in organic production per §205.105 of the USDA organic
regulations. See the USDA’s list of “Determinations of Nonregulated Status” for a complete
list of GMO crops that may be commercially available in the US.
https://www.ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/be/bioengineered-foods-list
Recordkeeping
Your records must verify that all seeds, annual seedlings, and planting stock comply with the USDA
organic regulations. The following records should be kept and made available at inspections:
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Seed invoices, packages, and organic certificates from the supplier of the seeds and transplants
Documentation verifying attempts to obtain organic seeds or perennial planting stock
Disclosure of all ingredients in seed coatings and inoculants
Verification that inoculants have not been produced with GMOs
Verification that non-organic seeds and planting stock have not been treated with prohibited
materials and have not been genetically modified (for crops also available in a GMO form)
AGR 3000 – Updated July 2019
Seed, Annual Seedling, and Planting Stock Guidelines
Page 3
Terms Defined
Annual seedling. A plant grown from seed that will complete its life cycle or produce a harvestable
yield within the same crop year or season in which it was planted.
Commercial availability. The ability to obtain a production input in an appropriate form, quality, or
quantity to fulfill an essential function in a system of organic production or handling, as determined
by the certifying agent in the course of reviewing the organic plan.
Planting stock. Any plant or plant tissue other than annual seedlings but including rhizomes, shoots,
leaf or stem cuttings, roots, or tubers, used in plant production or propagation.
Additional Resources
NOP Guidance 5029: Seeds, Annual Seedlings, and Planting Stock in Organic Crop Production
https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/5029.pdf
Organic Seed Alliance www.seedalliance.org
ATTRA Seed Supplier Search https://attra.ncat.org/
Organic Seed Decision Tree
WSDA Organic Program
PO Box 42560 | Olympia WA 98504-2560
(360) 902-1805 | organic@agr.wa.gov
https://agr.wa.gov/organic
AGR 3000 – Updated July 2019
All Regions
External Link
4602, 4602, 3000_SeedPlantingStock.pdf, 3000_SeedPlantingStock.pdf, 594191, https://cms.organictransition.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/3000_SeedPlantingStock.pdf, https://cms.organictransition.org/resource/seed-annual-seedling-and-planting-stock-guidelines/3000_seedplantingstock-pdf/, , 1, , , 3000_seedplantingstock-pdf, inherit, 4092, 2024-01-08 17:12:42, 2024-01-08 17:12:42, 0, application/pdf, application, pdf, https://cms.organictransition.org/wp-includes/images/media/document.png
https://cms.agr.wa.gov/WSDAKentico/Documents/FSCS/Organic/Pubs_organic/3000_SeedPlantingStock.pdf?/3000_SeedPlantingStock