Minnesota Struggling with Faulty Seeds

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture is warning landowners around the state to be cautious when buying and planting their seeds, especially for conservation plantings.

The MDA has recently encountered a lot of issues with seed sold in the state. Over the last two years, the highly-invasive weed Palmer Amaranth was accidentally introduced into the state through conservation seed mixes. The department found seed that was mislabeled with inaccurate information regarding the contents of the seed mix. Also, seed has been sold in Minnesota with very low germination rates. All of these issues are serious violations of state law.

Minnesota Ag Commissioner Dave Frederickson says Minnesota’s seed industry is very important to agriculture and conservation efforts. “We are fortunate to have many reputable native seed producers that benefit pollinator habitat and conservation efforts,” Frederickson adds. “However, just a few bad players can bring in invasive weeds.” The MDA is urging its landowners to remain vigilant in an effort to better the Minnesota landscape.

Source;  NAFB News