Certification begins in the field. Inspectors from a state seed certification agency visit the growing crop at defined stages to check isolation distance, off-type plants, and objectionable weeds. A field that fails inspection is rejected before harvest, regardless of how the seed later tests.
After harvest, a sample from each lot goes to an accredited laboratory for germination, physical purity, and moisture testing. Lots meeting the Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards receive tags — white for foundation seed, blue for certified seed — that travel with every container sold.