The Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA), formerly known as the International Crop Improvement Association, is a
trade organization based in the United States. Founded in 1919, its function is to develop and promote
certified
Certification is the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestation or confirmation of certain characteristics of a ...
varieties of
seed
A seed is an embryonic plant enclosed in a protective outer covering, along with a food reserve. The formation of the seed is a part of the process of reproduction in seed plants, the spermatophytes, including the gymnosperm and angiospe ...
for agricultural use.
History
The International Crop Improvement Association evolved from the
Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association The Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association (WCIA), initially called the Wisconsin Experiment Association, was organized in 1901 by Ransom Asa Moore at the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agriculture, with the help of farmers and gra ...
(WCIA), initially called the
Wisconsin Experiment Association The Wisconsin Crop Improvement Association (WCIA), initially called the Wisconsin Experiment Association, was organized in 1901 by Ransom Asa Moore at the University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agriculture, with the help of farmers and gra ...
. This was organized in 1901 by
Ransom Asa Moore at the
University of Wisconsin–Madison College of Agriculture, aided by graduates of that college and farmers, with the objective of improving and disseminating strains of seed.
[University of Wisconsin Agronomy Department, the First 100 Years: A Brief History of Agronomy at the University of Wisconsin–Madison from 1903 to 2002, University of Wisconsin–Madison. Dept. of Agronomy, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System, 2003, , 9780967958743] The establishment of the International Crop Improvement Association followed in December 1919 when Moore presented a proposed constitution for the organization in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
It was proposed that the organization be international rather than national to allow Canada to be a member.
Moore was named the first president of the organization in 1920.
Functions
The Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) assists clients in the production, identification, distribution and promotion of certified classes of seed and other crop propagation materials. Its membership currently includes seed certifying agencies across the US, and member countries including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, Chile and Brazil. Its mission is "To promote and facilitate the movement of seed or plant products in local, national, and international markets through the coordinated efforts of official seed certification agencies acting to evaluate, document, and verify that a seed or plant product meets certain accepted standards."
References
{{University of Wisconsin–Madison
External links
AOSCA
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Product certification
Agricultural organizations based in the United States