We produce high‑quality basic seed for our varieties, ensuring a strong foundation for certified seed multiplication. Basic seed includes the highest seed classes — pre basic seed (PB) and basic seed (B) — which are also the main seed classes produced by Boreal. All our varieties undergo a strict testing program, after which only the best continue to basic seed production and later move through seed companies to the market. The basic seed is cleaned, stored and packed at our own seed center in Jokioinen, with Boreal’s Nordic expertise.
We begin basic seed production with an authenticity inspection even before a variety is entered into official variety trials and accepted into the EU List of Plant Varieties. We perform authenticity inspections annually on dozens of new breeding lines. The inspection results form a maintenance lot, from which actual seed production continues after the variety has been accepted into the National or EU List. To be accepted, a variety must pass the official DUS test (Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability), which verifies:
The first small lots that pass authenticity inspection are produced by Boreal. As seed quantity increases, cultivation is transferred to our contract growers. Dried harvest from the growers is brought to our seed center for cleaning. From there, the basic seed continues to our variety distributors for further multiplication and certification. Around 50 contract growers produce over two million kilograms of seed bulk annually.
