Our Lab

Our seed lab began as part of an ongoing commitment to quality and to provide on-site testing for our production lots. Real-time mill checks allow us to cut production time and reduce loss. Quality testing throughout the production process ensures that the seed leaving our facility meets our customers' high quality standards. Our lab has expanded to offer AOSA and Canadian Seed analysis in germination, physical purity, tetrazolium dormancy testing, and AOSA moisture testing. The members of our lab are passionate about seed testing, working to develop new testing protocols and promoting standardization in seed analysis.

We pride ourselves on holding our laboratory testing to the same high standard that Universal Seed LLC is already known for in seed production. Our laboratory manager is always happy to explain our testing procedures and discuss seed testing protocols with our customers. Unless otherwise requested and stated, all testing is conducted according to the AOSA Rules for Testing seeds. Laboratory tests are always a reflection of the sample submitted. To help everyone take the best samples possible, the AOSA has made the chapter of the AOSA Rules regarding seed sampling available to the public. It can be found at the joint AOSA/SCST website AnalyzeSeeds.com

Lab Customers

How to send samples:

Please include a new customer form if one has not yet been completed, and clearly identify your submitted samples with the lot, kind, and variety (or VNS), as well as the tests requested. Samples sent via USPS should be mailed to the main Universal Seed Co. office, as they do not deliver direct to the lab.

Direct to lab via UPS or FedEx:
Universal Seed LLC - Seed Lab
3465 Independence Hwy
Independence, HWY 97351

To main office via USPS:
Universal Seed LLC - Seed Lab
1285 N. Main Street
Independence, OR, 97351

Our Team

Quality Manager

Quinn Gillespie, Registered Seed Technologist
Quinn has worked in the seed industry since 2006 as a seed analyst and as a research farm worker and has been a Registered Seed Technologist since 2012.
Quinn is a very active member of the Society of Commercial Seed Technologists, as a member of the SCST Executive board from 2017-2019 and the SCST co-chair of the Referee committee, SCST co-chair of the Communications and Publications committee, AOSA/SCST Newsletter Editor, and chair of the SCST Constitution and Bylaws committee.

Seed Analyst

Carmen Maldonado Carmen works with the Universal Seed production mill staff to facilitate mill checks and timely sample processing. She is also trained in purity testing, germination and planting procedures. She is continuing her education in tetrazolium testing, moisture testing, and seed sampling procedures under AASCO and ISTA sampling methods.