Accelerated Aging
Duration: Approximately 10 days
Accelerated aging can be used to estimate field emergence under less than ideal conditions and how well seeds will store. An advantage is that many types of seed can be tested using the AA test.
Accelerated Aging
Test Details
The test consists of placing a specific amount (by weight) of seed or a single layer of seed on an elevated screen. The screen is placed into an acrylic box that contains 40ml of water. When the box is covered with a tight-fitting lid and placed into the AA chamber, the seeds are exposed to high temperature and humidity. The aging period ranges from 48 to 96 hours depending on the type of seed (corn and soybeans: 72 hours). The seeds are removed from the chamber and promptly planted on blotters, paper towels, or Versapak®. Seeds planted on Versapak® are covered with a layer of moist soil. The seeds are grown a period of time similar to a warm germination test and the number of normal seedlings are reported. A rule of thumb is that a good AA score is within 15% of an acceptable Germination test.
Iowa State University Laboratory Seed Testing Price List
Prices effective September 2022.
- Treating seeds cost per sample will be less depending on the number of samples.
- Testing by ISTA or Canada Rules (M&P) may require an extra charge.
| Crop** | Standard Germination | Purity Test | Noxious Exam | Tetrazolium (TZ) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corn | $16 | $18 | $18 | $38 |
| Soybeans | $16 | $18 | $18 | $32 |
| Industrial Hemp | $25*** | $18 | $12 | Hourly |
| Cereals, Millet, Sorghum, Buckwheat, Flax, Sunflower, Cotton | $18 | $14 | $12 | $34 |
| Small-Seeded Legumes | $20 | $17 | $12 | $40 |
| Vegetables 1, Flowers 1 | $20 | $17 | $12 | $40 |
| Vegetable 2, Flowers 2, Herbs, & small-seeded species | $25 | $17 | $12 | $40 |
| Grasses: Category 1 | $25 | $25 | $21 | $40 |
| Grasses: Category 2 | $35 | Hourly | Hourly | Hourly |
| Grasses: Category 3 | $35 | $27 | $21 | Hourly |
| GRASS MIXTURES | $35/species | Hourly | Hourly | Hourly |
| Tree, Shrub, Weeds | $35 | Hourly | Hourly | Hourly |
** Mixtures, dirty, and/or low quality samples are subject to a $50.00/hour charge.
*** Significant ungerminated seeds at the end of a germ test are subject to an hourly charge.
Other Tests
| Test | Price |
|---|---|
| Sand Germination | $22 |
| Iowa Tray Cold Test | $17 |
| Accelerated Aging | $17 |
| Saturated Cold Test | $27 |
| Oven Moisture | $18 |
| Instrument Moisture | $10 |
| Bleach Test | $18 |
| Fast Green Test | $24 |
| Seed Count | $10 |
| Test Weight | $10 |
| Seed Treatment | $10 |
| Hourly Charge | $60 |
Other tests available on request – see below for misc. pricing / notes.
SMALL-SEEDED LEGUMES:
- Alfalfa, Clover, Prairie Clover, Sweet Clovers, Crownvetch, Guar, Lespedeza, Trefoil,Vetch, Hairy Vetch
GRASS CATEGORIES:
- Category 1: Brome grass, Fescue, Orchardgrass, Ryegrass (without fluorescence test)
- Category 2: Indiangrass, Prairie Cordgrass, Indian Ricegrass, Alkali Grass, Prairie Dropseed, Sand Dropseed, Lovegrass, Switchgrass, Bluestems, Reed Canarygrass, Gramas, Buffalograss, Creeping Foxtail Wheatgrass spp., Sporobulus spp., Stipa spp., Sugarcane, Teff, Three-awns
- Category 3: Bentgrass, Bluegrass, Buffalograss, Redtop, Timothy, Bluejoint, Juncus spp., Junegrass, Purpletop, Pennisetum
VEGETABLE CATEGORIES:
- Category 1: Vegetable species not in Category 2
- Category 2: Beet, Sugar Beet, Swiss Chard, Carrot, Celery, Chickpea, Lentil, Lettuce, Parsnip, Pepper, New Zealand Spinach, Peanut
FLOWER CATEGORIES:
- Category 1: Flower species not in Category 2
- Category 2: Alyssum, Begonia, Geranium, Hollyhock, Ipomoea, Lathyrus, Lobelia, Lupine, Malva, Petunia , Gentiana, Birdhouse Gourds, Partridge Pea, Sidalcea, Penstemon
How is testing invoiced and paid for?
- The report of analysis has the fee listed as well as test results, but payment is not made from the report. A billing statement will be sent at the end of the month, but payment isn’t made from this either. Finally, Iowa State University Accounts Receivable will mail an invoice and payment is made from that invoice.
- Payment is normally made by check as we don’t accept credit cards.