The Iowa Cold Test
The (Iowa) Cold Test gives a reasonable idea of emergence under less than ideal, but not severe, conditions. The Iowa Cold Test has been conducted at Iowa State for more than 40 years.
Corn (primarily, but also soybean, cereals and other species) traditionally is tested at 10°C (50°F) for seven days and then at 25°C (77°F) for seven days., but a quick cold test is available – three days at 10°C and four days at 25°C. The 14 days test can be reduced to seven days cold and 4-5 days warm without significantly differing from the longer test.
The Iowa Cold Test
Test Details
Two replications of 100 seeds are placed on Versapak® that has been moistened and chilled overnight at 10C. The amount of water added will bring the sand/soil used to cover the seeds to 70% of its water holding capacity. The germination cart is returned to 10C for seven days without light. The cart is moved to 25C for seven additional days (4-7 are an option). A quicker option is to for the cold period to be three days and the warm period four days.
Seedlings that emerge through the sand/soil mixture are evaluated according to modified AOSA Rules For Testing Seeds. The modification reflects the need for stronger root and shoot development under stressful conditions. The use of sand & soil are recommended in the AOSA Seed Vigor Testing Handbook.
Iowa State University Laboratory Seed Testing Price List
Prices effective March 2021.
- 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 | $14 | $15 | $0 | $35 |
| Soybeans | $14 | $15 | $0 | $30 |
| Industrial Hemp | $25*** | $16 | $10 | Hourly |
| Cereals, Millet, Sorghum, Buckwheat, Flax, Sunflower, Cotton | $18 | $13 | $10 | $30 |
| Small-Seeded Legumes | $18 | $16 | $10 | $40 |
| Vegetables 1, Flowers 1 | $19 | $14 | $10 | $40 |
| Vegetable 2, Flowers 2, Herbs | $25 | $15 | $10 | $40 |
| Grasses: Category 1 | $25 | $22 | $18 | $35 |
| Grasses: Category 2 | $35 | Hourly | Hourly | Hourly |
| Grasses: Category 3 | $35 | $24 | $18 | 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 over VersaPak™ Germination | $19 |
| Towel Germination – Corn, SB | $24 |
| Mycotoxin (including Aflatoxin) | $35 |
| Iowa Tray Cold Test – Corn, Soybean | $14 |
| Iowa Tray Cold Test – Sweet Corn | $15 |
| Iowa Tray Cold Test – Other Species | $15 |
| Accelerated Aging | $15 |
| Saturated Cold Test | $23 |
| Oven Moisture / Instrument Moisture | $14 / $6 |
| Seed Treatment (per sample, different trts) | $9 |
| Seed Treatment (per sample, same trts) | $6 |
| Cotton Cool | $18 |
| Vigor / Frost TZ – Corn | Hourly |
| Visual Exam – Weed / Insect | Hourly |
| Stone Bean Test | $12 |
| Etch Test | $20 |
| Water Soak | $14 |
| Bleach (Soak) Test | $14 |
| Fast Green Test | $24 |
| Waxy Corn Purity | $35 |
| Seed County | $7 |
| Test Weight | $5 |
| Varietal Purity | $17 |
| Sizing (per grade size) | $6 |
Other tests available on request – see below for misc. pricing / notes.
Miscellaneous Prices and Notes
- Prices may be adjusted due to fluctuations in testing costs. Our goal continues to be to give the lowest prices and best service possible!
- The ISU Seed Lab reserves the right to decline to test some samples due to work load, etc..
- Samples taking over 30 minutes are pro-rated by the hourly rate (primarily purity, noxious, & TZ).
- Mixtures: For an official test, components will be germinated separately. There will be hourly fee to prepare (separate components & obtain pure seed) mixtures for planting.
- Tetrazolium (TZ) tests are not done on pelleted seed.
- Vigor/frost TZ test on corn is done on two replications of 50 seeds and reviewed by the Seed Science Center’s seed physiologist.
- No charge for checking ungerminated seeds for dormancy unless there is a high level of dormancy. In that case the hourly charge applies.
| Hourly Charge | $50 |
|---|---|
| Separating Components of Grass Mixtures | Minimum of $75/hour |
| Rush Fee (excluding seed health testing). Rushes are not normally needed. | $10/Sample |
| Reprint reports of analysis (no charge unless time consuming) | $5/Report |
| Reprint reports or any office request requiring significant time | Hourly |
| Additional copies of reports or information more than two years old | $30 (Minimum) |
| Revise reports of analysis (upon customer request) | $5/Report |
| Pelleted Germ | $30 |
| Pelleted Purity | Hourly |
| Germination of seed mixtures (charged by component for official test) | Total of Component Germ Fees |
| Fluorescence Test (including Germination test) | $32 |
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.