https://nativeyardatlas.com/tags/seed-transfer/ Recent content in Seed-Transfer on NativeYardAtlas.com Hugo en-US Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://nativeyardatlas.com/native-status-and-provenance/source-identified-seed-vs-local-ecotype/ Thu, 29 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://nativeyardatlas.com/native-status-and-provenance/source-identified-seed-vs-local-ecotype/ <h1 id="source-identified-seed-versus-local-ecotype">Source-identified seed versus local ecotype</h1> <p>“Source Identified” has a defined meaning within the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Plant Materials Program. “Local ecotype” is also used in plant sales, but it does not by itself tell you which program or geographic boundary the seller means.</p> <p><img src="https://nativeyardatlas.com/native-status-and-provenance/source-identified-seed-vs-local-ecotype/seed-label-questions.svg" alt="Three labels answer different questions: NRCS source identity, a seller-defined local ecotype, and a seed-zone transfer tool." loading="lazy" decoding="async"></p> <h2 id="what-the-nrcs-class-says">What the NRCS class says</h2> <p>NRCS Source Identified releases name the species and collection location for an indigenous ecotype; the program does not scientifically evaluate that release class. Other NRCS classes describe different levels of comparative evaluation: Selected releases have desirable traits with minimal test data, Tested releases have more testing, and Cultivars have heritable traits evaluated across their recommended area. These are NRCS program terms, not a universal retail label system.</p>