Ag officials warn of mysterious Chinese seeds

Mysterious packages of seeds have put ag experts in Iowa on high alert this summer.

Thousands of American households began receiving unsolicited seed packages from China last month. Recipients are urged not to plant or dispose of the seeds, as they could be invasive. Instead, they should contact the Iowa Department of Agriculture so the agency can collect, analyze and properly destroy the seeds.

"The Iowa Department of Agriculture is working closely with the USDA to trace, collect and properly destroy these unknown seeds to protect our agriculture community from plant and seed-borne diseases," said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig in a news release.

The USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is working closely with other federal agencies and state-level departments to investigate the situation. Officials are asking recipients to hold onto the seeds and packaging, including the mailing label, until someone from the Iowa Department of Agriculture or APHIS contacts you with further instructions.

At this time, APHIS has no evidence indicating this is something other than a "brushing scam," where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales. The USDA is currently collecting seed packages from recipients and will test their contents to determine if they contain anything that could be of concern to U.S. agriculture or the environment.

State ag officials have not released information on what kind of seeds have been received in Iowa. However, seed analysts with the Minnesota Department of Agriculuture Laboratory have identified some as cosmos, radish, mung bean, juniper, basil, cucurbit and zinnia. While these are not seeds from invasive plants, they may carry disease and pests can hide in packaging. So far, there is no indication the unsolicited seeds have gone through appropriate inspection or that they are properly labeled.

According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, unlabeled seeds and seeds from unknown origins should never be planted. They pose the risk of introducing an invasive plant species or seed-borne diseases that do not currently exist in the United States.

ISU Extension & Outreach field agronomist Joel DeJong, who serves nine northwest Iowa counties including O'Brien, said he's heard of "a few" people in the region who've received the unsolicited Chinese seeds. Though he hadn't yet heard what kind of seeds they were, he reiterated state officials' warnings.

"They don't know what kind they are, but the biggest thing is to make sure you do not plant them," he said.