North Dakota has one official seed control area, near Cando ND. Historically, North Dakota has produced some of the finest seed in the United States due to a rotation of seed stocks from isolated areas, to the Cando control area, to the Red River Valley.

Production of nuclear and low-generation seed takes place in isolation areas near Beach or Grenora. Nuclear and low-generation lots move to the Cando or other well-isolated production areas, then on to seed farms in the state. North Dakota’s seed production occurs primarily in the northern Red River Valley, but seed is also produced in other well isolated area’s in the southeast and south-central portions of the state. Production from these farms is used primarily for seed recertification, or in commercial production of tablestock and processed potatoes in North Dakota and other states.