I.
Amplification of General Certification
Standards
A.
The General Certification Standards are amplified as follows to apply
specifically to alfalfa seed.
1.
The region of adaptation of seed production of a given variety shall be
that recommended by the originating plant breeder and, in the
2.
Foundation, Registered and Certified seed of alfalfa are produced under
a limited generation system as defined in XLI A.
B.
For a field of alfalfa to be eligible for certification, the grower
must notify the Association during the year of planting that he intends to
certify subsequent crops of the stand, although it is not necessary to certify
the first or any subsequent year’s crops.
II.
Land Requirements
A.
A crop of the same kind must not have been grown or planted on land for
four, three and one year prior to stand establishment for producing the
Foundation, Registered and Certified classes, respectively; except two years
are required for the production of the certified class of seed of varieties
adapted to the northern and central regions following varieties adapted to the
southern region.
B.
During the year immediately prior to the seeding of any class of seed,
the land shall be free from volunteer plants.
No manure or other contaminating amendments shall be applied the year
previous to seeding or during the established and productive life of the
stand.
III.
Field Inspection
Each year a seed crop in produced for certification, at least one
official field inspection shall be made at such time as to best determine
varietal purity.
IV.
Field Standards
A.
General
1.
Unit of certification
The
unit of certification shall be filed, but a portion of a field may be approved
provided the discarded portion can be harvested separately and is eliminated
from certification.
2.
Isolation 1 2
To
be eligible for certification, an alfalfa seed field must be isolated from
other alfalfa fields as follows:
Class
|
Less
than 5 acres
|
More
than 5 acres
|
|
Foundation |
900
feet |
600
feet |
|
Registered |
450
feet |
300
feet |
|
Certified |
165
feet |
165
feet³ |
1Isolation distance between classes of the same variety may be reduced to
25% of that indicated.
2Isolation distance for certified seed production shall be at least 500
feet from varieties of dissimilar adaptation.
3If the area of the isolation zone is 10% or less than 10% of the entire
field, no isolation is required.
B.
Specific Field Requirements
Factor
|
Standards
for each class
|
||
Foundation
|
Registered
|
Certified
|
|
|
Other
varieties1:Variety |
1:100 |
1:400 |
1:100 |
|
Sweet clover |
None |
10 |
160 |
|
Other
inseparable legumes |
None |
1
plant per acre |
1
plant per acre |
|
Objectionable weeds
2 |
None |
None |
None |
1In determining variety or strain purity, plants shall be recognized as
impurities only when they can be distinguished with certainty.
This also involves flower color and plant characteristics.
2Field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), johnsongrass (Sorghum
halepense), dodder (Cuscuta ssp.) and dock (Rumex spp.)
V.
Referee Sample
A
representative one-pound sample of the seed as it is to be sold from each lot
shall be submitted to the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association.
VI.
Seed Standards
Factor
|
Standards
for each class
|
||
Foundation
|
Registered
|
Certified
|
|
|
Pure
seed (minimum) |
99.00% |
99.00% |
99.00% |
|
Inert matter
(maximum) |
1.00% |
1.00% |
1.00% |
|
Weed
seed (maximum) |
0.10% |
0.20% |
0.50% |
|
Objectionable weeds
(maximum) 1 |
None |
9
per lb. |
9
per lb. |
|
Prohibited
weeds (maximum) 2 |
None |
None |
None |
|
Other kinds 3 |
0.10% |
0.10% |
0.50% |
|
Other
varieties (maximum) |
None |
0.10% |
0.50% |
|
Total germination
and hard seed (minimum) |
80.00% |
80.00% |
80.00% |
1The
following objectionable weeds may have a tolerance as listed in above table:
red or sheep sorrel (Rumex acetosella), horsenettle (Solanum
carolinese) and purple night shade (Solanum elaeagnifolium).
2See Section XLI P.
3Sweetclover seed (maximum): Foundation – none; Registered – 9 per lb;
Certified – 18 per lb.