I.
Amplification of General Certification Standards.
A.
The
General Standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to seeded
type forage bermudagrass produced from vegetatively propagated fields. This is
done in accordance with the procedure specified by the originator.
B.
Only
those fields planted from sprigs harvested from breeder or Foundation fields
will be eligible for certification. When fields are established by vegetative
propagation for reproduction, from different clones, foundation plots of each
clone must be maintained and inspected to insure genetic purity. (Standards
for vegetative propagation will apply). This crop is produced under a limited
generation system as defined in section XLI A.
C.
For a field to be eligible for certification, the grower must notify
the Association in writing during the calendar year of planting or sprigging
that he intends to certify subsequent crops, although he need not certify the
crop the first year of any subsequent year.
II.
Land Requirements
A.
A field to be eligible for the production of Foundation seed must not
have grown or been seeded to the same species during the previous five years
and must have included a cultivated crop for three years.
B.
A field to be eligible for the production of Certified seed must not
have grown or been seeded to the same species during the previous three years
and must have included a cultivated crop for two years unless the crop was the
same variety and passed field inspection for certification. All fields or
portions of fields intended for certification must have a definite boundary
such as a fence, ditch, roadway or barren strip at least ten feet wide.
C.
A field to be eligible for the production of Foundation or Certified
planting stock must have been thoroughly inspected at a time prior to planting
(pre-plant inspection), when objectionable plants can be determined, and must
have been found to be free of (or controlled/contained) noxious weeds and
other strains of the same species being planted. Further the field being
inspected must not have been tilled or otherwise molested prior to the
inspection in such a way as to obscure objectionable weeds.
III. Field Inspection
A.
Each field intended for certification must be inspected prior to
planting and at harvest; one additional inspection shall be made after greenup
and prior to heading depending on the type being inspected. A fall inspection
may be applicable if needed.
IV. Field Standards
A.
General
1.
Unit of certification
The
unit of certification shall be a field, but a portion of a field may be
approved provided the discarded portion can be harvested separately and is
eliminated from certification.
2.
Isolation
A
field to be eligible for certification must be isolated from any other
perennial grass, meeting isolation standards, by a barrier that will prevent
encroachment or mechanical mixing during harvest.
|
Forage Types |
*Minimum
isolation distance required (ft.) |
||
Reproduction
|
Foundation
|
Certified
|
|
|
C |
900 |
165 |
|
* When different classes of seed of the same variety are being grown in
the same or adjacent fields, the isolation requirements may be reduced to 25%
of that shown in the above table.
B.
Specific Requirements
|
Forage Types |
Maximum
other varieties/off-types permitted in each class
|
|
Foundation
|
Certified
|
|
|
None |
0.30%(by
area) |
|
V.
Seed Standards
A. Specific
Seed Standards
|
Forage Type |
Standards
for each class |
|
|
Factor |
Foundation |
Certified |
|
Pure
seed (minimum) |
99.00% |
98.00% |
|
Inert matter
(maximum) |
1.00% |
2.00% |
|
Weed
seed (maximum) |
0.05% |
0.25%* |
|
Prohibited weeds
(maximum) ¹ |
None |
None |
|
Other
kinds including other varieties (maximum) |
None |
0.20% |
|
Other varieties
(maximum) |
None |
0.10% |
|
Total
germination and hard seed (minimum) |
85.00% |
80.00% |
* Seeded
Forage Bermudagrass may contain up to 0.75% weed seed if the percentage
greater than .25% is crabgrass.
VI. Referee Sample
A
representative sample of at least one-half pound as the seed is to be sold
shall be submitted to the Association for laboratory analysis.