Okra Seed Certification Standards

I.          Land Requirements

Certified seed must be produced on land which did not produce any other variety of okra or an uncertified crop of the same variety the previous year.  It is recommended that okra for certified seed production be grown on land free of nematodes.

II.                  Field Inspection

Field inspection will be made after some of the pods have assumed their mature size.

III.        Field Standards

A.        General

1.         Unit of Certification

The unit of certification shall be a field.

2.         Isolation

To be eligible for certification, an okra seed field must be isolated from fields of any other variety or fields of the same variety that do not meet the variety purity requirements for certification as follows:

 

Class

Feet

Foundation

1,320

Registered

1,320

Certified

825

 

B. Specific Requirements

           

Factor

Maximum permitted in each class

Foundation

Registered

Certified

Other varieties (definite):Variety

None

1:2,500

1:1,250

Other varieties (doubtful):Variety

None

1:750

1:500

Inseparable noxious weeds ¹

None

None

None

1Noxious weeds producing seed that are similar to okra seed in size and specific gravity so that they cannot be cleaned from the seed by the regular method of cleaning.

   

IV.       Referee Sample

A representative one-pound sample of seed as it is to be sold shall be submitted to the Association for laboratory analysis.

 V.        Seed Standards

Factor

Standards for each class

Foundation

Registered

Certified

Pure seed (minimum)

99.0%

99.0%

98.0%

Inert matter (maximum)

1.0%

1.0%

2.0%

Weed seed (maximum)

None

None

3 per lb.

Prohibited weed (maximum) ¹

None

None

None

Other kinds ³

None

0.01%

0.02%

Other varieties (maximum)

None

0.2%

0.5%

Total germination and hard seed (minimum)

N.S. ²

65.0%

65.0%

1See Section XLI P.

2No standards

3Other kinds shall not exceed 2 seeds per lb. in Registered; 3 per lb. in Certified.