Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 209 - Arkansas Agriculture Department
Division 02 - State Plant Board
Rule 209.02.04-008 - Official Standards for Seed Certification

Universal Citation: AR Admin Rules 209.02.04-008

Current through Register Vol. 49, No. 9, September, 2024

A. The general seed certification standards are basic, and together with the following specific standards, shall constitute the regulations for the certification of lespedeza.

* The Marion variety of Striate Lespedeza is allowed to be certified if it meets the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) standards for lespedeza.

B. Land Requirements:

1. A crop of the same kind must not have been grown or planted on the land for 5,3 and 2 years prior to stand establishment for producing the Foundation, Registered and Certified seed classes respectively.

2. 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 material shall be applied the year previous to seeding or during the establishment and productive life of the stand.

C. Field Standards:

1. Isolation: Lespedeza for certification must be isolated from any other field not being certified of the same or another variety, or a certified field of another variety by at least 15 feet. If the adjoining field has been sown broadcast, this distance must be at least 30 feet.

2. Field Inspection:

Factor

STANDARDS FOR EACH CLASS

Foundation

Registered

Certified Blue Tag

Other Varieties

.02% (1 in 5000)

.03% (3 in 10,000)

.05% (1 in 2000)

Objectionable Noxious Weeds 1.

None

None

None

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

Factor

STANDARDS FOR EACH CLASS

Foundation

Registered

Certified Blue Tag

Pure Seed (minimum)

98%

98%

98%

Other Varieties or Other Crop (maximum)

27 per lb.

45 per lb.

45 per lb.

Objectionable Noxious Weeds 1.

None

None

None

Other Noxious Weeds (maximum)

27 per lb.

45 per lb.

45 per lb.

Inert Matter (maximum)

2%

2%

2%

Weed Seeds (maximum)

.5%

1%

1%

Germination including Hard Seed (minimum)

80%

80%

80%
1. Objectionable noxious weeds shall include field bindweed, wild onion, dodder, johnsongrass,

nutgrass, bermudagrass, crotalaria, balloonvine, serrated tussock, itchgrass, and tropical soda apple.

General Seed Certification Standards

H. Fees: The application fee and the acreage inspection fee shall be paid at the time the application is filed for all crops except cotton. The acreage inspection fee on cotton shall be paid prior to the time the field inspection is made.

2.
(b) Blue Tag Bags/Approved New or Reusable Containers:

Those applicants equipped and approved to label Blue Tag Grade seed on the containers shall report the amount in each lot so labeled.

Blue Tag Bags.....................................................

8 cents/bag

Approved New or reusable containers:

Rigid mini-bulk containers..........................

8 cents/50 lbs.

Flexible mini-bulk containers (Superbags)....

8 cents/bushel

L. Processing of Seed:

1. The following requirements must be met by processors of all classes of certified seed:
(g)
1.

All seed approved for certification must be packed in new containers or approved reusable containers as indicated below.

Regi stered grade:

a) New flexible mini-bulk (superbags) or rigid mini-bulk containers (as approved by the Plant Board Seed Division) for all crops.

Note: Lot size for registered grade crops packed in these containers is limited to 3,000 bushels per lot.

Blue tag Grade approved reusable containers are the following:

a) Rigid mini-bulk containers (as approved by the Plant Board Seed Division) for soybeans, rice or wheat.

b) Flexible mini-bulk containers (Superbags - new or cleaned) for soybeans, rice or wheat.

O. Tags and Labels for Approved Containers:

All classes of certified seed, when offered for sale, shall have an official certification label affixed to each container, clearly identifying the certifying agency, the reference number, the kind and variety name, and class of seed. Chemically treated seed shall be labeled to comply with the seed laws.

2. Mini-bulk Containers (such as the flexible or rigid containers listed in section L. (g): During conditioning, each bag will be labeled with kind, variety and lot number. When offered for sale or sold, each container shall bear a certification label with all required labeling. The weight may be left blank when labels are printed and written in ink on each label. (Seedsmen who have equipment allowing equal weight in each bag of a lot, may use labels with weight printed in.)

5. Securing Labels: Certification labels other than those printed on the containers shall be attached to containers in a manner which prevents easy removal and re-attachment.
(f) Mini-bulk Containers (such as the flexible or rigid containers listed in section L. (g): After filled and sampled for grade, bag shall be sealed with a seal. Before shipping and after approval for grade, the label will be attached and sealed to prevent removal.

1. Objectionable noxious weeds shall include field bindweed, wild onion, dodder, johnsongrass, balloonvine,serrated tussock, itchgrass, and tropical soda apple.

Note: Field must be inspected each year a crop of seed for certification is harvested whether lespedeza was seeded the same year or was a volunteer stand.

Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Arkansas may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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