Arkansas Administrative Code
Agency 209 - Arkansas Agriculture Department
Division 02 - State Plant Board
Rule 209.02.05-006 - Circular 15 - Official Standards for Seed Certification in Arkansas

1. Write for regulations and application blank for the crop you want to certify. These are furnished by the Plant Board. Study these regulations carefully.

2. Secure approved source of seed. Check the regulation on this point.

3. Send completed application to Plant Board Office, Little Rock. Unless you use your own certified seed, be sure to include with your application a copy of the invoice showing purchase of the seed, a set of tags from one of the bags and about a one pound representative sample of the seed. Check the regulations for each crop as to time applications should be made.

4. Completely clean all planting equipment of other seeds and plant the seed for certification in a field which is relatively free of noxious weeds, and one which conforms to the regulations as to isolation from other crops and to crops grown on this field in previous years. Check the regulations on these points for the seed you are certifying.

5. Prior to the field inspection by the Plant Board, be sure to rogue your field of noxious weeds, other crops and off-type plants. This is a very important point and if the job is done well it may mean the difference of the seed being certified or disqualified.

6. Be sure to notify the Plant Board office about two weeks ahead of the expected harvest date so that the necessary field inspection can be made.

7. Completely clean all harvesting equipment and storage of all other seeds so that no mixture will occur at this point. The method of harvesting and the storage should be approved by the Plant Board (check the cotton regulations for special requirements as to ginning and storage of seed).

8. After harvest is completed, report to the Plant Board the number of bushels of seed saved for certification.

9. Keep a close check on the seed in storage to see that the moisture content is low enough to prevent heating. Before cleaning send in a representative sample for a preliminary test. This would not be an official test.

10. Use the best equipment available for cleaning and treating seed. If you are using someone else's facilities to clean your seed, you may request that the Plant Board inspect the cleaning equipment just prior to the cleaning of your seed.

11. New containers, approved reusable containers, or dedicated bulk bins must be used for seed that is for certification.

12. After the seed have been cleaned, notify the Plant Board and an official representative sample for an analysis and moisture test will be taken. This is the final step, and if the analysis conforms to the regulations, you are in line for tags or bulk certificates on your seed. Cottonseed may be officially sampled before being cleaned either in bulk or bags. (Note: only certified blue-tag grade may be sampled in the bulk and be eligible for tags or certificates.)

13. Tags and/or bulk certificates are issued when ordered by the applicant.

14. By carefully following the outline above you should not experience too much difficulty in getting your seed certified. If at any time you have questions or are in doubt about the next step to take, please feel free to contact the Plant Board office.

1. Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis)

2. Nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus)

3. Crotalaria (Crotalaria spp.)

4. Wild onion and/or wild garlic (Allium spp.)

5. Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense)

6. Dodder (Cuscuta spp.)

7. Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon)

8. Cheat or Chess (Bromus secalinus and/or Bromus commutatus)

9. Darnel (Lolium temulentum)

10. Corncockle (Agrostemma githago)

11. Horsenettle (Solanum carolinense)

12. Purple nightshade (Solanum elaeagnifolium)

13. Buckhorn plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

14. Dock and/or Sorrel (Rumex spp.)

15. Blueweed (Helianthus ciliaris)

16. Morning Glory (Ipomoea spp.)

17. Hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium)

18. Giant Foxtail (Setaria faberi)

19. Cocklebur (Xanthium spp.)

20. Moonflower (Ipomoea turbinata)

24. Barnyardgrass (Echinochloa crusgalli)

(A) Any person wishing to secure a license as a plant breeder shall first apply to the Board for a Qualification Data Sheet, which must be filled out in complete detail and returned to the Director, who shall place on file said data sheet and keep it available for reference at all times.

(B) Only such persons bearing a reputation for honesty, competency, and fair dealing will be favorably considered as applicants.

(C) In order to obtain a certificate as a state licensed plant breeder, all persons applying to the board for seed registration will be required to appear before the Director at a designated time and place, and stand a written examination on the scientific principles and economic phases of plant breeding, the questions to be made out and graded by the Agronomy Department, College of Agriculture and Home Economics, University of Arkansas.

(D) In case any person applied to the Board for a certificate who, operating a well established seed breeding unit regularly, has in his employment under contract (a copy of which must be furnished to the Director) one or more technically trained plant breeders, only the employed plant breeder shall take the examination. The certificate, if granted, shall be issued in the name of the applicant, but the name of the plant breeder passing the required examination must appear thereon.

(E) A grade of seventy-five will be considered a passing grade and any person making such a mark, or above, shall when he has complied with all other requirements, and produced a commercial quantity of Foundation or Registered seed, be issued a certificate as a licensed plant breeder, and be entitled to purchase a sufficient number of Foundation or Registered seed tags to cover the production of seed from the acreage that has passed all requirements.

(F) Provided, that in addition to passing the written examination the applicant shall maintain a breeding program which shall be under the observation of the Director for a period of three years, and if at the end of that time the methods used and the results obtained, are scientific and worthy, then the certificate shall be issued. Or provided, that the applicant shall employ one or more qualified plant breeders who shall have a Master's or Doctor's degree in plant breeding, and only the employed plant breeder shall take the examination, and as soon as a breeding program is started the certificate shall be issued. In addition to the name of the applicant the name of the breeder shall appear on the certificate. And provided, that if for any reason the applicant's breeding program in any crop shall be discontinued then the certificate covering that crop shall be revoked. Also, any person having a doctorate degree in plant breeding and three years experience would not be required to take the examination.

(G) Any person passing the written examination or the field observations will not be required to pass an additional examination, unless the certificate should be revoked, or his crop should fail for a period to pass the necessary field inspection.

(H) Foundation seeds shall be produced only by a person holding a certificate from the Board, entitling said person to be officially designated as a licensed________breeder (name of crop to be inserted in blank as said person may qualify).

(I) Any person seeking a certificate as a producer of Foundation or Registered seed must own or control land necessary in the breeding and production of seed of high purity and excellency. If the said person does not own his land, it will be necessary to furnish the Director with copies of all contracts or their equivalent, showing actual possession of the land.

(J) All seed eligible for Foundation grade and which is registered in the name of any person shall be his own or his employed plant breeder's selection, except that a licensed plant breeder may obtain Breeder seed of the crop for which he is licensed from another licensed plant breeder, or Agricultural Experiment Station, or the USDA, and produce Foundation seed from this material; provided he has written approval from the organization releasing the variety concerned. In emergency cases where there is no source of Foundation seed of a variety still in demand, any licensed plant breeder may be permitted to take the variety for purification, if necessary, and subsequently produce Foundation Seed.

(K) Any licensed plant breeder may have produced for him, under contract and under his direct supervision, his Registered seed, provided, that each unit under contract must comply with regulations specified hereafter under specific regulations of the various crops.

(L) No person who has been granted a certificate as a licensed plant breeder shall be allowed to advertise the fact without designating in all such advertising material the crop or crops that certificate is granted for.

GENERAL SEED CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

These general standards are applicable to all crops eligible for certification, and with the specific standards for each crop will constitute the Regulations for Seed Certification.

A. Type of Certifying Organization: The Arkansas State Plant Board under Act 73 of Acts 1931 of the state legislature is the official certifying agent.

B. Purpose of Certification: The purpose shall be to maintain and make available to the public, through seed certification, high quality seeds and propagating materials of superior crop plant varieties, so grown and distributed as to insure genetic identity and purity.

C. Eligibility of Crop Varieties for Certification:

D. Classes of Certified Seed and Definition of Terms: Four classes of seed shall be recognized for seed certification. These classes shall meet the specific requirements approved for each crop. These classes are as follows:

E. Limitation of Generations for Certified Seed: The number of generations through which a variety may be multiplied shall be limited to that specified by the originating breeder or owner and shall not exceed two generations beyond the Foundation seed class with the following exceptions which may be made with the permission of the originating or sponsoring plant breeder, institution, or the designee:

F. Establishing Source of Seed: Any person applying for certification on a crop planted from seed other than his own production, must submit with his application, a copy of purchase invoice with identity, or other documentary evidence to provide source, quantity, and class of seed planted. If application covers seed of own production, the applicant shall identify the lot number, quantity and class of seed being planted.

G. Application: The State Plant Board will furnish application blanks for certifying seed. The dates for filing applications on the various crops are as follows:

Applications should be made on or before the above dates. Late applications may be accepted provided they can be processed and the inspection made without jeopardizing the handling of those applications filed prior to the deadline date. The fee for late applications will be an additional $50.00 for each variety applied on. The applicant must have in force a valid Seed Labeler's License or Certification Permit (Refer to Circular 10: Regulations on the Sale of Planting Seed in Arkansas, Section 5. Fees.)

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.

I. Production of Seed:

J. Cleaning Equipment: It is the applicant's responsibility to make sure that all seeders, drills, wagons, trucks, harvesters, cleaners, bins, etc., are thoroughly cleaned of other seeds. The applicant may, before starting to clean seed, secure the Board's approval of the cleaning equipment. (See FEE section for the cost(s) of this optional service.)

K. Storage and Storage Inspection:

L. Processing of Seed:

M. Sampling: An official sample of each lot of seed to be certified shall be obtained by a representative of the State Plant Board, at the request of the applicant, from those lots that are so stored that a complete representative sample may be drawn. These samples will be drawn according to the rules of the Association of Official Seed Analysts. These samples, if used as a basis for approving lots for certification, shall be taken only from lots that have been cleaned, graded, and packed in approved containers, each of which is printed or stenciled to show the lot number, except that, all grades of cottonseed may be sampled in bulk, and Blue Tag Grade seed of all other crops may be sampled in bulk provided the seed has been cleaned and graded.

In order to secure a representative sample, equal portions shall be taken from evenly distributed parts of the quantity of seed to be sampled. Access shall be had to all parts of that quantity. When more than one trierful of seed is drawn from a bag, different paths shall be followed. When more than one handful is taken from a bag, the handfuls shall be taken from well-separated points. Sampling of seed for certification shall be accomplished by one of the following approved sampling methods:

N. Laboratory Analysis: An official laboratory analysis will be made by the State Plant Board Laboratory. Also, a Registered Seed Technologist approved and licensed by the State Plant Board may run an official analysis on seed for certification of designated crops only. These analyses will be conducted according to the rules of the Association of Official Seed Analysts, and will be made from samples obtained by State Plant Board Inspectors. The sample on which the purity analysis and noxious weed seed examination is made will not be less than the minimum weights for working samples required by the State Plant Board's certification regulations for the grade and kind of seed. Confirmation tests will be made by the State Plant Board on samples tested by a licensed Registered Seed Technologist and used as a basis for labeling seed for certification. Such confirmation tests must show that the seed is truthfully labeled and meets the minimum standards for the grade and kind of seed.

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.

P. Certification of Seed in Bulk:

Seed eligible for bulk certification shall meet all field and clean seed standards for certified seed as specified in these regulations. All rules for production, conditioning, and testing of certified seed shall apply, except that seed does not have to be in bags.

Q. Sale of Seed: Certified seed of any crop cannot be sold as such, under any grade, until the seed has been properly cleaned, graded, packed in approved containers, with tags/labels or (for seed allowed to be sold in bulk) accompanied with a bulk certificate.

R. Substandard Seed in Emergencies: It is recognized that in an emergency, such as unfavorable weather conditions, much seed necessary for the advancement of crop improvement would be lost if regular certification standards are adhered to. Therefore, under such circumstances, seed failing to meet certification standards other than those affecting genetic purity may be certified, provided there is no injury to the reputation of certified seed.

S. Interagency Certification: Interagency Certification may be accomplished by participation of more than one official certifying agency in performing the services required to certify a lot of seed.

T. Responsibilities:

U. Special Crops Those crops, if accepted for certification, for which no standards appear in this publication, will be certified on the basis of the minimum standards established by the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies.

STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATION OF CRIMSON CLOVER

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

B. Land Requirements:

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

STANDARDS FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF COTTONSEED

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

B. Licensed Cotton Breeders: A licensed cotton breeder producing Foundation and Registered seed shall maintain a complete cotton breeding unit consisting of single stalk selections, inbred lines, or hybrids, planted in "plant-to row, or mass selection plots"; first, second, and third year multiplication plots and producing fields; all of which shall be well marked, so that their identity in the field is maintained. Complete records shall be kept showing the planting scheme, giving comparative data on the characteristics of the above work for at least three years. He shall have available for use such small gins, scales and other equipment that is necessary to efficiently process the breeding plots. Said equipment and records shall be available for inspection by Plant Board representatives at all times.

C. Application and Classes:

D. Field Standards:

E. Ginning and Storage:

F. Processing Seed:

G. Seed Standards:

STANDARDS FOR CERTIFICATION OF COWPEAS

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

B. Land Requirements: A crop will not be eligible for certification if planted on land where cowpeas, other than a certified crop of the same variety, were grown in the previous two years.

C. Isolation: A field for certification must be isolated from other cowpeas, by at least 30 feet. If the adjoining field is of the same variety and is being certified, then no isolation would be required.

D. Field Standards:

Note: Only a small amount of johnsongrass in the field will be accepted.

E. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

STANDARDS FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF TALL FESCUE

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

B. Land Requirements:

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

STANDARDS FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF LESPEDEZA*

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:

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

STANDARDS FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF OKRA SEED

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

B. Land requirements: The crop to be certified must not be sown on land which has within the last three years produced a crop of another variety of okra or an uncertified crop of the same variety. It is suggested that land used be as nearly free of nematodes as possible.

C. Handling Crop Prior to Field Inspection: The grower will be responsible for the roguing of fields on which certification is requested. The following program is suggested:

D. Field Standards:

E. Standards for Clean Seed:

* Objectionable noxious weeds shall include field bindweed, johnsongrass, nutgrass, crotalaria, balloonvine, serrated tussock, itchgrass, and tropical soda apple.

STANDARDS FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF RAPE SEED

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

B. Land Requirements: Foundation and Registered seed of rape must be planted on land which did not produce rape during the previous four years. Certified (Blue Tag) seed of rape must be planted on land which did not produce rape during the previous three years.

C. Isolation: A field producing any class of Certified seed must have the minimum isolation distance from fields of any other variety of the same kind or from non-certified crop of the same variety as follows:

D. Field Standards:

E. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

* Shall not exceed 1 per pound for Foundation; 2 per pound for Registered; and 5 per pound for Certified (Blue Tag).

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

B. Land Requirements: The crop to be certified must not be sown on land which has within the last two years produced a crop of another variety or an uncertified crop of the same variety.

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

* Other varieties shall not include variations which are characteristics of the variety.

** Four pounds shall be hulled from each lot to determine the noxious weed content, including red rice.

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

B. Land Requirements: A small grain crop may only be planted on land on which any small grain planted in the previous two years was of another crop kind, or was planted with a class of certified seed of the same variety.

Point of clarification: Land requirements are also met if cultivated crops were grown on the land the previous two summers and the land winter fallowed.

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Clean Seed:

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

B. Land Requirements: The crop to be certified must not be planted on land which has within the last year produced a certified crop of another variety, or an uncertified crop of either the same or another variety.

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

STANDARDS FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF SOYBEANS

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

B. Land Requirements: Soybeans shall not be grown on land where the previous crop was soybeans unless the preceding soybean crop was planted with certified seed of the same variety or unless the variety planted is of a contrasting pubescence or hilum color.

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed:

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

B. Land Requirements:

C. Field Standards:

D. Standards for Cleaned Seed: