Pennsylvania Code
Title 7 - AGRICULTURE
Part V - Bureau of Plant Industry
Chapter 115 - STANDARDS FOR SEED CERTIFICATION
Subchapter D - CORN-COMMERCIAL HYBRIDS
FIELD STANDARDS
Section 115.82 - Isolation requirements
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) Fields in which commercial hybrid field corn are being produced shall be so located that the female, or seed parent is not less than 660 feet from other corn of a different kernel color or type (field, sweet, pop, flint, white or red) in all directions, including the diagonal.
(b) Small areas (not larger than 1% of the area of the seed producing field) of corn, closer than 660 feet to the seed producing field will not be considered contaminating, if the pollen is controlled. Failure to properly control pollen shedding of the small areas shall be cause for rejection.
(c) Large areas (greater than 1% of the area of the seed producing field) of corn, closer than 660 feet to the seed producing field will be cut to the ground before the seed parent has 3% receptive silks. Where the contaminating corn is of the same type, then this distance may be modified by the size of the crossing field, and by the planting of border rows of pollen or male parent.
(d) The following table indicates the minimum number of border rows required for fields of various sizes, when located at different distances from other corn:
Minimum Distance From Contaminant | Minimum Numbers of Male Border Rows Required | |
0-20 Acres | [GREATER THAN]20 Acres | |
660 | 0 | 0 |
570 | 4 | 2 |
490 | 6 | 2 |
410 | 8 | 4 |
330 | 10 | 6 |
270 | 12 | 8 |
210 | 14 | 10 |
150 | 16 | 12 |
90 | 18 | 14 |
[LESS THAN]90 | 24* | 16** |
*minimum of 60' including border rows.
**minimum of 40' including border rows.
(e) The requirements for outside male rows shall apply to all sides of the crossing-field exposed to contamination from other corn, except that a requirement for only two male rows may be disregarded where it would necessitate planting across the row-ends of the crossing-field.
(f) Border rows of male shall be adjacent to and not separated from the female rows.
(g) Sufficient seed of male should be obtained to plant the maximum number of outside male rows that would be required by any possible rearrangement of plantings by neighbors, or by the grower himself in planting nearby fields of corn. The plot should be insured against any changes.
The provisions of this § 115.82 amended under 3 Pa.C.S. § § 7111 and 7117.