South Carolina Code of Regulations
Chapter 27 - CLEMSON UNIVERSITY STATE LIVESTOCK-POULTRY HEALTH COMMISSION
Article 14 - SEED CERTIFICATION STANDARDS
Section 27-1003 - Soybean Certification Standards
Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 3, March 22, 2024
I. Application of General Certification Standards
The General Certification Standards, Clemson University Regulation 27-190, as adopted are basic and applicable and together with the following standards constitute the standards for certification of soybean seed.
II. Land Requirements
Soybeans shall be grown on land on which the previous crop was of another kind, or planted with a class of certified seed of the same variety or with a variety of a contrasting pubescence or hilum color.
III. Field Inspections.
A field inspection shall be made after leaves have dropped and prior to harvest. For Foundation class, a flower color inspection shall also be made.
Off -type soybean plants or other objectionable plants, such as corn and cowpeas, should be removed from the field.
IV. Field Standards
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.
Fields of soybeans shall be separated from any other variety or uncertified seed of the same variety by a strip of ground not in soybeans and at least 5 feet wide.
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Maximum Permitted-Ratio of Plants |
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Foundation |
Registered |
Certified |
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Other varieties |
1:5000 |
1:3000 |
1:2000 |
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Weeds and other crops with |
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inseparable seeds |
All must be removed from field prior |
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to harvest. |
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V. Seed Standards
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Standards for each class |
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Factor |
Foundation |
Registered |
Certified |
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Pure Seed (minimum) |
N.S. |
98.00% |
98.00% |
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Inert Matter (maximum) |
N.S. |
2.00% |
2.00% |
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*Weed seeds (maximum) |
0.03% |
0.04% |
0.05% |
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**Objectionable weed seed (maximum) |
None |
None |
None |
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Total other crop seeds (max.) |
2/lb. |
4/lb. |
8/lb. |
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***Other varieties (max.) |
2/lb. |
4/lb. |
8/lb. |
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****Other kinds |
1/lb. |
1/lb. |
2/lb. |
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Germination and hard seed (minimum) |
N.S. |
80.00% |
80.00% |
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*Total weed seed shall not exceed 10 per lb. |
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**Objectionable weeds shall be S.C. noxious weeds and others designated by the Seed Certification Department. |
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***Off-colored beans due to environmental factors shall not be considered other varieties. Other varieties shall be considered to include off-type seeds that can be differentiated from the variety that is being analyzed. |
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****Corn, sunflower seed, maximum; Foundation - N.S.; Registered- None; and Certified - 1 per pound; Cowpea Seed, Maximum; Foundation and Registered - None; Certified - 1 per pound. The preceding cowpea standards apply for issuing certification tags. S.C. certified soybeans sampled by the S.C. Department of Agriculture (SCDA) or the Seed Certification Department after having been tagged must have the certification tags removed and all mention of certification eliminated on the bag if found containing any cowpeas in Foundation Seed, more than one cowpea per pound in Registered seed or more than two cowpeas per pound in Certified seed. N.S.-No Standards |
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****Germination for edible varieties may be lowered to 70.00%. |
VI. Size of Lots
For the purpose of issuing certification tags or bulk sale certificates the standard maximum lot size for soybeans shall be 30,000 lbs.
VII. Size of Official Sample
A 2 lb. sample of soybeans is required for official purity and germination tests by the S.C. Department of Agriculture. Note: If soybean seed are to be treated with a pesticide that coats or colors the seed, a sample of the untreated, conditioned seed must be submitted for the varietal purity analysis and a sample of the treated, conditioned seed must be submitted for the germination test.
