Rules & Regulations of the State of Tennessee
Title 0080 - Department of Agriculture
Subtitle 0080-06 - Plant Certification
Chapter 0080-06-04 - Regulations for Turfgrass Certification
Section 0080-06-04-.01 - CERTIFICATION
Universal Citation: TN Comp Rules and Regs 0080-06-04-.01
Current through September 24, 2024
No turfgrass sod shall be sold, offered, stored or held for sale, or transported within or into the State unless such stock shall have been certified as being essentially free of injurious plant pests, diseases, weeds, and mixtures of other grasses by the Director, Division of Plant Industries of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, or by a legally constituted agency designated for such purposes in other States, territories or countries; Provided, however, that under certain stipulated conditions enumerated below uncertified turfgrass sod may be allowed to be moved within the State under a permit issued by the Director of the Division of Plant Industries. The requirements for the certification of turfgrass sod are as follows:
(1)
(a)
Persons desiring to offer turfgrass sod for certification must make application
to the Director, Division of Plant Industries, Tennessee Department Of
Agriculture at least sixty (60) days prior to the preparation of the land for
planting, for approval of the proposed planting site.
(b) Stock must be planted on land previously
approved by the Director, or a representative of the Division of Plant
Industries, Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
(c) Vegetative propagating stock or seed used
for planting must have been secured from sources that are certified by a duly
established certifying agency of this or other states and it shall be the'
responsibility of the applicant to furnish documentary evidence that such stock
or seed was in fact secured from such certified sources.
(d) Fields or blocks of turfgrass sod for
certification must be isolated from other perennial grasses, crops or weeds by
a clean or fallow strip or barrier at least ten (10) feet wide. Where more than
one variety or species of turfgrass is being grown for certification in the
same field they must be separated by a clean or fallow barrier at least ten
(10) feet wide in order to prevent mixtures.
(e) Fields or blocks of turfgrass for
certification must be maintained essentially free of injurious plant pests
and/or diseases, and must show evidence of good cultural practices
(fertilization, mowing, weed control, etc.). A grower may be required to apply
specific control measures as recommended or approved by the Director, Division
of Plant Industries, when such measures in the judgment of the Director or his
representative are required for the control of plant pests, diseases, or weeds.
Failure or refusal to carry out such control measures may disqualify the field
or block from certification or result in the cancellation of any certification
then in effect.
Records of all pesticide applications must be kept by the grower and made available to the Director or his representative on request.
(f) Certification
of turfgrass sod in Tennessee will be made in two classifications:
1. Tennessee Certified Premium - Turfgrass
sod certified in this classification must meet the following minimum
requirements:
(i) Ninety-five percent (95%)
pure stand, with not more than five percent (5%) of species of turfgrasses
other than the one offered for certification.
(ii) Essentially free of injurious plant
pests and diseases.
(iii) Free of
prohibited weeds and essentially free of other weeds (not more than three
percent (3%) at time of last inspection prior to harvesting).
(iv) The sod must be of uniform color,
density, texture and free of excessive thatch.
2. Tennessee Certified Turfgrass sod
certified in this classification must meet the following minimum requirements:
(i) Eighty-five percent (85%) pure stand with
not more than fifteen percent (15%) of varieties or species of turfgrasses
other than the one offered for certification.
(ii) Essentially free of injurious plant
pests and diseases.
(iii) Free of
prohibited weeds and essentially free of other weeds (not more than five
percent (5%) at time of last inspection prior to harvesting).
(iv) The sod must be of uniform color,
density, texture and free of excessive thatch.
3. List of prohibited weeds:
| (i) Bindweed | Convolvulus arvensis |
| (ii) Buckhorn plantain | Plantago lanceolata |
| (iii) Thistle | Cirsium spp. |
| (iv) Corncockle | Agrostemma githago |
| (v) Dodder | Cuscuta spp. |
| (vi) Johnsongrass | Sorghum halepense |
| (vii) Oxeye Daisy | Chrysanthemum leucanthesuma |
| (viii) Quackgrass | Agropyron repens |
| (ix) Wild garlic | Allium vineale |
(g) Should the inspection indicate that a
part or parts of a field or block of turfgrass sod do not meet the
certification requirements in either of the two classifications listed above,
the remainder of the block or field meeting the certification requirements may
be certified.
(h) Inspections: The
following minimum inspections will be made. Other inspections may be made as
individual circumstances warrant.
1. Planting
site inspection - In order to be eligible for certification the site or sites
to be planted in turfgrass must be inspected and approved by a representative
of the office at least sixty (60) days prior to the preparation of the land for
planting.
2. Pre-plant inspection -
will be made before final preparation for planting. Land should not be tilled
or cultivated for at least two (2) weeks prior to this inspection which is for
the purpose of detecting any noxious weeds and undesirable perennial grasses
that may have germinated after initial land preparation for planting.
3. Field inspections - One or more field
inspections will be made each growing season to determine purity of stand, and
to detect the presence of other perennial grasses, prohibited and other weeds,
plant pests and diseases.
4.
Pre-harvest inspection - will be made within thirty (30) days prior to
harvesting.
Authority: T.C.A. §43-518.
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Tennessee 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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