Virginia Administrative Code
Title 2 - AGRICULTURE
Agency 10 - STATE CERTIFIED SEED BOARD
Chapter 10 - RULES AND REGULATIONS PROVIDING FOR THE CERTIFICATION OF SEEDS AND OTHER MATERIALS USED FOR PLANT PROPAGATION PURPOSES
Part II - Certification Standards for Specific Crops
Section 2VAC10-10-100 - Corn certification standards; hybrids, foundation single crosses and inbred lines
Universal Citation: 2 VA Admin Code 10-10-100
Current through Register Vol. 41, No. 3, September 23, 2024
A. General standards. The general standards as adopted in this chapter are basic and apply to corn.
1. Definition of terms:
a. Hybrid corn is seed to be planted for any
use except seed production. It may be any one of the following:
(1) Single-cross. The term "single cross"
means the first generation hybrid between two inbred lines.
(2) Double-cross. The term "double cross"
means the first generation hybrid between two single crosses.
(3) Three-way cross. The term "three-way
cross" means a first generation hybrid between a single cross and an inbred
line.
b. Foundation
single cross. The term "foundation single cross" means a single cross used in
the production of a double cross, a three-way or a top cross. A foundation
single cross to be eligible for certification shall be produced from approved
inbred lines whose source assures their identity and is approved by the
certifying agency.
c. Inbred line.
The term "inbred line" means a relatively true-breeding strain resulting from
at least five successive generations of controlled self-fertilization or of
back-crossing to a recurrent parent with selection, or its equivalent, for
specific characteristics. To be eligible for certification, inbreds shall be
from a source such that its identity may be assured and approved by the
certification agency.
2.
Classes of seed recognized.
a. Only the class
"certified" is recognized in hybrid corn. Hybrid corn shall be produced from
seed that has been grown under conditions that insure its purity and trueness
to type and shall be approved by the certifying agency. Proof of the restoring
ability of the line shall be supplied by the originator.
b. A Foundation single cross shall consist of
the first generation hybrid between two inbred lines to be used in the
production of double, three-way or top crosses. A fertility restoring line may
be substituted for its nonrestoring counterpart in a foundation single cross
provided the fertility restoring line is the same in other observable
characteristics as its nonrestoring counterpart.
B. Land requirements. There are no requirements as to previous crops.
C. Field standards.
1. Field inspection. One or more inspections
shall be made by the certifying agency during the pollination period.
2. Isolation.
a. Foundation single crosses and inbred
lines.
(1) An increase field of an inbred
line, either male sterile or fertile, or a production field of a specific
foundation single cross involving either male sterile or fertile lines shall be
isolated by not less than 220 yards from any other kind of corn, except no
isolation is required for the production of hand pollinated seed.
(2) Adequate natural barriers and
differential maturity dates are permitted for modifying isolation distance for
both inbreds and single crosses provided there are no silks in the seed field
at the time pollen is being shed in the contaminating field.
(3) Single crossing plots shall be isolated
by at least 440 yards from sweet corn, popcorn or open-pollinates of other
colors.
b. Hybrid corn.
(1) A specific hybrid to be accepted for
certification shall be so located that the seed parent is not less than 220
yards from other corn of a different color or texture. However, in the case of
the same color and texture that distance may be 206 yards and further modified
by the planting of pollen parent border rows, the number of which is to be
determined by the acreage of the specific cross in accordance with the
following table. Other exceptions are listed in subdivisions (2) and (3) below.
| When the number of acres in the crossing field is: | Then this minimum number of border rows of male parent is required: | |||||||
| 9 or less | 10-14 | 15-19 | 20-24 | 25-29 | 30-34 | 35-39 | 40 or more | |
| And the distance of the female or seed rows from other corn in yards is: | ||||||||
| 220 | 214 | 209 | 203 | 198 | 192 | 187 | 181 | 0 |
| 206 | 200 | 195 | 189 | 184 | 178 | 173 | 167 | 1 |
| 192 | 187 | 181 | 176 | 170 | 165 | 159 | 154 | 2 |
| 178 | 173 | 167 | 162 | 156 | 151 | 146 | 140 | 3 |
| 165 | 159 | 154 | 148 | 143 | 137 | 132 | 126 | 4 |
| 151 | 145 | 140 | 134 | 129 | 124 | 114 | 110 | 5 |
| 137 | 132 | 126 | 121 | 115 | 110 | 104 | 99 | 6 |
| 124 | 118 | 112 | 107 | 101 | 96 | 90 | 85 | 7 |
| 110 | 104 | 99 | 93 | 88 | 82 | 77 | 71 | 8 |
| 96 | 90 | 85 | 79 | 74 | 69 | 63 | 57 | 9 |
| 82 | 77 | 71 | 66 | 60 | 55 | 49 | 44 | 10 |
| 69 | 63 | 57 | 52 | 46 | 41 | 35 | 30 | 11 |
| 55 | 49 | 44 | 38 | 33 | 27 | 22 | 16 | 12 |
(2) Adequate natural barriers are permitted
for modifying isolation distances.
(3) Differential maturity dates are permitted
for modifying isolation distances, provided there are no receptive silks in the
ear parent at the same time pollen is being shed in the contaminating
field.
3.
Specific standards.
a. Male sterile ear
parent. A male sterile ear parent can be used to produce certified hybrid corn
seed by either of two methods:
(1) Seed of the
normal fertile ear parent shall be mixed with the seed of the male sterile ear
parent of the same pedigree either by blending in the field at harvest or by
size at processing time. The ratio of male sterile ear parent seed to normal
ear parent seed shall not exceed 2:1.
(2) The pollen parent shall involve a
certified pollen restoring line or lines so that not less than one-third of the
plants grown from hybrid corn seed produce pollen which appears to be normal in
quantity and viability.
b. Detasseling or pollen control. The
following requirements apply only when 5.0% or more of the seed parent plants
have receptive silks:
(1) A hybrid will be
disqualified for certification if more than 1.0% of the seed parent stalks have
shed pollen on any one inspection or if the total for three inspections on
different dates exceeds 2.0%.
(2)
Sucker tassels, portions of tassels or tassels on main plants will be counted
when two inches or more of the central stem, the side branches, or a
combination of the two have the anthers extended from the glumes and are
shedding pollen.
c.
Other varieties and off-type plants:
(1)
Foundation single cross and inbred lines:
(a)
A field which contains at any one inspection more than 0.1% of definitely
off-type or more than 2.0% of doubtful type plants that have shed or are
shedding pollen when 5.0% or more of the plants in the field have receptive
silks, shall not be certified.
(b)
Any plant shedding pollen in male sterile rows shall be completely destroyed at
pollination time to eliminate the possibility of its seed production.
D. Seed standards.
1. Single crosses and inbred lines.
a. Single crosses and inbred lines shall be
graded uniformly to insure uniform planting.
b. The tolerance for other varieties or
off-types is 0.1% or a total of 25 off-colored or different textured kernels
per 1,000 ears.
2.
Hybrid seed corn:
| Factor | Certified |
| Pure Seed (minimum) | 99.0% |
| Total Other Crop Seeds, Including Other Varieties (maximum) | 0.25% |
| Total Weed Seeds (maximum) | None |
| Total Inert Matter (maximum) | 1.0% |
| Germination (minimum) | 90.0% |
| Moisture (maximum) | 14.0% |
Statutory Authority
§§ 3.2-4024 of the Code of Virginia.
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