(1) GRADING BY
DEPARTMENT. At the request of a seed potato grower, the department may grade a
lot of seed potatoes that the college has certified under s.
ATCP 156.02(1). The department shall grade
the lot according to this subchapter, based on a grading inspection under sub.
(5). The department may not grade the lot until the college issues its
certification in writing under s.
ATCP 156.02(3).
(2) GRADE ASSIGNMENT. Whenever the department
grades a lot of certified seed potatoes under sub. (1), the department shall
assign that lot a grade under sub. (3). The department may refuse to assign a
grade if the lot fails to comply with any of the grade standards under sub.
(3). The department shall do all of the following whenever the department
assigns a grade to a lot:
(a) Issue to the
seed potato grower a grade certificate that includes all of the following:
1. A unique identification number for the
graded lot.
Note: A graded lot may be a subset of a lot certified by
the college under subch. II.
2. The identity of the seed potato
grower.
3. A description of the
graded lot. The description shall include the potato variety and shall identify
the storage bin, container or conveyance in which the potatoes were held when
graded.
4. A copy of the tag issued
by the college under s.
ATCP 156.02(3m).
5. The identification numbers of the
department seals issued for the graded lot under par. (b).
(b) Issue an appropriate number of seals for
the graded lot. Each seal shall bear an identification number that is unique to
that seal. The seed potato grower may use the seals to attach certification
tags, issued by the college under s.
ATCP 156.02(3)
(a), to seed potato shipments from the graded
lot. Certification tags shall be those issued for the certification lot from
which the graded lot originates.
Note: The issuance of the seal does not necessarily mean
the department actually seals the bag, tote, bin, truck or other container of
inspected potatoes. In many cases, the potatoes are handled by other persons
after the department inspects the potatoes and before they are delivered to the
customer.
(3) GRADES AND
GRADE STANDARDS. The following grades of certified seed potatoes shall meet the
following grade standards:
(a) Badger state
brand. Badger state brand potatoes shall meet the grade standards in s.
ATCP 156.12.
(b) Yellow tag brand [grade]. Yellow tag
brand [grade] potatoes shall meet the grade standards in s.
ATCP 156.13.
(c) Badger state foundation brand. Badger
state foundation brand potatoes shall meet the grade standards in s.
ATCP 156.14.
(d) Yellow tag foundation grade. Yellow tag
foundation grade potatoes shall meet the grade standards in s.
ATCP 156.15.
(4) REQUEST FOR GRADING. A seed potato grower
shall make a grading request under sub. (1) in writing, on a form provided by
the department. The requester shall agree to pay the department's reasonable
grading costs, as determined by the department. A grading request may cover 2
or more lots of seed potatoes.
Note: To obtain the form required under sub. (4), a seed
potato grower may do any of the following: ¢ Visit the department's
website at www.datcp.state.wi.us.¢ Call the
department's fruit and vegetable inspection office at 715/345-5212. ¢ Call
the department's Bureau of Business Trade Practices at 608/224-4998.
(5) GRADING INSPECTION. The
department shall grade a lot of certified seed potatoes based on visual
inspection of one or more samples of potatoes selected from that lot. The
department shall select samples that appear to be visually representative of
the lot. Each sample shall include at least 20 pounds of potatoes and the
number of individual samples from each lot may vary with the size of the lot.
Tolerances for size and defects shall be calculated on the basis of weight. The
department shall inspect enough samples to obtain a reliable representation of
the lot.
(6) APPLYING TOLERANCES.
(a) The occurrence rate for a defect or size
violation in a graded lot, determined as an average of the occurrence rates for
each of the samples selected under sub. (5) from the graded lot, may not exceed
the applicable tolerance specified under s.
ATCP 156.12 or 156.13.
(b) Within an individual sample selected
under sub. (5) from a graded lot, except as provided in par. (c) or (d):
1. No defect or size violation may occur at a
rate that is more than 1.5 times the applicable tolerance specified in s.
ATCP 156.12 or
if that 156.13 to lerance is more than 10%.
2. No defect or size violation may occur at a
rate that is more than twice the applicable tolerance specified in s.
ATCP 156.12 or
if that 156.13 to lerance is 10% or less.
(c) Within an individual sample selected
under sub. (5) from a graded lot:
1. The rate
of sprout damage may not exceed the applicable sprout damage tolerance
specified in s.
ATCP 156.12 or 156.13.
2. There may be no more than one off-size
potato and one defective potato.
(d) Potatoes damaged by freezing, soft rot or
wet breakdown may not occur, at more than 3 times the applicable tolerance
specified in s.
ATCP 156.12 or 156.13, in more than one-tenth of
the samples selected under sub. (5) from a graded lot.
