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Applications Due May 15
The general seed certification standards are basic and together
with the following specific standards constitute the standards
for certification of grasses in Missouri.
Seed Source
- The grower must have planted foundation or registered
seed of a grass variety that is eligible for certification.
- Certified seed is produced by sowing foundation or registered.
These fields will be eligible to produce certified seed
from a planting of foundation or registered seed in accordance
with the following table, provided that the field(s) pass
an annual inspection, meet breeder requirements and no more
than one year elapses between the production of certified
seed crops.
- A one year grace period will be allowed for stand establishment
and will not be counted against the eight (8) years of total
production.
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Land Requirements
- Grasses may not be seeded on land that has been seeded
to any variety or species of the same crop in accordance
with the following table.
| Foundation |
5 years
|
| Registered |
3 years
|
| Certified |
2 years
|
- In order for land to be eligible to produce seed for certification,
an inspection of the land must be made the year prior to
seeding to check for any crop or weed problems. Another
inspection of the land will be made the year of seeding
to check for crop and weed problems.
- Feeding of grass hay to livestock on fields that are
producing certified seed will not be allowed.
- Spreading of manure on fields producing certified seed
is not allowed.
- It is recommended that all fertilizer spraying and haying
equipment be cleaned and inspected before operating on land
producing certified seed to prevent accidental contamination
of the field with other crops or weeds.
- It is recommended that no grazing of livestock be allowed
on land producing certified seed. Should grazing prove necessary,
the livestock must be kept in isolation for a period of
five days and fed a diet of grain or legume hay before being
turned onto land producing certified seed.
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Field Inspections
An inspection is to be made annually after
heading but prior to harvest. In the event that a re-inspection
is necessary, the grower will be charged a minimum fee of
$25.00 or the inspectors actual expenses, whichever is greater.
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Field Standards
- Unit of certification shall be considered an area of land
bounded by
- a fence
- a road
- another crop from which the species being inspected
does not require isolation, or distinct line of demarcation
at least 6 feet wide and may not be divided after inspection
for the purpose of certification.
- There should be a 6 foot mowed boundary around each field,
including all pre-existing ditches and waterways. In the
event of a unmowable ditch that contains a crop of a different
variety of the same species being inspected, you must extend
165 feet into the field before you may save seed for certification.
This distance should not be confused with isolation distances.
- A field producing foundation, registered or certified
seed must have the minimum isolation distances as listed
below from,
- a field of any other variety of the same species,
or
- fields of the same variety that do not meet varietal
purity and seed history requirements for production
of a class of seed equal or higher than that to be produced
from the field being inspected.
- The following isolation requirements shall be met when
any other strain or strains of the same species is in bloom
at the same, except that the minimum isolation for all seed
classes of tetraploids shall be 15 feet from diploids of
the same species.
| |
Border to be removed (ft.)* |
Minimum Isolation (ft.)** |
| |
|
F
|
R
|
C
|
| Cross-pollinated |
0
|
1320
|
660
|
165
|
|
9
|
880
|
515
|
100
|
|
15
|
660
|
330
|
75
|
| Strains at least 80% apomictic or highly
self-fertile species |
0
|
60
|
30
|
15
|
| |
9
|
30
|
15
|
15
|
* where a border is to be removed,
such removal shall not occur until pollination of the
crop to be certified is completed.
** when different classes of seed of the same variety
are being grown on the same or adjacent fields, the isolation
requirements may be reduced to 25% of the distance shown
above. |
- NO prohibited weeds will be allowed in a field producing
a class of certified seed. D. Other crops/varieties may
not be present in excess of the numbers shown below as determined
by plants that can be differentiated from the variety being
inspected.
| |
Maximum permitted ratio of plants |
| |
F
|
R
|
C
|
| Other Crops* |
none
|
1:500
|
1:50
|
| Other Varieties* |
none
|
1:500
|
1:50
|
| *A maximum of
2.00% of other crop, not to exceed 1% of any one variety.
|
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Seed Standards
- To be accepted for final certification, the seed must
be cleaned and baged in new bags and must meet the following
seed quality standards.
|
Brome-grass |
Canary-grass |
Orchard-grass |
Timothy |
Tall Fescue |
| Pure Seed (min.) |
90.00% |
96.00% |
90.00%
|
98.00%
|
99.00%
|
| Inert Matter (max) |
10.00 |
4.00 |
10.00
|
2.00
|
1.00
|
| Weed Seed* |
|
|
|
|
|
Found & Reg
|
0.30 |
0.30 |
0.30
|
0.30
|
0.30
|
Certified
|
1.00 |
1.00 |
1.00
|
1.00
|
1.00
|
| Other Crop** |
|
|
|
|
|
Found & Reg
|
0.25 |
0.25 |
0.25
|
0.25
|
0.25
|
Certified
|
0.50 |
0.50 |
0.50
|
0.50
|
0.50
|
| Germination |
80.00 |
75.00 |
80.00
|
80.00
|
80.00
|
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* all lots must be free of weed seeds contained on
the Missouri Prohibited Noxious Weed list, plus onion/garlic
and musk thistle.
** May contain .50% other crop, provided the other crop
is legume seeds, but never to exceed .50% seed of another
species.
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- Varieties of tall fescue stated to be "endophyte free"
must have a growout test performed to determine the percentage
of live endophyte present. The percentage of live endophyte
must not exceed the following levels.
| Foundation |
0%
|
| Registered |
0%
|
| Certified |
5%
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- All tall fescue stated to be "endophyte free" must have
a green tag affixed to each bag stating that the seed is
at least 95% free from live endophyte. These tags are available
from the MCIA office.
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