SMALL GRAIN SEED

                 CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS

 

 

  I.        BASIC RULES

 

The UCIA General Seed Certification Requirements and Standards are basic and with the following constitute the Requirements and Standards for small grains (wheat, triticale, barley, oats) certification.

 

 

II.         SEED PRODUCTION

 

A.        APPLICATIONS

 

                        Dates and fees for applications are as listed in the General Requirements and Standards.

 

            B.        SEED ELIGIBILITY

 

            Small grains varieties currently certified in Utah are listed in Prefix A.

 

            C.        LAND REQUIREMENTS

 

                        1.         Dryland suitable for the production of Certified grain seed must be either (a) summer fallowed two years or longer and kept free from weeds and volunteer grain, or (b) virgin land free from volunteer grain, or  (c) newly plowed land that has been growing perennial legumes or grasses for three years or longer and on which volunteer grain has not been permitted to seed, or (d) land on which a certified grain of the same variety was produced the preceding crop.

 

2.         Irrigated land suitable for the production of certified grain seed must be either (a) land that has grown other crops the preceding year and is free from volunteer grain, or  (b) land on which a certified grain of the same variety was produced the preceding crop, or  (c) virgin land free from volunteer grain.

 

3.         Isolation: 

a.      Fields of a different small grains crop or other inseparable crop kind (e.g. safflower) shall be separated by a fenceline, mowed strip, or other definable border such that mechanical mixtures during harvest are prevented.

b.      A field producing any class of certified seed of a specific small grains crop kind shall be separated from fields producing other varieties of the same kind by a minimum distance of 10 feet.

c.      To reduce incidence of hybridization between jointed goatgrass and wheat or triticale, wheat or triticale fields shall have the following isolation zone from jointed goatgrass plants on fence lines or borders or in adjacent fields or non-crop areas:

Foundation class – 75 ft.

Registered class – 50 ft.

Certified class – 25 ft.

 

The isolation zone may be maintained outside of the field entered for certification, or the appropriate border may be left within the field adjacent to the jointed goatgrass infestation by harvesting the approved areas of the field first or by removing the isolation zone area before harvesting equipment cleanup.

 

 

NOTE:  Current field standards state that tolerance for jointed goatgrass plants within a small grains field entered for certification is zero; tolerance for jointed goatgrass X wheat or triticale hybrids will also be zero for Foundation and Registered class fields and one per acre for Certified class fields.

 

 

 

 


D.        FIELD INSPECTION

 

 

                        1.         A field inspection will be made after the crop is fully headed when varietal or crop mixtures and other factors can be determined.

 

            2.         UCIA representatives are available to give a preliminary inspection of fields and recommend roguing of weeds (especially wild oats), off types, other varieties or crops, etc.  Such roguing must be accomplished before the official pre-harvest inspection (see General Requirements and Standards, Section V. F.).


 

E.        FIELD STANDARDS

 

1.         Tolerance in the field for other varieties and crops, weeds, and diseases:

 

 

 

 

Maximum (plants per acre)

Permitted in each Class

 

Factor

 

Foundation

 

Registered

 

Certified

 

Other varieties, off types, *a

 

Other small grains and inseparable

    other kinds *b

 

.001%

 

(1/100,000)

 

.002%

 

(1/50,000)

 

.01%

 

(1/10,000)

 

 

Rye

 

None *f

 

None

 

None

 

Seed-Borne Diseases *c

 

—

 

—

 

—

 

Noxious Weeds

   Prohibited

   Restricted *d Objectionable *e

 

 

None

None

None

 

 

None

None

None

 

 

None

None

One (1)

 

*a         See definition of Offtypes, General Requirements and Standards.

 

*b         Includes crop plants for which the seed cannot be removed by the usual method of cleaning (e.g. ., safflower in barley).

 

*c         If seed-borne diseases (loose smut, common smut, dwarf bunt, ergot, etc.) are noted upon field inspection, notation will be made on the report and the lot will be monitored closely during conditioning and seed testing (see Seed Standards).

 

*d         Wild oats, jointed goatgrass and others listed in General Requirements and Standards.

 

*e         Jointed goatgrass X wheat hybrids, flanders poppy, and bur ragweed

 

*f          See General Requirements and Standards. (II. E.) for working definition of "none".  Noxious weeds must be rogued or under chemical or mechanical control such that no seeds are produced that would not be separated out in the normal conditioning process.

 


F.         HARVEST

 

Harvesting equipment and storage bins must be carefully cleaned and will be inspected at the discretion of the UCIA.


III. CONDITIONING, SAMPLING, AND LABELING

 

     A.              SEED STANDARDS

 

 

 

 

Standards for Each Class

 

Factor

 

Foundation

 

Registered

 

Certified

 

Pure Seed (min.)

 

99.0%

 

98.0%

 

98.0%

 

Inert Matter (max.) *a

 

1.0%

 

2.0%

 

2.0%

 

Other Varieties and other small grains      (except Rye)

 

1

per 3 lbs

 

1

per 1 lb

 

2

per lb

 

Rye (max.)

 

None *e

 

None

 

None

 

Other Kinds

 

0.01%

 

0.02%

 

0.02%

 

Weed Seeds, Noxious

   Prohibited

   Restricted *b

   Objectionable *c

 

 

None

None

None

 

 

None

None

None

 

 

None

None

None

 

Weed Seeds, non-regulated weeds (max)

 

None

 

0.02%

 

0.02%

 

Seed-borne Diseases

   Loose Smut (max) *d

   Smut balls (max)

   Ergot (max)

 

 

None

3 per lb

0.05%

 

 

None

3 per lb

0.05%

 

 

0.2%

3 per lb

0.05%

 

Germination

 

85%

 

85%

 

85%

 

*a         Inert matter includes broken kernels; inert matter other than broken kernels shall      not  exceed 0.5%

 

*b         Wild oats, jointed goatgrass, and others listed in General Requirements and Standards.

 

*c         Flanders poppy and bur ragweed.

 

*d         Embryo test required for susceptible varieties; treatment with full rate of carboxin required if stated tolerances are exceeded.

 

*e         See General Requirements and Standards (II E.) for working definition of “none”.

 

 


 

 


B.        SEED SAMPLING

 

1.         A representative sample of 3 lbs of each seed lot shall be drawn by or under the supervision of a UCIA representative after the seed has been conditioned by an approved cleaning facility.

 

2.         A representative sample may be drawn before conditioning to check germination, presence of loose smut, etc., and may serve as the official sample if seed standards including purity are met and conditioning is not desired (as in the case of a farmer planting back his own seed or selling Certified class seed in bulk).

 

3.         Foundation class seed samples must be 6 lbs.

 

            C.        TAGGING OR BULK CERTIFICATES

 

Small grains certified seed must be packed in new bags or sold in bulk.  Seed is not certified unless the proper tags or Bulk Certificate accompanies the seed.  Fees are as listed in the General Requirements and Standards.