PRE-VARIETY GERMPLASM CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

I. APPLICATION OF GENETIC CERTIFICATION STANDARDS

A. The Genetic Certification Standards, pages 1 through 17, are basic.

B. The Genetic Standards are modified as follows:

1. Section II. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR VARIETIES

a. Eligible species include indigenous or non-indigenous trees, shrubs (including vines), or herbaceous plants (forbs and grasses).

b. These standards address seed, seedlings, or other propagating materials of species, selections, clones, intraspecific hybrids, etc. (collectively referred to as germplasm types) which have not been released as a variety. Germplasm types are recognized as follows:

1. Tested Class*

Tested propagating materials shall be the progeny of plants whose parentage has been tested and has proven genetic superiority or possesses distinctive traits for which the heritability is stable, as defined by the certifying agency, but for which a variety has not been named or released. This seed must be produced so as to assure genetic purity and identity from either:

(a) rigidly controlled and isolated natural stands or individual plants, or

(b) seed fields or orchards.

2. Selected Class

Selected propagating materials shall be the progeny of phenotypically selected plants of untested parentage that

have promise but not proof of genetic superiority or distinctive traits, produced so as to ensure genetic purity and identity from either:

(a) Rigidly defined natural stands or seed production areas, or

*"Class" designation is conventionally accepted nomenclature but is not equivalent to class as defined in Section III (see I.B.2)

(b) Seed fields or orchards. This definition is equivalent to the OECD "Untested Seed Orchard" category and may be labelled as such by special tag if required (see item 6.b).

3. Source Identified Class

Source Identified propagating materials are seed, seedlings, or other propagating materials where no selection or testing of the parent population has been made, produced so as to ensure genetic purity and identity from either:

(a) Rigidly defined natural stands or seed production areas, or

(b) Seed fields or orchards.

c. Methods used and monitoring of selection and testing of parent material to qualify for different germplasm types shall be determined by the Certification agency for each species or group of species.

2. Section III. DESIGNATION OF CLASSES OF SEED; Appendix I (2).

Classes (Breeder, Foundation, Registered, Certified) designate and define generations of a named and released variety. It is not permissible to use the same terms (Foundation, Registered, etc.) to designate generations of Tested, Selected or Source Identified germplasm types grown in seed fields or orchards. Suggested terms are Generation 0 as equivalent to Breeder and Generation 3 as equivalent to Certified class.

3. Section IV. LIMITATIONS OF GENERATIONS

a. Limitation of generations for all germplasm types when grown in seed fields or orchards may be specified for each species by the Certifying agency.

b. No limitation of generations is defined for all germplasm types collected from natural stands; such seed or other propagating materials is designated Generation 0 (G0).

c. Both sexual (seed) and asexual (cuttings, rhizomes, grafting, etc.) means of reproduction and establishment are addressed by the limitation of generations, with one asexual generation being equivalent to one sexual generation.

4. Section V. UNIT OF CERTIFICATION (B)

An individual plant, clone, or stand of plants (or field or orchard) may be certified in producing Tested, Selected, or Source-Identified seed. Seed production zones and/or breeding zones may be defined as a unit of certification for Selected and Source Identified seed.

5. Section VI. PRODUCTION OF SEED (C)

a. For Tested seed collected from natural stands, at least one field inspection shall be made prior to pollination. At this time, compliance with regard to roguing and isolation as covered by the applicable agency standards will be checked. For Tested and Selected seed, an inspection will be made just prior to seed maturity or during harvest.

b. For Source Identified seed collected from natural stands, verification of the collection site is required. Compliance with regard to correct identification of species, location of natural stand, and seed yield must be verified by whatever means is deemed efficient and enforceable by the certification agency.

c. All germplasm types grown in seed fields or orchards shall follow established certification requirements and standards for similar crop varieties if applicable, or those developed by a certification agency for a specific species.

d. Producers of seedling or otherwise propagated nursery or container stock shall be supervised sufficiently so that the certification agency knows that the stock was produced from the germplasm type claimed.

6. Section VIII. LABELING

a. The following tag or label colors shall apply:

Tested Class -- Blue

Selected Class -- Green (Note exception in 6b. below)

Source Identified Class -- Yellow

b. Format of face side of label: The respective seed germplasm type (TESTED, SELECTED, OR SOURCE IDENTIFIED) must be printed on the top line across the tag or label.

The generation of the seed may be indicated in the center of the tag along with such information as species, selection number, lot number, location, elevation, site index, seed zone and/or breeding zone, etc.

Exception: To satisfy requirements of the OECD Scheme, seed from Selected Class seed orchards may be tagged with a pink tag having UNTESTED SEED ORCHARD printed on the top line across the tag or label.

7. SAMPLING AND TESTING

For seed of species not covered by the rules for testing seeds of the Association of Official Seed Analysts, the analyses and testing shall be in accordance with the rules of the International Seed Testing Association or appropriate state or federal laboratories as determined by the certifying agency.

II. LAND REQUIREMENTS

A. For natural stands of the Tested germplasm type, the exact geographic location of the parent plants and the stand history must be known. Location (designated by section or comparable land survey unit) and elevation (nearest 500 ft.) of the site of seed production must be shown on the tag.

B. Location where Selected or Source-Identified seed was collected from natural stands shall be defined by means of administrative, geographic, latitudinal, or other appropriate boundaries or descriptions judged to be significant by the certifying agency. State, county (or parrish, seed production area, or geographic zone), and elevation (nearest 500 feet) is the minimum required to be shown on the tag.

C. For all germplasm types where seed or other propagating materials are produced in artificially established fields or orchards, the specific geographic origin of the parent material must be known and may be listed on the tag. The location printed on the tag shall be the location (specific site or county/parrish or seed production area/zone) of the field or orchard.

III. FIELD STANDARDS

A. Isolation

a. For rigidly controlled natural stands of Tested, Selected, or Source Identified germplasm types, an adequate isolation zone shall be maintained free of off-type plants and other cross pollinating species. The isolation distance shall be set for each species by the certifying agency.

b. There shall be no isolation requirements for Selected or Source Identified seed collected from natural seed zones and/or breeding zones.

c. Isolation for all germplasm types when grown in seed fields or orchards shall follow isolation requirements for similar crop varieties if applicable, or those developed by a certification agency for a specific species.

B. Specific

1. For all germplasm types grown in a seed field or orchard, off-type plants (and plants of inseparable other species or hybridizing species) are to be defined and appropriate tolerance set by the certifying agency.

2. Design and methods for establishing seed fields and orchards and the selecting and testing of plant material shall be in accordance with the requirements of the certifying agency for each species or group of species.

IV. SEED STANDARDS

Seed Standards are optional and may be set by the certifying agency. However, State and Federal laws regarding analysis labeling must be observed.