WOODY PLANTS AND FORBS

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 IV LIMITATION OF GENERATIONS

Both sexual (seed) and asexual (cuttings, rhizomes, etc.) means of reproduction and establishment are addressed by these standards, with one asexual generation being equivalent to one sexual generation (i.e., Breeder, Foundation, Registered, and Certified).

2. Appendix II (B) LENGTH OF STAND REQUIREMENTS

The life of the stand shall be unlimited as long as 75% of the plants present in the stand are those that were planted originally. Exceptions may be other-wise specified by the originator of the variety or his designee.

II. LAND REQUIREMENTS

A field, to be eligible for the production of certified classes of seed, must not have grown, been seeded to, or had volunteer plants producing seed of the same species (except for plants or seed of the same variety of equal or higher classification) during the previous four (4) years for Foundation, three (3) for Registered, or two (2) years for Certified.

III. FIELD STANDARDS

A. General

1. Field Inspection

Seed field inspection will be made in the year of establishment, and at least once each year that seed is to be harvested. This inspection should be made at the stage of plant development when off-types or other varieties, disease status, weed contamination, etc. can be readily detected.

2. Isolation

a. For seed production, minimum distance from a different variety, fields of the same variety that do not meet the varietal purity requirements for certification, or wild hybridizing populations, are as follows:

	Minimum of Isolation - Feet
	Fields of 2 Acres or Less	Fields of More than 2 Acres
Foundation & Registered	400	200
Certified	200	100

b. For seed production of different classes of the same variety or for asexual reproduction, only a distinct separation (fenceline, roadway, etc.) is necessary.

3. Volunteer plants may be a cause for rejection or reclassification of a seed field (see Section I.B.2).

B. Specific

	Ratio in Field
Factor	Foundation	Registered	Certified
*Other Varieties & Off Types	0.1% (1/1000)	0.2% (1/500)	0.4% (1/250)
Other Kinds (inseparable other species)	0.05% (1/2000)	0.1% (1/1000)	0.2% (1/500)
**Noxious Weeds (prohibited)	None	None	None
***Restricted or Objectionable Weeds	Varies with Species

*Some species may have a phenotypically variable population; this should be accounted for in the breeder's description such that true off-types will not exceed the stated ratio. Exceptions may be otherwise specified by the breeder or his designee.

**Must be under cultural or chemical control such that mature noxious weed seed will not be harvested with crop seed.

***Restricted weeds and/or objectionable weeds that pose a particular problem for a given species must be limited in the field to the extent that the maximum allowed in the seed standards may be reasonably met.

IV. SEED STANDARDS

A. General

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

A representative sample of vegetatively propagated materials must be inspected to insure varietal purity. Quality factors may be established by individual certifying agencies.

B. Specific

1. All propagating material:

	Maximum Permitted in Each Class
	Foundation	Registered	Certified
Other Varieties	0.25%	0.50%	0.75%
Other Kinds	0.15%	0.25%	0.50%
Total Other Crops	0.40%	0.75%	1.25%
Noxious Weeds (Prohibited)	None	None	None
Restricted or Objectionable Weeds