Pennsylvania Administrative Code

GENERAL STANDARDS § 115.271. Seed source. Seed potatoes grown in this Commonwealth will be limited to 8 generations. Foundation G7 is the minimum acceptable source to produce Certified G8. When out-of-State source is used, tags shall indicate generation. Signed documentation will…

§ 115.272. Field, greenhouse or laboratory conditions. (a) Field conditions. The previous crop shall be other than potatoes. Potatoes showing a stand of less than 80% may be refused certification. When fields are rogued, the diseased plants and tubers shall be removed from the fi…

§ 115.273. Minimum acreage. Growers, other than growers of Prenuclear seed potatoes, having less than 10 acres of potatoes may not be eligible for the certification service. Less acres will be considered if located in a current seed-producing area. Authority The provisions of thi…

FIELD STANDARDS § 115.281. Isolation requirements. (a) Isolation of fields. Fields entered for certification shall be isolated by a minimum distance of 200 feet from other potato fields that show more disease than is permitted at the final inspection. Certification fields shall b…

§ 115.282. Diseases. (a) Potatoes other than Prenuclear seed potatoes. The Department will inspect fields of potatoes at least twice during the growing season. Other inspections, which may include digging, may be made. A final inspection shall be made at shipping time for grade. …

§ 115.283. Varietal mixtures. The maximum percentage of varietal mixture allowed is as follows: Prenuclear 0% G1 0% G2 0% G3 .25% G4-G8 .25% Authority The provisions of this § 115.283 amended under The Pennsylvania Seed Act of 1965 (3 P. S. § § 285-1—285-11); and the act of April…

§ 115.284. Recordkeeping requirements for certification of Prenuclear seed potatoes. (a) With respect to each seed lot for which Prenuclear certification is sought, the grower shall maintain complete and accurate records of the following: (1) The source of the line. (2) The perti…

§ 115.285. Inspection and testing of Prenuclear seed potatoes. (a) Inspections of each seed lot for which Prenuclear certification is sought shall be conducted as follows: (1) As a requisite to Prenuclear status, the grower of the seed potatoes shall, at his own expense, annually…

§ 115.286. Complaints by users of certified Prenuclear seed potatoes. The grower of seed potatoes which have been certified as Prenuclear seed potatoes shall forward to the Department complaints registered by users of the certified Prenuclear materials. Authority The provisions o…

§ 115.287. Violations. The Department may refuse, suspend or cancel Prenuclear certification with respect to a seed lot if one or more of the following applies: (1) The applicable requirements of this chapter have not been complied with. (2) The subject plants are found to be off…

SEED STANDARDS § 115.291. Winter test. (a) Seed to be certified shall have a representative sample of the lot submitted for a test in which the representative sample is grown and examined for diseases prior to the growing of the remainder of the seed lot. This test may be known a…

§ 115.292. Storage. (a) Seed potatoes may not be stored where it is known or suspected that potatoes infected with bacterial ring rot were previously stored, unless the storage areas are properly cleaned and disinfected by means and methods satisfactory to the inspector. (b) When…

§ 115.293. Eligibility factors for tags. (a) To be eligible to produce and tag generation 1 through 7 for recertification, the entire farm production shall be in the Certification Program. (b) If the disease reading is too high for generation being produced, seed may be tagged th…

GENERAL STANDARDS § 115.301. Definition. The term, ‘‘small grain,’’ when used in this subchapter, refers to winter barley, spring barley, spring oats, winter wheat and rye for seed purposes. Source The provisions of this § 115.301 amended April 6, 1990, effective April 7, 1990, 2…

§ 115.303. Field inspections. Field inspections shall be made after the crop is fully headed and at least two weeks prior to harvest.

§ 115.304. Isolation. (a) When more than one variety of small grain is grown for certified seed, except rye, on the same farm, the grain shall be separated by a fence row, a roadway or a strip of ground which is mowed, uncropped or planted, to a crop other than small grain. (b) R…

§ 115.305. Field standards. (a) The following standards apply to small grain fields: Percent Tolerances Factorfoundationregisteredcertified Varietal Mixture.01 (1:10,000).02 (1:5,000).03 (1:3,000) Inseparable other crops.01 (1:10,000).01 (1:10,000).02 (1:5,000) Objectionable plan…

§ 115.306. Seed standards. (a) The following seed standards shall apply to small grains: Tolerances Factorfoundationregisteredcertified Pure seednone99% (min.)99% (min.) Varietal mixture1 seed (max. per lb.)2 seeds (max. per lb.)10 seeds (max. per lb.) Other crops1 seed (max. per…

GENERAL PROVISIONS § 115.311. Purpose. The purpose of sod certification is to maintain and make available to the public high quality sod of turfgrass grown and distributed to insure genetic identity and purity and a high degree of freedom from weeds, injurious insects, diseases a…

§ 115.312. Prior use of land. (a) The land on which certified sod is to be established shall have been in the production of cultivated crops or clean fallow for at least one growing season preceding the seeding of the turfgrass for certification. (b) A field which is in sod produ…

§ 115.313. Inspection. In all cases, inspections of the field shall show evidence of freedom from unacceptable weeds and volunteer plants of other varieties of species of turfgrasses.

§ 115.314. Units of certification. A field or blocks within a field shall be considered the unit for certification. If for any reason sections of a field do not meet certification requirements, the portion or portions of the field meeting certification requirements may be certifi…

§ 115.315. Isolation. A field or block of sod, to be eligible for certification, shall be isolated from adjacent fields with a ten foot barrier, or less if approved by the inspector. The barrier shall be fallowed or seeded to the same variety of the turfgrass species considered f…

INSPECTIONS § 115.321. Preplanting. (a) Certified sod shall be the vegetative increase of certified seed. (b) Samples of seed shall be obtained by the certification office and checked before planting. Field boundaries shall be designated at the time of the preplanting inspection.…

§ 115.322. Optional inspections. (a) Inspections during the growing season and immediately before sale of sod shall be made for genetic purity and identity, presence of other perennial grasses, noxious, unacceptable and other objectionable plants, insects, and disease. (b) A fiel…

§ 115.323. Length of validity of inspections. After fields have met the requirements for certification, inspections made prior to June 30 of the current year shall be valid until June 30; inspections made after June 30 shall be valid until December 31. Source The provisions of th…

FIELD STANDARDS § 115.331. Age of field. Production of certified sod is limited to fields having stands not more than 3 years old.

§ 115.332. Maximum field tolerances. (a) Kentucky bluegrass ‘‘blends’’ shall contain a minimum of 20% of any variety by seed weight. (b) ‘‘Kentucky bluegrass—fine fescue mixtures’’ shall contain a minimum of 30% of either kind in the field. Kentucky bluegrass and Kentucky bluegra…

§ 115.333. Pests. (a) Every field within the certification program shall be maintained reasonably free of diseases. (b) To qualify for certification, fields shall show evidence of proper chemical treatment of the soil for injurious grub species. It may also be necessary at times …

§ 115.334. Quality of product. The marketable product shall be of uniform density, color and texture.

§ 115.335. Labeling requirements. Sod when sold as certified, shall have a certification label properly affixed to the invoice. Source The provisions of this § 115.335 amended April 6, 1990, effective April 7, 1990, 20 Pa.B. 1878. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page…

GENERAL STANDARDS § 115.361. Planting requirements. (a) Tobacco fields shall be planted in their entirety with the same variety of the same stock. A new plant bed shall be used each year unless the bed is properly treated with a soil sterilant prior to seeding. (b) Tobacco plants…

§ 115.362. Isolation. Tobacco seed plants shall be at least 150 feet from the same type of tobacco and 1,320 feet from varieties of any other type, except when protected from cross-pollination by bagging or when plants in neighboring or contaminating fields are topped before the …

§ 115.363. Number of inspections. One inspection shall be made, preferably, at the time when selected seed plants are in flower and surrounding plants have been topped. Source The provisions of this § 115.363 amended April 6, 1990, effective April 7, 1990, 20 Pa.B. 1878. Immediat…

§ 115.364. Field standards. (a) The following field standards apply to tobacco: Maximum Permitted in Each Seed Class Factorsfoundationcertified Off-type plantsnonenone Varietal mixturenonenone Mosaicnonenone Ring-spotnonenone (b) ‘‘Varietal mixtures’’ shall include only plants th…

§ 115.365. Seed standards. The following seed standards shall apply to tobacco: Percentage Permitted in Each Class Factorsfoundationcertified Pure seedno standard98% Weed seedsno standardnone Germinationno standard80% Source The provisions of this § 115.365 amended September 26, …

GENERAL STANDARDS § 115.401. Isolation and land requirements. At least 8 feet shall separate varieties of soybean. Soybeans may not be planted in a previous soybean field unless the previous crop was planted with a class of certified seed of the same variety. Source The provision…

§ 115.402. Inspection. At least one field inspection shall be made either at blossom time or after the leaves have dropped.

§ 115.403. Field standards. (a) The following field standards apply to soybeans: Maximum Permitted in Each Class Factors foundation registered certified Varietal mixture.10%(1:1000).2%(1:500).5% (1:200) Inseparable other crops00Trace (b) ‘‘Varietal mixture’’ includes off-type pla…

§ 115.404. Seed standards. (a) The following seed standards apply to soybeans: Tolerances FactorsFoundationRegisteredCertified Varietal mixture.05% (max.).2% (max.).5% (max.) Pure seed98% (min.)98% (min.)98% (min.) Other crops01 per lb. (max.)2 per lb. (max.) Weed seeds01 per lb.…

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS § 115.41. Definition. The term ‘‘trenching celery’’, when used in this subchapter, means varieties of celery which are seeded in the spring, grown in the field in the summer, stored in trenches in the fall and taken from the trenches and marketed during the w…

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS § 115.411. Terms. The term ‘‘certified’’, shall be amplified to include several categories that apply specifically to forest tree seed, seedlings and vegetatively propagated trees, as follows: (1) ‘‘Certified tree seed, seedlings or clones (blue tag)’’ shall …

§ 115.412. Evidence of qualification. (a) It shall be the responsibility of the producer to submit evidence that the seed-producing trees (seed), or seed from which plants are to be grown (seedlings), or trees from which plants are to be propagated (vegetative method) qualify for…

§ 115.413. Tree variety approval committee. (a) A tree variety approval committee shall evaluate evidence to determine if seed, seedlings or clones qualify for one of the certification categories. (b) The committee shall include professional forest geneticists representing the De…

§ 115.42. Inspection. One inspection shall be made when the crop is beginning to flower or the seed is beginning to mature. Additional inspections may be made as deemed necessary by the certification office. Source The provisions of this § 115.42 amended September 26, 1975, effec…

RECORD REQUIREMENTS § 115.421. Names. (a) The name proposed for the variety (seed) or clone (vegetative) shall be such that it cannot be easily confused with other varieties, clones or taxonomic entities. (b) Names shall be in accord with the International Code of Nomenclature fo…

§ 115.422. Description. (a) A brief description of the variety or clone shall clearly state the methods of selection or breeding by which it was created, its distinctive characteristics, the uses for which it is intended, the geographic region to which it is adapted, and characte…