Washington Administrative Code

(1) The seed certification tag, label or seal is evidence of the genetic identity and purity of the contents must be attached to a container of certified seed prior to distribution. Seed that fails to meet certification standards because of genetic purity is not eligible for labe…

(1) The issuance of a Certified seed label or certificate by the certifying agency for a lot of seed affirms that seed has been produced and conditioned according to chapter 15.49 RCW and the certification rules adopted thereunder.(2) The certifying agency makes no warranty, expr…

It shall be deemed unlawful if any labeling, advertising, or other representation subject to chapter 15.49 RCW represents:(1) Seed to be certified seed or any class thereof unless it has been determined by a seed certifying agency that such seed conforms to standards of purity an…

(1) Under the authority of RCW 15.49.350, a seed conditioning facility must be inspected and approved by the department or its authorized agent prior to conditioning seed in Washington state. Upon approval by the department, a seed conditioning permit is issued and the facility i…

(1) It is the responsibility of a department approved seed conditioner to operate in a manner that:(a) Maintains the purity and identity of seed conditioned, stored, transshipped or labeled.(b) Complies with the standards and procedures for conditioning and sampling seed in accor…

(1) The size of seed blend permitted is dependent on factors such as quality of seed lots to be blended and the conditioning plant facilities permit. Approval by the department or certification agent is required in advance to blend seed lots. The issuance of certified blend tags …

Blends are eligible for tagging prior to analysis if the blended lot meets the following conditions:(1) The calculated percent of impurities (intended crop, weeds, other crop, inert, or other seed standards) of the seed lot components are 20 percent less than the maximum allowed …

The general rules for seed certification are basic and together with the following specific requirements constitute the rules for certification identity of mixtures of different kinds of turf Certified seed:(1) A mixture is defined as Certified seed lots of different varieties of…

(1) Interagency certification is the participation of two or more official certifying agencies in performing the services required to certify the same lot or lots of seed.(2) The general rules for seed certification and specific certification standards are basic and together with…

(1) Seed recognized for interagency certification must be received in containers carrying official certification labels, accompanied by transfer certificates or other proper documentation showing evidence of its eligibility from another official certifying agency together with th…

Certified seed that is produced in Washington state and shipped out-of-state must comply with the interagency seed certification procedure as set forth as follows:(1) The interagency seed certification procedure for field pea, lentil, soybean, small grain and sorghum seed is as f…

(1) Certified seed produced out-of-state and shipped into Washington state for processing is eligible for Washington interagency tags only after obtaining approval from the certifying agency of the originating state. The seed must then comply with Washington certification standar…

(1) Blends of different origin can be authorized only after obtaining approval from certifying agencies involved. Blends must comply with blend standards established by the department (see blending of Certified seed in this chapter).(2) Interagency tags used must show percentage …

(1) Any crop certification standard, with the exception of germination that is expressed as a percent will be derived from a test based on the minimum weight for purity analysis as specified in the 2024 AOSA rules for that crop unless otherwise specified in rule.(2) Any crop cert…

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) certification scheme is an international organization limited to federal government membership. The agricultural research service of the United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for implementing the OE…

(1) With the exception of seed standards established in rule by the department and the OECD scheme for varietal certification, the general and specific crop certification standards are basic and, together with the following specific standards, constitute the rules for OECD variet…

(1) The general seed certification definitions and standards in this chapter are basic and together with WAC 16-302-225 through 16-302-240 constitute the standards for alfalfa seed certification.(2) Fees for seed certification are assessed by the certifying agency as established …

Land requirements for the production of alfalfa seed crop are as follows:(1) Prior to stand establishment an alfalfa seed crop of the same kind must not have been grown or planted on the land for four years for the production of Foundation or Registered class or one year for the …

Isolation requirements for the production of alfalfa seed crop are as follows:(1) Alfalfa seed crop for certification must be isolated from all other alfalfa varieties or fields of the same variety not meeting varietal purity requirements for certification as follows:ClassFields …

Field tolerances for the production of alfalfa seed are as follows: Field Producing* FoundationRegisteredCertifiedOther varieties0.1%0.5%1.0%Sweet Clovernone found5 plants/acre10 plants/acreRed Clovernone found4 plants/acre20 plants/acre*Prohibited noxious weeds must be controlle…

(1) Alfalfa seed must be free of prohibited noxious weed seeds.(2) Foundation class must be free of Brassica spp.(3) Seed standards for the production of alfalfa seed are as follows:PurityFoundationRegisteredCertifiedPure seed (minimum)99.00%99.00%99.00%Other crop (maximum)0.10%0…

(1) The general seed certification standards and definitions in this chapter are basic and together with WAC 16-302-250 through 16-302-270 constitute the standards for bean seed certification.(2) Fees for seed certification are assessed by the certifying agency as established in …

For the purposes of WAC 16-302-245 through 16-302-270, the following definitions shall apply in addition to the definitions found in chapter 16-301 WAC:"Adzuki bean" means Vigna angularis."Dominant I-gene cultivar" means a cultivar that has resistance to all known strains of bean…

Land requirements for the production of bean seed are as follows:(1) A field to be eligible for the production of Certified class must not have been planted to beans of a different variety the preceding one year.(2) A field to be eligible for the production of Foundation or Regis…

(1) Field tolerances and requirements for the production of a bean seed crop are as follows:Field ProducingPurityFoundationRegisteredCertifiedOther varieties or off-type plantsNone found0.10%0.20%Other cropsNone found0.10%0.10%Total seed-borne diseases (a)None foundNone foundNone…

Seed field inspection requirements for the production of bean seed are as follows:(1) When factors affecting certification are most evident. The second inspection, when required, shall be a windrow inspection.(2) A serology or a grow out test to verify presence of seed-borne dise…

Seed standards for the production of bean seed are as follows:PurityFoundationRegisteredCertifiedPure seed (minimum)98.00%98.00%98.00%Other crop and varieties (maximum)None foundNone found2/100 lbs*Badly damaged seed (maximum)NS2.00%2.00%*Splits and cracks (maximum)NS2.00%2.00%*I…

(1) The general seed certification definitions and standards in this chapter are basic and together with WAC 16-302-280 through 16-302-315 constitute the standards for corn seed certification.(2) Fees for seed certification are assessed by the certifying agency as established in …

Eligibility for corn seed certification is as follows:(1) Foundation corn inbred lines:(a) For the purposes of corn seed certification, the propagation of male sterile inbred lines is subject to the same requirements and rules as apply to foundation single crosses in subsection (…

A representative of the certifying agency makes a minimum of three field inspections during the pollinating period for certification of corn seed. When the previous crop was corn, at least one additional inspection is made to verify that the field is sufficiently free of voluntee…

Except for hybrid corn field standards for corn seed certification are:(1) Corn seed isolation requirements are:(a) An inbred must be so located that it is not less than 660 feet from other corn except when the inbred is grown as a pollinator in a single cross production field. A…

Field standards for hybrid corn seed certification are:(1) Hybrid corn seed isolation: A specific hybrid must be located so that the seed parent is not less than 660 feet from corn of a different color or texture with the following exceptions:(a) Hybrid seed production fields of …

The following applies for certification of corn single crosses and inbred lines: When excessive off-type or different textured kernels are observed at the time of ear inspection by the certifying agency and the off-type kernels are detectable in the shelled seed, the seed certifi…

Seed inspection and standards for hybrid corn seed certification are as follows:(1)Genetic PurityStandard Certified Class Other varieties and off-types (maximum)0.50% Off-textured kernels in opaque 2, flowery 2 and waxy (maximum)1.00%(2)Quality PurityStandards Pure seed (minimum)…

Ear inspection and winter growouts for certification of foundation corn single crosses and inbred lines are:(1) Foundation single crosses and inbred lines is either inspected in the ear or included in a winter growout.(2) Foundation corn single crosses and inbred lines for ear in…

(1) The general seed certification definitions and standards in this chapter are basic and together with WAC 16-302-325 through 16-302-360 constitute the standards for grass seed certification.(2) Each lot of seed stock subject to the annual bluegrass and rough bluegrass quaranti…

(1) Land requirements for production of grass seed are as follows:(a) A grass field planted with breeder seed for the production of foundation seed must not have been seeded to the same species, subspecies, variety, or strain of grass during the preceding five years of planting. …

(1) The field isolation requirements for grass seed are as follows:(a) A seed field eligible for the production of Foundation, Registered or Certified seed must be isolated from any other variety or strain of the same species and all cross pollinated species in accordance with th…

(1) Field tolerances for the production of foundation, registered or certified grass seed are as follows:Maximum other varieties permitted in fields producing:Foundation:0%Registered:0.5%Certified:2%(2) Prohibited noxious weeds must be controlled to prevent seed formation.[Statut…

The seed standards for grass shall be as follows:(1) Not to exceed 0.25 percent other grass species for Certified seed.(2) Grass seed shall be free of the seed of prohibited noxious weeds.(3) Grass seed must not contain more than 45 per pound (45/lb) for Registered seed, 91 per p…

(1) The general seed certification definitions and standards in this chapter and the grass seed certification standards are basic and together with WAC 16-302-400 through 16-302-412 constitute the standards for sod quality seed certification.(2) Fees for seed certification are as…

The varieties eligible and certification scheme of each; the certification fees; the land requirements; the isolation requirements; and field tolerances shall be as listed in grass seed certification standards and fees.[Statutory Authority: RCW 15.49.005, 15.49.081, 15.49.310, 15…

(1) Sod quality seed must first meet Washington state certification standards found in WAC 16-302-385. Except for ryegrass sod quality seed, seed standards for sod quality grass seed are as follows:VarietyPurity Sample Size, grams (a)Pure seed Minimum %GerminationMinimum %Other C…

(1) Pacific Northwest sod quality seed, seed standards for sod quality grass seed are as follows:VarietyPurity Sample Size, grams (a)Pure Seed Minimum %GerminationMinimum %Other Crops (b)Maximum %Weeds (c) Maximum %Bluegrass, Kentucky2597.0080.000.100.02Fescue, red (d)3098.0085.0…

(1) The general seed certification definitions and standards in this chapter are basic and together with WAC 16-302-420 through 16-302-435 constitute the standards for sudangrass seed certification.(2) Fees for seed certification are assessed by the certifying agency as establish…

The land requirements for the production sudangrass are as follows:(1) A field planted for all foundation, registered, and certified classes of sudangrass seed must not have grown or been seeded to sudangrass or sorghum during the preceding two years.(2) Reseeding of a field, bec…

Sudangrass for certification of the foundation, registered, and certified classes must be isolated from all other sudangrass not meeting the same varietal purity requirements for certification or from sorghum by a minimum of nine hundred ninety feet.[Statutory Authority: RCW 15.4…

Maximum other varieties permitted in field inspection for certification shall be as follows:(a)Foundation seed field. . . .1 plant/50,000 plants(b)Registered seed field . . . .1 plant/35,000 plants(c)Certified seed field . . . .1 plant/20,000 plants[Statutory Authority: RCW 15.49…

Lot standards for certification of sudangrass are as follows:PurityFoundationRegisteredCertifiedPure seed (min.)98.00%98.00%98.00%Inert material (max.)*2.00%*2.00%*2.00%*Other crop (max.)0.01%0.03%0.08%Weed seed (max.)0.10%0.10%0.10%Prohibited or restricted noxious weed seedsNone…

(1) The general seed certification definitions and standards in this chapter are basic and together with WAC 16-302-450 through 16-302-455 constitute the standards for flax certification.(2) Fees for seed certification are assessed by the certifying agency as established in chapt…