PDFWAC 16-302-330
Field isolation requirements for grass seed certification.
(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 in accordance with the requirements in the following table:
Minimum Isolation Distance Required for Fields Producing: | |||
Symbol for Type of Reproduction | Foundation | Registered | Certified |
Strains at least 80% Apomictic A | 60 feet | 30 feet | 15 feet clean fallow |
Highly Self-Fertile Species—S | 60 feet | 30 feet | 15 feet clean fallow |
All cross-pollinated | |||
Species—C | 900 feet | 300 feet | 165 feet |
(b) A seed field that is eligible for the production of foundation or registered seed must be isolated from different classes of the same variety of cross-pollinated (C) species in accordance with the requirements in the following table:
Class Seed Planted | Class Seed Produced | Distance Required From Nearest Field Producing: | ||
Breeder | Foundation | Registered | 150 feet | |
Breeder | Foundation | Certified | 225 feet | |
Foundation | Registered | Certified | 75 feet | |
(c) Isolation is not required in fields producing certified class seed when the isolation zone is less than ten percent of the entire field being certified if there is a clear (ten feet) line of demarcation between adjacent varieties. The isolation zone is the area calculated by the length of the common border with other varieties by average width of the certified field falling within the one hundred sixty-five feet isolation distance requirement.
(d) A field eligible for the production of foundation, registered or certified seed must be isolated from classes of the same variety of apomictic (A) and self-fertile (S) species in accordance with the following requirements:
(i) A field producing foundation or registered seed must be a minimum of fifteen feet from a field planted with a different class of the same variety.
(ii) A field producing certified seed must be a minimum of five feet from a field planted with a different class of the same variety.
(e) If it is not possible to provide minimum isolation distances for fields producing foundation, registered or certified seed exceeding five acres in area, border removal is permitted. Border removal requires removal of the portion of the field being certified that is adjacent to a contamination source. The following requirements apply if the grower uses border removal:
(i) The minimum distances required for border removal are as follows:
Minimum Isolation Distance Required for Fields Producing: | ||||
Border to be removed from the field being certified | Foundation | Registered | Certified | |
0 feet | 900 ft. | 300 ft. | 165 ft. | |
15 feet | 450 ft. | 150 ft. | 75 ft. | |
(ii) The grower must apply for seed certification of the entire field and clearly stake off the border removal portion before inspection of the field by the certifying agency.
(f) The border removal portion of the field may be harvested for uncertified seed under the following conditions:
(i) The entire field must pass all certification requirements except for isolation at time of inspection. The field report will show rejection due to lack of isolation.
(ii) The grower must harvest and deliver to a department approved conditioning plant the seed from the certified portion of the field separately from the seed from the isolation strip. After the seed is weighed and logged in, the weight of the seed from the isolation strip is to be reported to the seed program. At this time the seed program records will indicate the field has passed certification.