Seed Certification Standards in California SAFFLOWER Carthamus tinctorius GENERAL STANDARDS -- The standards on this sheet are in part condensed and apply to safflower. For greater detail and additional provisions, see the General Standards. PLANTING STOCK -- In most varieties Breeder seed must be planted to produce Foundation seed. Foundation seed must be planted to produce Registered seed. Registered seed must be planted to produce Certified seed. In varieties where there is no Registered class, Foundation seed must be planted to produce Certified seed.
APPLICATION -- Applications should be submitted electronically on CCIA’s website (http://ccia.ucdavis.edu) as soon as possible and no later than three (3) weeks after planting. New applicants should contact the CCIA office for instructions on obtaining access to the online application system.
FIELD ELIGIBILITY -- The land must not have grown any safflower during either of the previous two (2) years. ISOLATION -- Fields or portions of fields producing any class of certified seed must be isolated 1,320 feet from any safflower plants except those of the same variety identified as planted with certified seed. FIELD INSPECTION -- Each field intended for certification must be inspected prior to harvest. At least one inspection shall be made preferably during the mid-bloom stage and, in some cases, earlier and later inspections may be made. Off-types -- Every field should be rogued to remove any plants of another crop or variety. Varieties cannot always be differentiated at field inspection. When differences can be distinguished, the maximum mixture of other varieties permitted is as follows: Foundation | Registered | Certified | 1:10,000 | 1:2,000 | 1:1,000 | Inseparable other crops such as barley, oat, rye, wheat, sunflower may not exceed thirty (30) plants per acre. Weeds --Fields must be free of any prohibited noxious weeds. Restricted noxious weeds, and common weeds difficult to separate must be controlled. Prohibited and Restricted noxious weeds are listed in the California Seed Law/CA Code of Regulations/Sections 3854 and 3855. Fields may be refused certification due to unsatisfactory appearance caused by weeds, poor growth, poor stand, disease, insect damage, and any other condition which prevents accurate inspection or creates doubt as to identity of the variety. A field inspection report will be sent to the applicant. If the field is approved, a certification number will be assigned. This number must be on all containers of seed before they leave the field. It is the responsibility of the applicant to make sure his field has been inspected before it is harvested.
HARVESTING -- Harvesting is subject to the supervision of the County Agricultural Commissioner who must be contacted prior to harvest. Any seed moved out of the county for conditioning must be accompanied by an Intercounty Permit or Interstate Transfer issued by the Commissioner. CONDITIONING AND SAMPLING -- Conditioning of seed for certification may be done only in facilities approved for this purpose by the California Crop Improvement Association. It is the responsibility of the applicant to determine if the plant is eligible before delivering seed for conditioning. Conditioning, sampling, reconditioning, and blending must be supervised by the County Agricultural Commissioner. Conditioning equipment must be free from contaminating seed to the satisfaction of the supervising inspector. SEED INSPECTION - All seed must be sampled and tested after conditioning and the seed lot must meet or exceed seed certification standards for that crop. A seed lab using the Association of Official Seed Analyst “Rules for Testing” must test the sample. A Registered Seed Technologist must sign each lab analysis. In addition to AOSA rules, specific seed testing may be required to meet CCIA seed certification standards.
The conditioner is required to submit the following sample sizes of safflower seed to the laboratory for analysis: Foundation and Registered 2,000 grams, Certified 1,000 grams. (Table listing all crops and samples sizes). In some instances varietal identity cannot be determined by visual seed inspections. Seed must be well screened and graded, bright in color, of good appearance, and meet the following standards:
Pure Seed | 99.00% (Minimum) | Inert Matter | 1.00% (Maximum) | Other Crop Seed | Foundation | 0.01% (Maximum) | Registered | 0.05% (Maximum) | Certified | 0.10% (Maximum) | Barley, oat, rye, sunflower or wheat may not exceed: | Foundation, Registered | 1 seed per 2 pounds (Maximum) | Certified | 1 seed per pound (Maximum) | Other Varieties | Foundation | 0.01% (Maximum) | Registered | 0.05% (Maximum) | Certified | 0.10% (Maximum) | Weed Seed | 0.05% (Maximum) | Noxious Weed Seed | None | Germination | 85.00% (Minimum) | Sclerotia | 1 sclerotium per pound (Maximum) | RETAINED SAMPLES – The conditioner must also retain in storage a 1,000 gram sample of each lot certified. These shall be maintained for one year and be made available for any CCIA audits and reference testing.
FINAL CERTIFICATION AND TAGGING -- If the seed sample meets all standards a seed inspection report is issued. Before certification is complete, however, each container must have an official tag or label attached. Certified seed may be sold to a grower in bulk without tagging if a properly filled out Bulk Sale Certificate accompanies the shipment. The tags and Bulk Sale Certificates are issued by the California Crop Improvement Association to the County Agricultural Commissioner who supervises their attachment.
Updated June 2009
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