§201.48. Kind or variety considered pure seed. — Inbound Citations

(b) Aids for the classification of pure seed, other crop seed, weed seed, and inert matter may include visual examination, use of transmitted light (diaphanoscope), or specific gravity (seed blowers). Specific instructions for classification of the various components are given in §§ 201.47a to 201.51, inclusive.

(a) Seeds of plants grown as crops (other than the kind(s) and variety(ies) included in the pure seed) shall be considered other crop seeds, unless recognized as weed seeds by applicable laws, or regulations, or by general usage. All interpretations and definitions for “pure seed” in § 201.48 shall also apply in determining whether seeds are “other crop seed” or “inert matter” with the following two exceptions which may be applied as acceptable alternatives:

(1) Uniform Blowing Procedure in § 201.51a(a) for kinds listed in § 201.47(e) may be disregarded. If disregarded, all seed units (as defined in § 201.47a) for these kinds found in the working sample shall be manually separated into pure seed and inert matter. Only units containing at least one caryopsis with some degree of endosperm development which can be detected either by slight pressure or by examination over light are considered other crop seed.

(2) Multiple Unit Procedure in § 201.51a(b) for kinds listed in § 201.48(g)(3) may be disregarded. If disregarded, all multiple units and single units (as defined in § 201.51a(b)) for these kinds found in the working sample shall be manually separated into single florets. Each floret containing a caryopsis with some degree of endosperm development, which can be detected either by slight pressure or examination over light, is considered other crop seed. Empty florets and glumes, if present, are considered inert matter. Refer to § 201.51(a)(4).

(f) The de-coated seed shall be separated into four components in accordance with §§ 201.48 through 201.51. §§ 201.51a (a) and (b) shall not be followed. The weight of the coating material is determined by subtracting the sum of the weights of the other four components from the original weight of the working sample. The percentage of coating material shall be included with the inert matter percentage. Calculate percentages of all components based on the original weight of the working sample (see paragraph (a) of this section).

(2) Pieces of broken and damaged seed units, including those that are insect damaged, which are one-half the original size or less. If greater than one-half, refer to § 201.48(b) and (c) for pure seed classification. Also included as inert matter are separated cotyledons of legumes, irrespective of whether or not the radicle-plumule axis and/or more than one-half of the seed coat may be attached.

(2) Pieces of broken and damaged seed units, including those that are insect damaged, which are one-half the original size or less. If greater than one-half, refer to § 201.48(b) and (c) for pure seed classification. Also included as inert matter are separated cotyledons of legumes, irrespective of whether or not the radicle-plumule axis and/or more than one-half of the seed coat may be attached.

(6) Broken seed units of Chenopodiaceae and fruit portions or fragments of monogerm beets, New Zealand spinach, buffalograss, and families in which the seed unit is a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit that visibly do not contain a seed. Refer to § 201.48 (f), (g)(1), (i), and (j) for pure seed classification.

(4) Refer to § 201.48 (g) and (h) for pure seed classification.

(6) Broken seed units of Chenopodiaceae and fruit portions or fragments of monogerm beets, New Zealand spinach, buffalograss, and families in which the seed unit is a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit that visibly do not contain a seed. Refer to § 201.48 (f), (g)(1), (i), and (j) for pure seed classification.

(2) Multiple Unit Procedure in § 201.51a(b) for kinds listed in § 201.48(g)(3) may be disregarded. If disregarded, all multiple units and single units (as defined in § 201.51a(b)) for these kinds found in the working sample shall be manually separated into single florets. Each floret containing a caryopsis with some degree of endosperm development, which can be detected either by slight pressure or examination over light, is considered other crop seed. Empty florets and glumes, if present, are considered inert matter. Refer to § 201.51(a)(4).

(6) Broken seed units of Chenopodiaceae and fruit portions or fragments of monogerm beets, New Zealand spinach, buffalograss, and families in which the seed unit is a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit that visibly do not contain a seed. Refer to § 201.48 (f), (g)(1), (i), and (j) for pure seed classification.

(6) Broken seed units of Chenopodiaceae and fruit portions or fragments of monogerm beets, New Zealand spinach, buffalograss, and families in which the seed unit is a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit that visibly do not contain a seed. Refer to § 201.48 (f), (g)(1), (i), and (j) for pure seed classification.

(g) Seed units of the grass family listed in § 201.47a(b) (1) through (5) if a caryopsis with some degree of endosperm development can be detected in the units, either by slight pressure or by examination over light. Seed units of smooth brome, fairway crested wheatgrass, standard crested wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, pubescent wheatgrass, western wheatgrass, fescues (Festuca spp.), and ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) if the caryopses are at least one-third the length of the palea; the caryopsis is measured from the base of the rachilla. Species in which determination of endosperm development is not necessary are listed in paragraphs (g) (1) and (2) of this section. Refer to §§ 201.48(h) and 201.51(a)(5) when nematode galls and fungal bodies have replaced the caryopsis in seed units. The following procedures apply to determine pure seed in the grass families listed below:

(1) Intact burs of buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides) shall be considered pure seed whether or not a caryopsis is present. Refer to § 201.51(a)(6) for burs which are visibly empty.

(2) The Uniform Blowing Procedure described in § 201.51a(a) shall be used to determine classification of florets into pure seed or inert matter for Kentucky bluegrass, Canada bluegrass, rough bluegrass, Pensacola variety of bahiagrass, side-oats grama, blue grama, and orchardgrass.

(3) Special purity procedures for smooth brome, fairway crested wheatgrass, standard crested wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, pubescent wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass, and western wheatgrass are listed in § 201.51a(b).

(4) For methods of determining pure seed percentages of annual and perennial ryegrass, refer to §§ 201.58(b)(10) and 201.58a(a).

(4) Refer to § 201.48 (g) and (h) for pure seed classification.

(g) “Seed balls” or portions thereof in multigerm beets, and fruits with accessory structures such as occur in other Chenopodiaceae and New Zealand spinach. For forage kochia refer to § 201.48(j) and § 201.51(a)(7).