(a) Filing application.

1. (1) Application on forms furnished by the State Plant Board may be made by either the grower or by the shipper contracting for grower's plants, and must be:

   1. (A) Made at least ten (10) days before inspection is desired; and
   2. (B) Accompanied by necessary fees.
2. (2) To help ensure against the red stele disease, no application will be accepted on a field known to have been exposed to red stele, for example, by drainage from a known infested field, or if the mother-plants have come from a known infested field.
3. (3) If possible, applications should be made by September 1.
4. (4) If application is made by the contractor, a copy of the contract must accompany the application.
5. (5) Also, verification must be made as to variety, source, quantity, and quality of plants used to plant fields to be inspected.

(b) Field inspections.

1. (1)

   1. (A) (1)(A) First-year fields set with either Arkansas or out-of-state certified plants will be given fall inspection and then certified for digging, up to February 15, after which date if any plants are still undug a red stele inspection will be made, and if found satisfactory, will be reapproved.
   2. (B) First-year fields set with noncertified plants can be given fall inspection, plus red stele inspection after March 15 or sooner if conditions are such that a satisfactory inspection can be made before that date, and then be approved.
   3. (C) First-year fields set with noncertified plants, if they average three (3) rooted runner-plants per mother-plant at blooming time, can be inspected for red stele at blooming time and again in the fall and then be approved.
2. (2) Second-year fields, regardless of source of plants, can be inspected for red stele at blooming time and again in the fall and then be approved.

3. (3)

   1. (A) Fall inspection will be made as nearly as possible between September 1 and October 31.
   2. (B) Inspectors will dig and examine not less than one hundred (100) plants per acre, taking plants from not less than fifteen (15) places per acre, well distributed.
   3. (C) Fields will be condemned if more than:

(i) Three percent (3%) of plants show root-knot nematodes;

1. (ii) Three percent (3%) of new plants show crown borer signs; or

   1. (iii) Ten percent (10%) of old and new plants combined show crown borer signs.
   2. (D) Fields will be condemned if more than three percent (3%) of the plants are affected with either summer dwarf, yellows, or bud rot, except that fields containing not more than ten percent (10%) of any of these, if rogued down to the three percent (3%) tolerance and reinspected, will be passed.
   3. (E) Fields generally or severely infested with leaf spot or scorch will be condemned.
   4. (F) Fields containing noxious weeds, such as wild garlic or nut grass, which might be spread in the bundles of plants, will be condemned.

   5. (G)

      1. (i) On fields which pass fall inspection, strawberry plant certificates will be issued, dated to expire February 15, under which plants from said fields may be sold up to that time.
      2. (ii) This applies to fields set with inspected plants only.

2. (4) Red stele inspection.

   1. (A) If fall-inspected-and-passed fields are not dug by February 15, another inspection must be made before they are sold, and if the plants are then found free of disease, a new certificate will be issued which will be valid for the remainder of the shipping season, expiring June 30.

   2. (B)

      1. (i) Inspectors will dig and examine not less than one hundred (100) plants per acre, taking plants from a number of places well-distributed.
      2. (ii) The location of places of digging plants shall be at the discretion of the inspector.
      3. (iii) He or she will make every effort to dig plants in areas where red stele is likely to be most evident.

   3. (C)

      1. (i) Plants will be examined by slicing several roots on each plant so that the stele of the root is exposed.
      2. (ii) Should even one (1) plant show red stele, this will disqualify the entire field (suspected plants will be sent to the University of Arkansas, Plant Pathology Department for confirmation).
      3. (c) Certificates.
3. (1) Strawberry plant certificates, both those expiring February 15 and those expiring June 30, will be issued only to the growers of the plants, for use on their own plants that are inspected and approved.

4. (2)

   1. (A) Nursery Certificates (or dealer's certificates), instead of strawberry plant certificates, will be issued to growers or contractors who:

      1. (i) Deal in bought strawberry plants, in addition to their own plants; or
      2. (ii) Grow other nursery stock in addition to strawberry plants.
   2. (B) A complete record of all sales must be kept by the applicant and shall be made available to the State Plant Board upon request.
5. (3) Note. For rules governing the production of certified, that is, foundation, registered, certified blue tag, or certified green tag strawberry plants, contact the board office.
6. (4) For fees charged, see Subpart 4 of this part, Fees.