1. A. General Hemp Transplant Standards

   1. 1. All certified transplants shall be produced from a class of certified seed or certified planting stock.
   2. 2. Proof of seed eligibility shall be established by providing to LDAF a certified label, issued by a member agency in good standing with AOSCA, and accompanying invoice showing the variety, lot number and pounds received. In the case of clones, documentation of clone propagation issued by a member agency in good standing with AOSCA.
   3. 3. All containers must be labeled in a manner that maintains the source, identity and certification eligibility of the transplants. All containers offered for sale must be identified by the official seed certification tag/label. The tag/label must be securely affixed to trays, so the tag/label remain with the plants until the final disposition.
   4. 4. Off-types and other varieties shall not exceed 0.2 percent, or 20 in 10,000 plants. Off-types and other varieties must be removed and destroyed by grower.

2. B. Inspections

   1. 1. LDAF will inspect all fields and other outdoor plant growing sites at least two times for phenotypic purity, isolation, physical condition, and appearance of plants.
   2. 2. LDAF will inspect transplants produced in a growth facility at least two times for varietal labeling, phenotypic purity, isolation, physical condition, and appearance of plants.
   3. 3. LDAF may reject transplants due to unsatisfactory appearance, such as plants that are diseased, insect infestation, or otherwise stressed or in a condition which prevents thorough inspection.
   4. 4. Unlabeled or inadequately labeled transplants shall be ineligible for certification.
   5. 5. LDAF will verify the number of transplants produced at the time of the final inspection.
   6. 6. Upon the final inspection, transplants may be collected by LDAF for post-control grow outs or other identification verification tests.
   7. 7. LDAF may conduct additional inspections as necessary to ensure all certification standards are met.

3. C. Field Land Requirements

   1. 1. Hemp transplants shall not be grown on fields which:

      1. a. Produced a non-certified crop of hemp or a different variety of hemp in either of the preceding two years.
      2. b. Produced a certified crop of a same variety in the preceding year.

4. D. Plant Bed Soil Mix Requirements

   1. 1. Growth facilities shall develop and follow Standard Operating Procedures (“SOP”) designed to prevent contamination of hemp plant material from a previous crop and maintain written documentation that the facility is free of any plant material from a previous crop. This information shall be made available to LDAF upon request.
   2. 2. The soil mixes for growth facility production of transplants shall be new, soil-less, or sanitized in a method approved by LDAF.

5. E. Isolation Requirements

   1. 1. When two or more varieties are being grown in the same growth facility, there shall be an adequate unplanted area between the varieties to prohibit mixing or misidentification. The production area, flats and/or containers for each variety must be clearly labeled in a manner that prevents mixing or misidentification.
   2. 2. Different varieties being grown in fields shall be separated by an adequate, but no less than six feet, unplanted area between the varieties to prohibit mixing or misidentification.
   3. 3. Growers shall handle transplants throughout the growing, harvesting, and transplant sales in a manner that prevents mechanical mixture of containers of different varieties.

6. F. Labeling Requirements

   1. 1. All certified hemp transplants offered for sale shall be labeled with official LDAF issued certification tags or labels. Each container of hemp transplants shall have an LDAF issued certified label firmly attached to be sold as certified transplants. Failure to properly label transplants at the time of sale shall be cause for rejection of certification status and may become ineligible for sale as certified transplants.

Authority Note

AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 3:1433.

Historical Note

HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission, LR 51:1576 (October 2025).