1. A. General standards. The general standards as adopted in this chapter are basic and apply to vegetatively-propagated grasses.

   Only those fields planted with registered or foundation vegetative material will be eligible for certification, except with certain varieties a single certification seed generation may be permitted. For this certifiable generation the grass seed certification standards will apply, but certified seed will not be eligible for reestablishing fields for certification and evidence of volunteering in a certified seed field will be cause for rejection. The standards for vegetatively - propagated grasses are applicable to all foundation and registered generations and seed production by such generations shall be prevented by timely moving. If the crop is allowed to make seed, one seed crop of certified seed may be permitted. Further seeding for certification will not be allowed and such vegetative material will be classified as certified.

2. B. Land requirements.

   1. 1. A field to be eligible for the production of foundation or registered planting stock shall have been free of other strains of the same species for two consecutive years preceding the year that it is to be planted.
   2. 2. A field to be eligible for the production of certified planting stock shall have been free of other strains of the same species or other objectionable species for one year preceding the year it is to be planted.

3. C. Field standards.

   1. 1. Field inspection. An inspection shall be made during the growing season at a time when there is sufficient growth to make identification of other strains possible.
   2. 2. Isolation. A field to be eligible for the production of foundation, registered, or certified planting stock shall be isolated from any other strain of the same species by a strip at least six feet wide to preclude any possibility of mixing planting material during the digging operations.

   3. 3. Specific.

      		Maximum Permitted in 1,000 sq. ft.
      		Foundation	Registered	Certified
      	Other Varieties	None	1	3

4. D. Planting stock standards

   Pure living springs (minimum by count)	90.0%
   Other living plants (maximum by count)	2.0%
   *Total objectionable weeds (maximum)	None
   *Any plant objectionable to a Zoysia lawn.

Statutory Authority

§§ 3.2-4024 of the Code of Virginia.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR172-01-01 § 9, eff. April 1980.