Nevada Seed Potato Certification
(Law and Rules,
Effective October 17, 2001
AUTHORITY: §§1-35, NRS
587.083.
Section 1. Chapter 587 of NAC is hereby
amended by adding thereto the provisions set forth
as sections 2 to 34, inclusive, of this regulation.
Sec. 2. As used in sections 2 to 34,
inclusive, of this regulation, unless the context
otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in
sections 3 to 19, inclusive, of this regulation have
the meanings ascribed to them in those sections.
Sec. 3. “Applicant” means the person or
entity that submits an application for
certification.
Sec. 4. “Bacterial ring rot” means the
disease caused by the bacterium Clavibacter
michiganense ssp. sepedonicum.
Sec. 5. “Blackleg” means the disease caused
by the bacterium Erwinia carotovora ssp.
atroseptica or Erwinia carotovora ssp.
carotovora.
Sec. 6. “Certified seed potatoes” means a
seed lot that has complied with the requirements of
sections 2 to 34, inclusive, of this regulation.
Sec. 7. “Corky ring spot” means the disease
caused by the tobacco rattle virus.
Sec. 8. “Field” means the land on which seed
stock is planted.
Sec. 9. “Field inspection” means inspecting
a planting.
Sec. 10. “Late blight” means the disease
caused by the fungus Phytopthora infestans.
Sec. 11. “Planting” means a planted crop of
seed potatoes that is produced from one variety and
generation of seed stock.
Sec. 12. “Postharvest test” means the
testing of tubers that are submitted from a seed lot
after a harvest to check the growth and disease
content before that seed lot is planted to produce
another generation of seed potatoes.
Sec. 13. “Recertification” means the process
of certifying a seed lot that was certified the
previous year and produced from a seed lot of a
lower generation.
Sec. 14. “Rhizomania” means the viral
disease of sugar beets that is transmitted by a
fungus which inhabits the soil.
Sec. 15. “Rogue” means to remove from a
planting and destroy undesirable potato vines and
tubers.
Sec. 16. “Root-knot nematode” means the
plant parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne hapla or
Meloidogyne chitwoodii.
Sec. 17. “Seed farm” means an independent
farming operation, including all facilities,
equipment and operating personnel, that is managed
separately for the production of certified seed
potatoes.
Sec. 18. “Seed lot” means a harvested crop
of seed potatoes that is produced from one variety
and generation of seed stock.
Sec. 19. “Seed stock” means seed potatoes
that are intended for use as a planting source.
Sec. 20. A seed lot, planting or portion of
a planting may be disqualified from certification if
a person fails to comply with any of the provisions
of sections 2 to 34, inclusive, of this regulation.
Sec. 21. 1. To be eligible to produce
certified seed potatoes, all plantings on a farm on
which seed potatoes are planted must be entered and
maintained in the certification program.
2. If any planting or portion
of a planting is withdrawn from the certification
program during the growing season, the remaining
portion is not eligible to produce certified seed
potatoes unless the department approves
certification.
Sec. 22. 1. For each planting, an applicant
must submit to the department an application for
certification.
2. Each application must:
(a) Be on a form obtained
from the department;
(b) List all sources of
the seed stock planted;
(c) Include documentation
that verifies the eligibility of the seed stock
planted;
(d) Include a map that
shows the location of the farm and the planting;
(e) Include any other
information requested by the department;
(f) Be received by the
department on or before May 15 of the year the seed
stock is planted; and
(g) Be accompanied by the
certification fees.
Sec. 23. 1. For each planting, the
department will charge and collect a certification
fee of $25 per acre with a minimum charge of $40 per
application.
2. Checks must be payable to
the “Nevada State Department of Agriculture.”
3. An applicant must pay the
certification fee set forth in subsection 1:
(a) On or before May 15
of the year in which the seed stock is planted; or
(b) If the seed stock is
planted after May 15, not later than 5 days after
the date on which the seed stock is planted.
4. The department will refund
the certification fees paid for any planting that is
withdrawn from certification if the request for a
refund is submitted in writing to the department
before the first field inspection.
Sec. 24. Generations of certified seed
potatoes are classified as follows:
|
Seed Planted |
Class Produced |
|
Nuclear |
Generation
1 |
|
Generation 1 |
Generation 2 |
|
Generation 2 |
Generation 3 |
|
Generation 3 |
Generation 4 |
|
Generation
4 |
Generation 5 |
Sec. 25. 1. For
a planting to be eligible to produce certified seed
potatoes:
(a) A grower shall plant
a variety of seed stock that has been approved by
the department; and
(b) All seed stock that
is planted must:
(1) Be
identified by a certification tag or other
documentation showing the generation of the seed
stock.
(2) Be planted
at least 20 feet from a planting not entered for
certification.
(3) If certified
by another certification agency, satisfy the same or
similar requirements as seed stock produced in this
state.
2. The department will not
certify seed stock that is produced from generation
5 seed stock.
3. When two or more varieties or
generations of seed stock are planted in the same
field, each planting entered for certification must
be marked at the boundaries of the planting by steel
posts or large wooden stakes that are tall enough to
be visible above the planting.
Sec. 26. 1. A planting is not eligible to
produce certified seed potatoes if the following
diseases have been proven to exist in the field or
in potatoes grown in the field:
(a) Root-knot nematode.
(b) Corky ring spot.
(c) Rhizomania.
2. A field is not eligible to
produce certified seed potatoes if the following
potatoes were grown in the field during the previous
growing season:
(a) Non certified
potatoes.
(b) Potatoes proven to be
infected with bacterial ring rot.
3. For a planting to be
eligible to produce certified seed potatoes, if non
certified potatoes or potatoes proven to be infected
with bacterial ring rot were grown in the field, the
grower must farm the field with a crop other than
potatoes immediately following the growing season
during which the non certified or infected potatoes
were grown.
4. For a planting to be
eligible to produce certified seed potatoes, the
grower must:
(a) Rogue all diseased
and off-type plants during the growing season;
(b) Remove from the
planting and destroy all rogue plants, seed pieces,
new tubers and off-type plants; and
(c) Not rogue plants
infected with bacterial ring rot.
Sec. 27. After each application of a
pesticide to a planting, the grower shall notify the
department and provide the name of the pesticide and
the date it was applied.
Sec. 28. 1. The department may inspect a
planting at any time.
2. The department will make at
least two field inspections during the growing stage
of the planting. The department may make additional
inspections, but not for the purpose of allowing a
grower to rogue a planting that will not pass
inspection.
3. The department may
disqualify a planting from certification if any
condition prevents adequate inspection of the
planting. Such conditions include, without
limitation:
(a) Excessive weed
growth.
(b) Disease.
(c) Weather.
(d) Chemical damage.
(e) Another environmental
condition.
4. To be eligible to produce
certified seed potatoes, a planting must not exceed
the maximum percentage of disease tolerance for each
factor for the generation of seed potato produced.
5. Disease tolerances are
established only for diseased plants showing visible
symptoms,
but serological tests such as ELISA may be used to
confirm the presence of disease on plant samples
taken from the planting. Disease tolerances are
based on the following symptoms:
(a) Visual symptoms at
the time of field inspections.
(b) For blackleg, the
presence of a typical, inky black stem originating
from the tuber.
(c) For bacterial ring
rot, visual symptoms that are confirmed by
laboratory diagnosis.
6. During the first field
inspection, a planting must not exceed the following
maximum percentages of disease tolerances for the
generation of seed potatoes produced:
|
Factor |
Percent For
Each Generation
|
|
|
Nuclear |
Gen1 |
Gen2 |
Gen3 |
Gen4 |
Gen5 |
|
Potato leaf roll virus
|
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.03 |
0.05 |
0.10 |
0.20 |
|
Well-defined mosaic |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.10 |
0.50 |
0.80 |
2.00 |
|
Total visible viruses |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.10 |
0.50 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
|
Spindle tuber viroid |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Blackleg |
0.00 |
0.10 |
0.50 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
|
Bacterial ring rot |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Root-knot nematode |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Other varieties |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.02 |
0.10 |
0.25 |
0.50 |
7.
During the second field inspection, a planting must
not exceed the following maximum percentages of
disease tolerances for the generation of seed
potatoes produced:
|
Factor |
Percent For Each Generation
|
|
|
Nuclear |
Gen1 |
Gen2 |
Gen3 |
Gen4 |
Gen5 |
|
Potato leaf roll virus |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.01 |
0.05 |
0.10 |
0.20 |
|
Well-defined mosaic |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.05 |
0.25 |
0.50 |
1.00 |
|
Total visible viruses |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.05 |
0.25 |
0.50 |
1.00 |
|
Spindle tuber viroid |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Blackleg |
0.00 |
0.10 |
0.50 |
1.00 |
2.00 |
3.00 |
|
Bacterial ring rot |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Root-knot nematode |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.00 |
|
Other varieties |
0.00 |
0.00 |
0.01 |
0.05 |
0.10 |
0.20 |
8.
A finding of 0.00 percent of disease tolerance means
that none must be found during normal inspection
procedures, but such a finding does not guarantee
that all plants in the planting are free from the
disease.
9. When a planting exceeds the
disease tolerances for the generation of seed
potatoes produced, the department will classify the
seed potatoes as the next higher generation for
which the seed potatoes do not exceed the disease
tolerances.
10. As used in this section:
(a) “ELISA” means enzyme
linked immunosorbent assay.
(b) “Total visible
viruses” means the combined percentages of disease
tolerances of potato leaf roll virus, well-defined
mosaic, calico and all other viral, viroid and
mycoplasma-like diseases, including haywire,
witches’ broom and aster yellows.
Sec. 29. 1. When bacterial ring rot is
detected in a planting or seed lot, the department:
(a) Will disqualify the
planting or seed lot from certification; and
(b) Will disqualify from
certification all plantings and seed lots grown by
the seed farm from the same seed source, even if
infected and uninfected plantings and seed lots are
grown in different fields on the same seed farm or
on different seed farms.
2. The department may
disqualify a planting or seed lot from certification
if the department detects any new disease in the
planting or seed lot and determines that the disease
is detrimental to potatoes in this state.
Sec. 30. 1. If a planting is treated or
contaminated with a chemical that causes seed-borne
injury to seed potatoes, the department may:
(a) Withhold
certification pending the outcome of a post harvest
test; or
(b) Refuse to certify a
planting or portion of a planting.
2. If the department determines
that a planting may have suffered chemical damage,
the department will:
(a) Collect a separate
sample from the planting that may have suffered
chemical damage to conduct a post harvest test; and
(b) Withhold
certification until the post harvest test is
complete.
3. If a portion of a planting
does not show enough chemical injury to prevent or
interfere with an inspection of the planting but is
contaminated to a degree that seed-borne chemical
injury may occur in the next planting, the
contaminated portion of the planting must be
harvested and stored separately from the non
contaminated portion of the planting.
Sec. 31. 1. The department will inspect all
seed lots that remain eligible for certification
after both field inspections.
2. To be eligible for
certification, each seed lot must:
(a) Be stored in a
storage facility that is available for inspection by
the department at any time.
(b) Be harvested,
transported, graded and stored in a manner that will
prevent intermixing with other potatoes.
(c) Be identified
throughout the period of storage.
(d) Be stored in a
storage facility that is sanitized.
(e) Not be stored, graded
or handled in a storage facility in which potatoes
that were not field inspected are stored or handled.
(f) Not be stored, graded
or handled in a storage facility in which potatoes
that are known to have bacterial ring rot, root-knot
nematode or corky ring spot are stored or handled.
(g) Not be stored in a
storage facility in which sprout-inhibiting
materials were used the previous season.
(h) Not be washed.
3. To prevent the
contamination of seed lots and the spread of
disease, the grower is responsible for maintaining
proper sanitation of all handling equipment and
storage areas.
Sec. 32. 1. The department will conduct a
post harvest test on each seed lot that has passed
both field inspections.
2. For each seed lot, the
grower must submit to the department samples for the
post harvest test. The samples must:
(a) Contain only single
drop tubers of not more than 2 ounces;
(b) Be randomly selected
so as to adequately represent the entire seed lot;
and
(c) Be submitted in bags
weighing not more than 50 pounds each.
3. For each seed lot, the
grower must submit to the department the following
number of samples:
|
Acres |
Number of Tubers
|
|
1 to 5 |
220 |
|
6 to 10 |
440 |
|
11 to 20 |
660 |
|
21 to 40 |
880 |
|
41 to 80 |
1100 |
|
81 or more |
Additional 330 tubers for
each 30 acres in excess of 80
acres |
4.
To be eligible for certification or recertification,
a seed lot must not exceed the following maximum
percentages of disease tolerances:
|
Factor |
Certification
|
Recertification |
|
Potato leaf roll virus |
2.00 |
0.80 |
|
Well-defined mosaic |
10.00 |
2.00 |
|
Seed-borne chemical injury |
5.00 |
not applicable |
Sec. 33. 1.
To be eligible for certification, each seed lot must
satisfy:
(a) Current requirements
for the grade of U.S. No. 1 seed potatoes
established by the United States Department of
Agriculture; or
(b) Contract grade
requirements, including:
(1) All
conditions and requirements of grade established by
an agreement between a buyer and seller;
(2) Not more
than 1 percent each of late blight, soft rot or wet
breakdown;
(3) Not more
than 1 percent each of dirt or debris; and
(4) No bacterial
ring rot or root-knot nematode, based on visible,
external symptoms.
2. The United States standards
for the grades of seed potatoes set forth in 7 C.F.R.
§§ 51.3000 to 51.3006, inclusive, as those sections
existed on March 6, 1987, are adopted by reference
as the standards for the grade of U.S. No. 1 seed
potatoes in this state. The standards may be
obtained from the department free of charge.
Sec. 34. 1. For each container of certified
seed potatoes that meets all the requirements for
certification, the department will issue one of the
following certification tags:
(a) A blue tag for
certified seed potatoes which meet the current
requirements for the grade of U.S. No. 1 seed
potatoes established by the United States Department
of Agriculture.
(b) A yellow tag for
certified seed potatoes which meet the contract
grade requirements set forth in paragraph (b) of
subsection 1 of section 33 of this regulation.
2. The department will attach a
certification tag to each vehicle that will
transport bulk shipments of certified seed potatoes.
The certification tag will contain an official seal
and will be attached in such a manner that the
unloading mechanism cannot operate without breaking
the seal.
3. New sacks must be used for
all certified seed potatoes that are sacked. |
