Section 160. Soybean certification standards

A. General standards. The general standards as adopted in this chapter are basic and together with the following standards constitute the standards for soybeans.

B. Land requirements. The crop shall not be grown on land on which soybeans were grown the previous year, unless that crop was grown from certified seed of the same variety.

C. Field standards.

1. Field inspection. At least one field inspection, preferably after the leaves have dropped, shall be made by an inspector of the certifying agency.

2. Isolation. Fields of soybeans shall be separated from any other variety or uncertified seed of the same variety by a distance of 20 feet or 10 border rows of the inspected crop shall not be harvested for seed.

3. Specific.

	Field Inspection
Factor	Foundation	Registered	Certified
Other Varieties	1:10,000 (0.01%)	1:1000 (0.1%)	1:400 (0.25%)
Corn and/or Sunflower Plants Bearing Seeds	None	None	2 plants/acre
Total Objectionable Weeds	Trace morning glory	Trace morning glory	Trace morning glory

D. Seed standards

	Standard for Each Class
Factor	Foundation	Registered	Certified
Pure Seed (minimum)	99.0%	99.0%	98.5%
Inert Matter (maximum)	1.0%	1.0%	1.5%
*Weed Seeds (maximum)	.01%	.01%	.02%
Objectionable Weed Seed (maximum)	None	None	None
Other Crops	None	None	.01%
**Other Varieties	.01%	.1%	.25%
Germination (minimum)	80.0%	80.0%	80.0%
*Total weed seed shall not exceed 10 per pound.
**Off-colored beans due to environmental factor shall not be considered other varieties. Other varieties shall be considered to include off-type seeds that can be differentiated from the variety that is being analyzed.

Historical Notes

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

Statutory Authority

§§ 3.2-4024 of the Code of Virginia.