ORNAMENTAL SUNFLOWER

(Hellanthus spp.L)

I. Application and Amplification of General Seed Certification Standards

    The General Seed Certification Standards are basic and, together with the following specific standards constitute the standards for certification of Ornamental Sunflower seeds.

I. Land requirements

    A seed crop of Ornamental sunflower shall not  be eligible for certification if planted on land on which the same 

    kind of crop was grown in the previous year unless the crop (s)   grown in the  previous year was / were of the 

    same variety and of an equivalent or higher class of certified seed and was/ were certified.

III. Field Inspection

A minimum of three inspections shall be made as follows:

    1.  the first  inspection shall be made at the stage of 6 - 7 pairs of leaves in order to determine  

         isolation, volunteer plants, designated disease and other relevant factors .

   2.  the second inspection, shall be made during flowering to check isolation, offtypes and other relevant

        factors.

   3.  the third  inspection shall made at maturity prior to harvesting to verify designated diseases, true nature of  

        plant and head, characteristics of seed and other relevant factors.

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

        Ornamental Sunflower seed fields shall be isolated from the contaminants shown in the column 1 of the Table below by the distances specified in columns 2 and 3 of the said Table:

        Contaminants                                                                                   Minimum distance (meters)

                                                                                                                Foundation        Certified

            1                                                                                                         2                     3

Fields of other varieties                                                                                 400                 200

Fields of the same variety not conforming to 

varietal purity requirements for certification                                                    400                 200  

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

            1                                                                                                        2                           3

      *Offtypes  at and after flowering                                                             0.10                    0.20  

         Plants infected with downy mildew     

         diseases(Plasmopara halstedii(Fari.) Beri &  De.T.) at                        0.10                     0.20  

          each inspection.

        Plants infested with Orobanchi cumana Guss,

        Non-Wallr. At final  inspection.                                                            None                    None

    * Sterile plants of the same variety shall not be considered as offtypes.

V. Seed standards

        Factor                                                                                              Standards for each class

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

Pure seed (minimum)                                                                                 98.0%                    98.0%

Inert matter (maximum)                                                                              2.0%                      2.0%

Huskless seeds(maximum)                                                                     (By number)              (By number)

                                                                                                                None                        None

Seed Seeds (maximum)                                                                             5 /kg                        5/kg

Seeds infested with Orobanche curnana guss,                                            None                        None

Non-wallr(maximum)

Germination (minimum)                                                                             70%                       70%

Moisture (maximum)                                                                                 9.0%                      9.0%

For vapour-proof containers (maximum)                                                   7.0%                      7.0%