ORNAMENTAL SUNFLOWER (Helianthus spp.L.)HYBRIDS
I. Application and Amplification of General Seed Certification Standards
A. The General Seed Certification Standards are basic and together with the following specific standards
constitute the standards for certification of ornamental sunflower hybrid seeds.
B. The General standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to the hybrids of ornamental sunflower:
1. Eligibility requirements for certification
(a) An inbred line to be eligible for certification shall be from a source such that its identity may
be assured and approved by the Certification Agency.
(b) Hybrid seed to be eligible for certification shall be the progeny of two approved inbred lines, one of
which shall be male sterile.
2. Classes and sources of seed
(a) An inbred line shall be a relatively true breeding strain resulting from self -pollination with selection.
(b) The Foundation class seed shall consist of an approved male sterile line to be used as a female parent
and approved inbred line to be used as a male parent for the purpose of producing hybrid seed.
(c) A male sterile line shall be a strain(A) carrying cytoplasmic-genetic-male sterility, which sheds no viable
pollen and is maintained by the normal sister strain (B) which is used as pollinator;
(d) The Certified class seed shall be the hybrid seed to be planted for any use except seed production.
II. Land requirements
A seed crop of Ornamental sunflower hybrid 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,
outcrosses, volunteer plants, planting ratio, errors in planting, designated disease and other relevant factors .
2. the second and third inspection, shall be made during flowering to check isolation, pollen shedding heads,
offtypes and other relevant factors;
3. the fourth 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
Contaminants Minimum distance (meters)
Foundation Certified
1 2 3
Fields of other varieties including commercial hybrid of the
same variety. 600 400
Fields of the same hybrid (code designation) not conforming to
varietal purity requirements for certification
and wild Helianthus spp. 400 200
B. Specific requirements
Factor Maximum permitted (%)*
Foundation Certified
1 2 3
*Offtypes in seed parent at and after flowering 0.20 0.50
Offtypes in pollinator at and after flowering 0.20 0.50
Pollen shedding heads in seed parent at flowering 0.50 1.00
**Objectionable weed plants at and after flowering None None
Plants infected with downy mildew diseases
(Plasmopara halstedii(Fari.) Beri & De.T.)
at each inspection. 0.050 0.50
Plants infested with Orobanchi cumana Guss,
Non-Wallr. At final inspection. None None
* Sterile plants of the same strain shall not be considered as offtypes.
**Objectionable weed plants shall be Wild Helianthus spp.
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) 2.0% 2.0%
(by number) (by number)
Other crop Seeds (maximum) None None
Total weed seeds (maximum) 5 /kg 10/kg
*Objectionable weed seeds (maximum) None None
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%
* Objectionable weed is the same as given at IV.B.above.