Seed Certification Manual - Rural Solutions SA - SA.Gov.au

South Australian Seed Certification Scheme
8.20 TALL FESCUE (Festuca arundinacea)
Sowing Seed
Basic seed.
Paddock History
Inspections
Seedling inspection
Pre-harvest inspection
Registration inspection (Refer to 3.5.3)
Land must not have grown or been sown to tall fescue
in the previous two (2) years, unless it was the same
cultivar and certification class where a minimum one
(1) year break between crops is recommended to meet
varietal purity standards.
Stand Life
Basic:
Certified:
two (2) years (maximum)
five (5) years (maximum)
New crops at the seedling inspection containing
mature or volunteer tall fescue plants will be rejected
from certification.
Isolation
For areas larger than 2 hectares:
Basic: 100 metres from other cultivars
Certified: 50 metres from other cultivars
Where Basic stands are down-graded certified seed
may be produced for a further three (3) years.
Crops that have thinned out significantly from the
previous year will be rejected.
Classes
C1: from areas sown with Basic seed
For areas of 2 hectares or less, double the isolation
distances.
Crop Standards
Cultivar and Species purity:
Maximum allowed in:
Contaminant Basic Certified
Other off-types or cultivars of tall fescue 1 per 30 m² 1 per 10 m²
Seed produced from regenerated seedlings in
the second and subsequent years (max.) nil ≤ 15%
Plants of other species, the seeds of which are difficult
to distinguish in a laboratory test or which will readily
cross-pollinate with the crop being grown for seed 1 per 30 m² 1 per 10 m²
Seed Quality Standards
Minimum Pure Seed (% by mass) 96.0%
Minimum Germination (% by count) 70.0%
Maximum Other Seeds (% by mass) 3.0% of which no more than 1.0% shall be seeds other than Lolium
sp.
Procedures and Standards for Seed Certification
May 2002