Watermelon Seed Certification Standards

A. Field Inspection 1. The initial inspection will be made before the first blooms are open. At this time, volunteer plants and citron must be removed from the field to be certified and the isolation zone by the grower. 2. The second inspection will be made when the melons are ready to harvest. The presence of any citron plants within 2,640 feet of a unit entered for foundation or registered classes or within 1,320 feet of a unit entered for certified class will disqualify the unit for certification. B. Field Standards Factor | Foundation | Registered | Certified Land Requirement | 1 yr. | 1 yr. | 1 yr. Isolation | 2,640 ft. | 2,640 ft. | 1,320 ft. At Harvest Time: Citron | None | None | None White Heart Fruits | None | 2.00% | 5.00% Total Off-Type Plants or Varietal Mixtures | None | None | 2 Plants per Acre *Plants Free from Fusarium Wilt | 93.00% | 93.00% | 90.00% Plants Free from Anthracnose | 95.00% | 95.00% | 90.00% *Applies to wilt-resistant varieties only C. Seed Standards Factor | Foundation | Registered | Certified Pure Seed | 98.00% | 98.00% | 98.00% Inert Matter | 2.00% | 2.00% | 2.00% Other Crops | None | 2 seed/lb. | 5 seed/lb. Other Varieties | None | None | 4 seed/lb. Citron | None | None | None Weed Seeds | None | None | 0.05% Germination | 80.00% | 80.00% | 80.00% AUTHORITY NOTE: Promulgated in accordance with R.S. 3:1433. HISTORICAL NOTE: Promulgated by the Department of Agriculture, Seed Commission, LR 8:588 (November 1982), amended LR 9:197 (April 1983), amended by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Seed Commission, LR 12:825 (December 1986), repromulgated by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, Office of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Agricultural Chemistry and Seed Commission, LR 39:2733 (October 2013).