Harmful organisms in the seed
15.—(a) Harmful organisms which reduce the usefulness of the seed shall be at the lowest possible level.
(b)Subject to sub paragraph (c) in any sample of seed of the species specified in column 1 of the following table:–
(i)harmful organisms of the type specified in columns 2 and 3 of the table shall not exceed the percentage by number of seeds specified in the relevant corresponding entry of the table; and
(ii)the number of sclerotia or fragments of sclerotia in a sample of the weight specified in column 4 of the table specified in paragraph 24 of Part II of Schedule 5 shall not exceed the number specified in the relevant corresponding entry in column 4 of the following table:–
| Harmful organisms | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum percentage by number of seeds contaminated by harmful organisms (total per column) | Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (maximum number of sclerotia or fragments of sclerotia in a sample of the weight specified in Column 4 of paragraph 24 of Part II of Schedule 5) | ||
| Species | Botrytis spp. | Alternaria spp., Ascochyta linicola (syn. Phoma linicola), Colletotrichum lini, Fusarium spp. | |
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Flax | 5 | 5 | n/a |
| Hemp | 5 | n/a | n/a |
| Linseed | 5 | 5 | n/a |
| Sunflower | 5 | n/a | 10 |
| Swede rape | n/a | n/a | 10 |
| Turnip rape | n/a | n/a | 5 |
| White mustard | n/a | n/a | 5 |
(c)Notwithstanding the provisions of sub paragraph (b), in any sample of flax seed, the maximum percentage by number of seed of Ascochyta linicola (syn. Phoma linicola) shall not exceed 1%.
(d)In the case of soya bean seed–
(i)within a sample of at least 5,000 seeds per seed lot which is subdivided into 5 sub samples, the maximum number of sub-samples which are found to be contaminated by Pseudomonas syringae pv. glycinea shall not exceed 4;
(ii)where suspect colonies are identified in all five sub-samples referred to in sub paragraph (i) appropriate biochemical tests on the suspect colonies isolated on a preferential medium for each sub-sample may be used to confirm the conditions specified in sub-paragraph (i);
(iii)the maximum number of seeds contaminated by Diaporthe phaseolorum shall not exceed 15%; and
(iv)the percentage by weight of inert matter shall not exceed 0.3%.