The Soft Fruit Plants (Scotland) Order 1991

PART I ELITE GRADE

1.  Blackcurrant bushes of the Elite Grade (E) shall–

(a) (i) be derived from stocks certified at Elite grade or higher during the previous growing season; or

(ii) have an unbroken history of certification at Elite grade or higher; or

(iii) be any other approved stock;

(b) be eligible for certification at Elite grade for up to four growing seasons provided the certification history remains unbroken during this period;

(c) not be more than 3 years old in the case of bushes for sale or 4 years old in the case of bushes grown for the production of propagation material;

(d) be grown in the year entered for certification by a person whose facilities and planting arrangements are acceptable to the Secretary of State;

(e) not be grown on land on which strawberry Red Core disease (Phytophthora fragariae) or raspberry Root Rot disease (Phytophthora megasperma) has been known to occur or be present in the vicinity;

(f) not be grown on land which is subject to a Notice served or continued under the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1987 in respect of infection by Wart Disease of potatoes or Potato Cyst Nematode;

(g) be kept sufficiently spaced to prevent overcrowding and allow each bush to be inspected;

(h) be kept at all times in the year of certification–

(i) at least 1 metre from different varieties and stocks eligible for Elite certification;

(ii) at least 90 metres from all other blackcurrant varieties;

(i) be inspected twice during the growing season by inspectors;

(j) not be rogued prior to the first inspection;

(k) be rogued subsequent to the first inspection only at the discretion of the inspector;

(l) be clearly labelled by variety and age of bushes;

(m) be true to type;

(n) be kept in a reasonable state of cultivation.

2.  The standards of purity and health for Elite grade blackcurrant bushes shall be–

• Purity: 100%

• Health:

  (a)

  100% free from Big Bud Mite, Reversion and other discernible virus diseases;

  (b)

  substantially free from American Gooseberry Mildew;

  (c)

  substantially free from other pests and diseases.