ANNEX VMeasures to prevent the presence of RNQPs on specific plants for planting
PART AMeasures to prevent the presence of RNQPs on fodder plant seed
1.Inspection of the crop
(1)The competent authority, or the professional operator under the official supervision of the competent authority, shall carry out field inspections on the crop from which the fodder plant seed is produced concerning the presence of RNQPs in the crop to ensure that the presence of the RNQPs does not exceed the thresholds set out in this table:
RNQPs or symptoms caused by RNQPs | Plants for planting (genus or species) | Thresholds for production of pre-basic seed | Thresholds for the production of basic seed | Thresholds for the production of certified seed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. insidiosus (McCulloch 1925) Davis et al. [CORBIN] | Medicago sativa L. | 0 % | 0 % | 0 % |
Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kuehn) Filipjev [DITYDI] | Medicago sativa L. | 0 % | 0 % | 0 % |
The competent authority may authorise inspectors, other than the professional operators, to carry out the field inspections on its behalf and under its official supervision.
(2)
Those field inspections shall be carried out when the condition and the stage of development of the crop allow for an adequate inspection. There shall be at least one field inspection per year, at the most appropriate time for the detection of the respective RNQPs.
(3)The competent authority shall determine the size, the number and the distribution of the portions of the field to be inspected in accordance with appropriate methods.
The proportion of the crops for the production of seed to be officially inspected by the competent authority shall be at least 5 %.
2.Sampling and testing of fodder plant seed
(1)The competent authority shall:
- (a)
officially draw seed samples from lots of fodder plant seed;
- (b)
authorise seed samplers to carry out sampling on its behalf and under its official supervision;
- (c)
compare the seed samples drawn by itself with those of the same seed lot drawn by the seed samplers under official supervision as referred to in point (b);
- (d)
supervise the performance of the seed samplers provided for in point (2).
(2)The competent authority or the professional operator under official supervision shall sample and test the fodder plant seed in accordance with up to date international methods.
Except for automatic sampling, the competent authority shall check-sample a proportion of at least 5 % of the seed lots entered for official certification. That proportion shall be as evenly spread as possible over natural and legal persons entering seed for certification, and the species entered, but may also be aimed at eliminating specific doubts.
(3)For automatic sampling, appropriate procedures shall be applied and it shall be officially supervised.
For the examination of seed for certification, samples shall be drawn from homogeneous lots. As regards the lot and sample weights, the table of Annex III to Directive 66/401/EEC shall apply.
3.Additional measures for certain plant species
The competent authorities, or the professional operators under the official supervision of the competent authorities, shall carry out the following adidtional inspections or take any other actions for certain plant species to ensure that the requirements, concerning the respective RNQPs and plants for planting, are fulfilled.
(1)the pre-basic, basic and certified seeds of Medicago sativa L. to prevent the presence of Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. insidiosus, and in order to ascertain that:
- (a)
the seeds originate in areas known to be free from Clavibacter michiganensis spp. insidiosus; or
- (b)
the crop has been grown on land on which no previous Medicago sativa L. crop has been present during the last three years prior to sowing, and no symptoms of Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. insidiosus are observed during field inspection at the site of production or no symptoms of Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. insidiosus have been observed on any Medicago sativa L. crop adjacent to it, during the previous cropping; or
- (c)
the crop belongs to a variety recognised as being highly resistant to Clavibacter michiganensis ssp. insidiosus and the content of inert matter shall not exceed 0,1 % by weight;
(2)the pre-basic, basic and certified seed of Medicago sativa L. to prevent the presence of Ditylenchus dipsaci, and in order to ascertain that:
- (a)
no symptoms of Ditylenchus dipsaci have been observed at the site of production during the previous cropping and no main host crops have been grown during the two preceding years on the site of production and appropriate hygiene measures have been taken to prevent infestation of the place of production; or
- (b)
no symptoms of Ditylenchus dipsaci have been observed at the site of production during the previous cropping and no Ditylenchus dipsaci has been found by laboratory tests on a representative sample; or
- (c)
the seeds have been subjected to an appropriate physical or chemical treatment against Ditylenchus dipsaci and have been found to be free of this pest after laboratory tests on a representative sample.