Amendment of the Cereal Seeds Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994

2.—(1) The Cereal Seeds Regulations (Northern Ireland)1994(1) shall be amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 3(2) (interpretation)—

(a)in sub-paragraph (b) of the definition of “Basic Seed”, for the words “and rye” there shall be substituted the words “, rye and self-pollinating triticale”; and

(b)in the definition of “Certified Seed”, for the words “spelt wheat and rye” both times they appear there shall be substituted the words “spelt wheat and self-pollinating triticale”.

(3) Paragraph 2 (varietal identity and varietal purity) of Part I of Schedule 4 shall be renumbered as paragraph 2(1), and the following new sub-paragraph shall be inserted after it—

“(2) The crop shall have sufficient varietal identity and varietal purity. In the case of an inbred line, the crop shall have sufficient varietal identity and purity as regards its characteristics. For the production of seed of hybrid varieties, the requirement for sufficient varietal identity and purity shall apply also to the characteristics of the components, including characteristics as to male sterility and fertility restoration.”.

(4) In paragraph 6 (standards for varietal purity, species purity and wild oats) of Part I of Schedule 4—

(a)for the heading to the third column to the table there shall be substituted—

(b)below footnote ‡ there shall be added the following footnote—

(5) After paragraph 9 (special conditions for hybrids of rye) of Part I of Schedule 4 there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“Special conditions for crops to produce hybrids of oats, barley, wheat, durum wheat, spelt wheat and self-pollinating triticale

10.—(a) The crop shall conform to the following standards as regards distances from neighbouring sources of pollen which may result in undesirable foreign pollination. The minimum distance of the female component shall be 25 metres from any other variety of the same species except from a crop of the male component. This distance may be disregarded if there is sufficient protection from any undesirable foreign pollination.

(b)The crop shall have sufficient identity and purity as regards the characteristics of the components.

(c)Where seed is produced by use of a chemical hybridisation agent, the crop shall conform to the following standards or other conditions—

(i)the minimum varietal purity of each component shall be—

(a)oats, barley, wheat, durum wheat and spelt wheat 99.7%

(b)self-pollinating triticale 99.0%;

(ii)the minimum hybridity shall be 95%. The percentage hybridity shall be assessed in accordance with current international methods, in so far as such methods exist. In cases where the hybridity is determined during seed testing prior to certification, the determination of the hybridity during field inspection need not be done.”.

(6) For paragraph 1 of Part II of Schedule 4 (conditions relating to the seeds) there shall be substituted—

“1.  The seeds shall possess the varietal identity and the varietal purity (appropriate to the kind, category and level of the seeds) specified in Part I. In the case of seed of an inbred line, it shall possess the varietal identity and the varietal purity (appropriate to the kind, category and level of the seeds) specified in Part I as regards its characteristics. For the seed of hybrid varieties, the requirements as to varietal identity and varietal purity (appropriate to the kind, category and level of the seeds) specified in Part I, other than the requirement as to varietal purity of Basic Seed specified in the third column of the table in paragraph 6 of Part I, shall apply also to the characteristics of the components. For hybrids of oats, barley, wheat, durum wheat, spelt wheat and self-pollinating triticale, the minimum varietal purity of the seed of the category “Certified Seed” shall be 90%. It shall be examined in official post-control tests on an appropriate proportion of samples.”.

(7) In paragraph 3 of Part II of Schedule 4—

(a)for—

“Germination (% by number)All Categories8585”

(b)in the table headed “Minimum Standard-maximum number of other seeds or structures in 500g.”, in the third box down in the first column, there shall be inserted before the words “Certified Seed of the First Generation” the words “Certified Seed,”.