(a) Sample sizes. As provided in Sec. 361.4(b), samples of seed will be taken from each lot of seed being imported for seeding (planting) purposes to determine whether any seeds of noxious weeds listed in Sec. 361.6(a) are present. The samples shall be drawn in the manner described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. Unused portions of samples of rare or expensive seeds will be returned by APHIS upon request of the importer.
(1) A minimum sample of not less than 1 quart shall be drawn from each lot of agricultural seed; a minimum sample of not less than 1 pint shall be drawn from each lot of vegetable seed, except that a sample of \1/4\ pint will be sufficient for a vegetable seed importation of 5 pounds or less. The minimum sample shall be divided repeatedly until a working sample of proper weight has been obtained. If a mechanical divider cannot be used or is not available, the sample shall be thoroughly mixed, then placed in a pile; the pile shall be divided repeatedly into halves until a working sample of the proper weight remains. The weights of the working samples for noxious weed examination for each lot of seed are shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section. If the lot of seed is a mixture, the following methods shall be used to determine the weight of the working sample:
(i) If the lot of seed is a mixture consisting of one predominant kind of seed or a group of kinds of similar size, the weight of the working sample shall be the weight shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section for the kind or group of kinds that comprises more than 50 percent of the sample.
(ii) If the lot of seed is a mixture consisting of two or more kinds or groups of kinds of different sizes, none of which comprises over 50 percent of the sample, the weight of the working sample shall be the weighted average (to the nearest half gram) of the weight shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section for each of the kinds that comprise the sample, as determined by the following method:
(A) Multiply the percentage of each component of the mixture (rounded off to the nearest whole number) by the sample sizes shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section;
(B) Add all these products;
(C) Total the percentages of all components of the mixtures; and
(D) Divide the sum in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(B) of this section by the total in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(C) of this section.
(2) It is not ordinarily practical to sample and test small lots of seed offered for entry. The maximum sizes of lots of each kind of seed not ordinarily sampled are shown in column 2 of table 1 of this section.
(3) The maximum sizes of lots of each kind of seed allowed entry without sampling for sowing for experimental or breeding purposes as provided in Sec. 361.4(a)(4) are shown in column 3 of table 1 of this section.
Table 1----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maximum weight of
seed lot
Working weight Maximum weight of permitted entry
for noxious weed seed lot not for experimental
Name of seed examination ordinarily or breeding
(grams) (1) sampled (pounds) purposes without
(2) sampling (pounds)
(3)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------VEGETABLE SEED:
Artichoke.......................................... 500 25 50
Asparagus.......................................... 500 25 50
Asparagusbean...................................... 500 25 50
Bean............................................... 25 200
Garden......................................... 500 100 500
Lima........................................... 500 25 200
Runner......................................... 500 25 200
Beet............................................... 300 25 50
Broadbean.......................................... 500 25 200
Broccoli........................................... 50 5 10
Brussels sprouts................................... 50 5 10
Burdock, great..................................... 150 10 50
Cabbage............................................ 50 5 10
Cabbage, Chinese................................... 50 5 10
Cabbage, tronchuda................................. 100 5 10
Cantaloupe (see Melon).............................
Cardoon............................................ 500 25 50
Carrot............................................. 50 5 10
Cauliflower........................................ 50 5 10
Celeriac........................................... 25 5 10
Celery............................................. 25 5 10
Chard, Swiss....................................... 300 25 50
Chicory............................................ 50 5 10
Chives............................................. 50 5 10
Citron............................................. 500 25 50
Collards........................................... 50 5 10
Corn, sweet........................................ 500 25 200
Cornsalad.......................................... 50 5 10
Cowpea............................................. 500 25 200
Cress, garden...................................... 50 5 10
Cress, upland...................................... 35 5 10
Cress, water....................................... 25 5 10
Cucumber........................................... 500 25 50
Dandelion.......................................... 35 5 10
Dill............................................... 50 5 10
Eggplant........................................... 50 5 10
Endive............................................. 50 5 10
Gherkin, West India................................ 160 25 50
Kale............................................... 50 5 10
Kale, Chinese...................................... 50 5 10
Kale, Siberian..................................... 80 5 10
Kohlrabi........................................... 50 5 10
Leek............................................... 50 5 10
Lettuce............................................ 50 5 10
Melon.............................................. 500 25 50
Mustard, India..................................... 50 25 100
Mustard, spinach................................... 50 5 10
Okra............................................... 500 25 50
Onion.............................................. 50 5 10
Onion, Welsh....................................... 50 5 10
Pak-choi........................................... 50 5 10
Parsley............................................ 50 5 10
Parsnip............................................ 50 5 10
Pea................................................ 500 25 200
Pepper............................................. 150 5 10
Pumpkin............................................ 500 25 50
Radish............................................. 300 25 50
Rhubarb............................................ 300 5 10
Rutabaga........................................... 50 5 10
Sage............................................... 150 25 50
Salsify............................................ 300 25 50
Savory, summer..................................... 35 5 10
Sorrel............................................. 35 5 10
Soybean............................................ 500 25 200
Spinach............................................ 150 25 50
Spinach, New Zealand............................... 500 25 50
Squash............................................. 500 25 50
Tomato............................................. 50 5 10
Tomato, husk....................................... 35 5 10
Turnip............................................. 50 5 10
Watermelon......................................... 500 25 50AGRICULTURAL SEED:
Agrotricum......................................... 500 100 500
Alfalfa............................................ 50 25 100
Alfilaria.......................................... 50 25 100
Alyceclover........................................ 50 25 100
Bahiagrass......................................... 50 25 100
Barrelclover....................................... 100 25 100
Barley............................................. 500 100 500
Bean, adzuki....................................... 500 100 500
Bean, field........................................ 500 100 500
Bean, mung......................................... 500 100 500
Bean (see Velvetbean)..............................
Beet, field........................................ 500 100 500
Beet, sugar........................................ 500 100 1,000
Beggarweed......................................... 50 25 100
Bentgrass, colonial................................ 2.5 25 100
Bentgrass, creeping................................ 2.5 25 100
Bentgrass, velvet.................................. 2.5 25 100
Bermudagrass....................................... 10 25 100
Bermudagrass, giant................................ 10 25 100
Bluegrass, annual.................................. 10 25 100
Bluegrass, bulbous................................. 40 25 100
Bluegrass, Canada.................................. 5 25 100
Bluegrass, glaucantha.............................. 10 25 100
Bluegrass, Kentucky................................ 10 25 100
Bluegrass, Nevada.................................. 10 25 100
Bluegrass, rough................................... 5 25 100
Bluegrass, Texas................................... 10 25 100
Bluegrass, wood.................................... 5 25 100
Bluejoint.......................................... 5 25 100
Bluestem, big...................................... 70 25 100
Bluestem, little................................... 50 25 100
Bluestem, sand..................................... 100 25 100
Bluestem, yellow................................... 10 25 100
Bottlebrush-squirreltail........................... 90 25 100
Brome, field....................................... 50 25 100
Brome, meadow...................................... 130 25 100
Brome, mountain.................................... 200 25 100
Brome, smooth...................................... 70 25 100
Broomcorn.......................................... 400 100 500
Buckwheat.......................................... 500 100 500
Buffalograss:
(Burs)......................................... 200 25 100
(Caryopses).................................... 30 25 100
Buffelgrass:
(Fascicles).................................... 66 25 100
(Caryopses).................................... 20 25 100
Burclover, California:
(In bur)....................................... 500 100 500
(Out of bur)................................... 70 25 100
Burclover, spotted:
(In bur)....................................... 500 100 500
(Out of bur)................................... 50 25 100
Burnet, little..................................... 250 25 100
Buttonclover....................................... 70 25 100
Canarygrass........................................ 200 25 100
Canarygrass, reed.................................. 20 25 100
Carpetgrass........................................ 10 25 100
Castorbean......................................... 500 100 500
Chess, soft........................................ 50 25 100
Chickpea........................................... 500 100 500
Clover, alsike..................................... 20 25 100
Clover, arrowleaf.................................. 40 25 100
Clover, berseem.................................... 50 25 100
Clover, cluster.................................... 10 25 100
Clover, crimson.................................... 100 25 100
Clover, Kenya...................................... 20 25 100
Clover, Ladino..................................... 20 25 100
Clover, Lappa...................................... 20 25 100
Clover, large hop.................................. 10 25 100
Clover, Persian.................................... 20 25 100
Clover, red........................................ 50 25 100
Clover, rose....................................... 70 25 100
Clover, small hop (suckling)....................... 20 25 100
Clover, strawberry................................. 50 25 100
Clover, sub (subterranean)......................... 250 25 100
Clover, white...................................... 20 25 100
Corn, field........................................ 500 100 1,000
Corn, pop.......................................... 500 100 1,000
Cotton............................................. 500 100 500
Cowpea............................................. 500 100 500
Crambe............................................. 250 25 100
Crested dogtail.................................... 20 25 100
Crotalaria, lance.................................. 70 25 100
Crotalaria, showy.................................. 250 25 100
Crotalaria, slenderleaf............................ 100 25 100
Crotalaria, striped................................ 100 25 100
Crotalaria, Sunn................................... 500 25 100
Crownvetch......................................... 100 25 100
Dallisgrass........................................ 40 25 100
Dichondra.......................................... 50 25 100
Dropseed, sand..................................... 2.5 25 100
Emmer.............................................. 500 100 500
Fescue, Chewings................................... 30 25 100
Fescue, hair....................................... 10 25 100
Fescue, hard....................................... 20 25 100
Fescue, meadow..................................... 50 25 100
Fescue, red........................................ 30 25 100
Fescue, sheep...................................... 20 25 100
Fescue, tall....................................... 50 25 100
Flax............................................... 150 25 100
Galletagrass:
(Other than caryopses)......................... 100 25 100
(Caryopses).................................... 50 25 100
Grama, blue........................................ 20 25 100
Grama, side-oats:
(Other than caryopses)......................... 60 25 100
(Caryopses).................................... 20 25 100
Guar............................................... 500 25 100
Guineagrass........................................ 20 25 100
Hardinggrass....................................... 30 25 100
Hemp............................................... 500 100 500
Indiangrass, yellow................................ 70 25 100
Indigo, hairy...................................... 70 25 100
Japanese lawngrass................................. 20 25 100
Johnsongrass....................................... 100 25 100
Kenaf.............................................. 500 100 500
Kochia, forage..................................... 20 25 100
Kudzu.............................................. 250 25 100
Lentil............................................. 500 25 100
Lespedeza, Korean.................................. 50 25 100
Lespedeza, sericea or Chinese...................... 30 25 100
Lespedeza, Siberian................................ 30 25 100
Lespedeza, striate................................. 50 25 100
Lovegrass, sand.................................... 10 25 100
Lovegrass, weeping................................. 10 25 100
Lupine, blue....................................... 500 100 500
Lupine, white...................................... 500 100 500
Lupine, yellow..................................... 500 100 500
Manilagrass........................................ 20 25 100
Meadow foxtail..................................... 30 25 100
Medick, black...................................... 50 25 100
Milkvetch.......................................... 90 25 100
Millet, browntop................................... 80 25 100
Millet, foxtail.................................... 50 25 100
Millet, Japanese................................... 90 25 100
Millet, pearl...................................... 150 25 100
Millet, proso...................................... 150 25 100
Molassesgrass...................................... 5 25 100
Mustard, black..................................... 20 25 100
Mustard, India..................................... 50 25 100
Mustard, white..................................... 150 25 100
Napiergrass........................................ 50 25 100
Needlegrass, green................................. 70 25 100
Oat................................................ 500 100 500
Oatgrass, tall..................................... 60 25 100
Orchardgrass....................................... 30 25 100
Panicgrass, blue................................... 20 25 100
Panicgrass, green.................................. 20 25 100
Pea, field......................................... 500 100 500
Peanut............................................. 500 100 500
Poa trivialis (see bluegrass, rough)
Rape, annual....................................... 70 25 100
Rape, bird......................................... 70 25 100
Rape, turnip....................................... 50 25 100
Rape, winter....................................... 100 25 100
Redtop............................................. 2.5 25 100
Rescuegrass........................................ 200 25 100
Rhodesgrass........................................ 10 25 100
Rice............................................... 500 100 500
Ricegrass, Indian.................................. 70 25 100
Roughpea........................................... 500 100 500
Rye................................................ 500 100 500
Rye, mountain...................................... 280 25 100
Ryegrass, annual................................... 50 25 100
Ryegrass, intermediate............................. 80 25 100
Ryegrass, perennial................................ 50 25 100
Ryegrass, Wimmera.................................. 50 25 100
Safflower.......................................... 500 100 500
Sagewort, Louisiana................................ 5 25 100
Sainfoin........................................... 500 100 500
Saltbush, fourwing................................. 150 25 100
Seasame............................................ 70 25 100
Sesbania........................................... 250 25 100
Smilo.............................................. 20 25 100
Sorghum............................................ 500 100 1,000
Sorghum almum...................................... 150 25 100
Sorghum-sudangrass hybrid.......................... 500 100 1,000
Sorgrass........................................... 150 25 100
Sourclover......................................... 50 25 100
Soybean............................................ 500 100 500
Spelt.............................................. 500 100 500
Sudangrass......................................... 250 25 100
Sunflower.......................................... 500 100 500
Sweetclover, white................................. 50 25 100
Sweetclover, yellow................................ 50 25 100
Sweet vernalgrass.................................. 20 25 100
Sweetvetch, northern............................... 190 25 100
Switchgrass........................................ 40 25 100
Timothy............................................ 10 25 100
Timothy, turf...................................... 10 25 100
Tobacco............................................ 5 1 1
Trefoil, big....................................... 20 25 100
Trefoil, birdsfoot................................. 30 25 100
Triticale.......................................... 500 100 500
Vaseygrass......................................... 30 25 100
Veldtgrass......................................... 40 25 100
Velvetbean......................................... 500 100 500
Velvetgrass........................................ 10 25 100
Vetch, common...................................... 500 100 500
Vetch, hairy....................................... 500 100 500
Vetch, Hungarian................................... 500 100 500
Vetch, Monantha.................................... 500 100 500
Vetch, narrowleaf.................................. 500 100 500
Vetch, purple...................................... 500 100 500
Vetch, woolypod.................................... 500 100 500
Wheat, common...................................... 500 100 500
Wheat, club........................................ 500 100 500
Wheat, durum....................................... 500 100 500
Wheat, Polish...................................... 500 100 500
Wheat, poulard..................................... 500 100 500
WheatxAgrotricum................................... 500 100 500
Wheatgrass, beardless.............................. 80 25 100
Wheatgrass, fairway crested........................ 40 25 100
Wheatgrass, standard crested....................... 50 25 100
Wheatgrass, intermediate........................... 150 25 100
Wheatgrass, pubescent.............................. 150 25 100
Wheatgrass, Siberian............................... 50 25 100
Wheatgrass, slender................................ 70 25 100
Wheatgrass, streambank............................. 50 25 100
Wheatgrass, tall................................... 150 25 100
Wheatgrass, western................................ 100 25 100
Wildrye, basin..................................... 80 25 100
Wild-rye, Canada................................... 110 25 100
Wild-rye, Russian.................................. 60 25 100
Zoysia Japonica (see Japanese lawngrass)
Zoysia matrella (see Manilagrass)----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(b) Method of sampling. (1) When an importation consists of more than one lot, each lot shall be sampled separately.
(1) When an importation consists of more than one lot, each lot shall be sampled separately.
(2) For lots of six or fewer bags, each bag shall be sampled. A total of at least five trierfuls shall be taken from the lot.
(3) For lots of more than six bags, five bags plus at least 10 percent of the number of bags in the lot shall be sampled. (Round off numbers with decimals to the nearest whole number, raising 0.5 to the next whole number.) Regardless of the lot size, it is not necessary to sample more than 30 bags.
(4) When the lot of seed to be sampled is comprised of seed in small containers that cannot practically be sampled as described in paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3) of this section, entire unopened containers may be taken in sufficient number to supply a sample that meets the minimum size requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section.
(c) Drawing samples. Samples will not be drawn unless each container is labeled to show the lot designation and the name of the kind and variety of each agricultural seed, or kind and variety of each vegetable seed, appearing on the invoice and other entry papers, and a declaration has been filed by the importer as required under Sec. 361.2(a). In order to secure a representative sample, an APHIS inspector will draw equal portions from evenly distributed parts of the quantity of seed to be sampled; the APHIS inspector, therefore, must be given access to all parts of that quantity.
(1) For free-flowing seed in bags or in bulk, a probe or trier shall be used. For small free-flowing seed in bags, a probe or trier long enough to sample all portions of the bag shall be used. When drawing more than one trierful of seed from a bag, a different path through the seed shall be used when drawing each sample.
(2) For non-free-flowing seed in bags or bulk that may be difficult to sample with a probe or trier, samples shall be obtained by thrusting one's hand into the seed and withdrawing representative portions. The hand shall be inserted in an open position with the fingers held closely together while the hand is being inserted and the portion withdrawn. When more than one handful is taken from a bag, the handfuls shall be taken from well-separated points.
(3) When more than one sample is drawn from a single lot, the samples may be combined into a composite sample unless it appears that the quantity of seed represented as a lot is not of uniform quality, in which case the separate samples shall be forwarded together, but without being combined into a composite sample.
(d) In most cases, samples will be drawn and examined by an APHIS inspector at the port of first arrival. The APHIS inspector may release a shipment if no contaminants are found and the labeling is sufficient. If contaminants are found or the labeling of the seed is insufficient, the APHIS inspector may forward the sample to the USDA Seed Examination Facility (SEF), Beltsville, MD, for analysis, testing, or examination. APHIS will notify the owner or consignee of the seed that samples have been drawn and forwarded to the SEF and that the shipment must be held intact pending a decision by APHIS as to whether the seed is within the noxious weed seed tolerances of Sec. 361.6 and is accurately labeled. If the decision pending is with regard to the noxious weed seed content of the seed and the seed has been determined to be accurately labeled, the seed may be released for delivery to the owner or consignee under the following conditions:
(1) The owner or consignee executes with Customs either a Customs single-entry bond or a Customs term bond, as appropriate, in such amount as is prescribed by applicable Customs regulations;
(2) The bond must contain a condition for the redelivery of the seed or any part thereof upon demand of the Port Director of Customs at any time;
(3) Until the seed is approved for entry upon completion of APHIS' examination, the seed must be kept intact and not tampered with in any way, or removed from the containers except under the monitoring of an APHIS inspector; and
(4) The owner or consignee must keep APHIS informed as to the location of the seed until it is finally entered into the commerce of the United States.