In the public interest, and more specifically in the interest of the agricultural industry
of the State of Oklahoma, the following rules and regulations for the conditioning of
Oklahoma certified seed firms, are hereby established and promulgated by the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association, pursuant to the provisions of Section 784-787, Chapter 19, Title 2, Oklahoma Statutes 1941. 

 

Article I

 

Definitions

1. Conditioning shall be defined as cleaning, recleaning, blending multiple lots, packaging and repackaging of agricultural seeds produced in Oklahoma , or any combination of these operations, for purpose of selling, offering, or exposing the same for sale for planting purposes. 
2. The term “agricultural seed” as used in these Regulations shall be defined as the seed of all cereals, saccharin and non-saccharin sorghums, grasses used for hay, forage, or lawn; all legumes including peanuts, cotton, broomcorn, rape and other forage crops; stock beets and sugar beets; the tubers or plants of Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, cabbage, tomatoes and onions and all other field crops which are now grown or may be hereafter grown in the State of Oklahoma.
3. The term “blending” as used in these Regulations shall be defined as the mixing of seeds from various lots, as authorized by these Regulations.
4. The term “certified seed conditioner” as used in these Regulations shall be defined to mean any person, firm or corporation, authorized under the provisions of these Regulations, to engage in the business of conditioning agricultural seeds, as defined in Section 1 of the Article. 
5. The term “Association” as used in these Regulations, shall be defined to mean the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association. 

 

Article II

 

Authorization to engage in business as a certified seed conditioner

No person, firm or corporation shall engage in business as a certified seed conditioner within the State of Oklahoma , except upon compliance with the provisions of these Regulations. 

 

Article III

 

Requirements for qualification as certified seed conditioner

1. Any person, firm or corporation desiring to become an approved certified seed conditioner shall submit one application per conditioning unit to the Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association no later than April 15 of the calendar year in which such approval is sought. The type of crops intended to be conditioned must be specified in each application. Each application must be accompanied by an annual fee of seventy five dollars ($75.00).
2. Before any person, firm or corporation is approved as a certified seed conditioner it must be determined that he or it is in good standing with existing state and federal seed control agencies.
3. Before any person, firm or corporation is approved as a certified seed conditioner, satisfactory proof shall be made that his or its conditioning plant is provided with the following minimum equipment:
   1. A cleaner equipped with not less than two and preferably four separate screens for a single cleaning operation. Such cleaners must be equipped with traveling brushes beneath the screens, variable air blast and/or vacuum pick-up. 
   2. Intakes to bins must be such that they can be completely blocked off during the period the bin contains certified seed. All bins in which certified seed is to be stored must be so located that there will be no possible source of contamination from above.
   3. All parts, elevator heads, elevating equipment, spoutings, and elevator castings must be such that they can be thoroughly cleaned. The elevator head must have an inspection plate or be such that it may be removed for thorough cleaning and inspection. All elevator cups must be separated from elevator belts by a washer of at least ¼ inch in thickness for ease of cleaning. 
   4. If a sacking bin is used, it must be so constructed and equipped that it can be thoroughly and completely cleaned. 
   5. Plants requesting approval for the cleaning of small seeded legumes and grasses must be equipped with additional special equipment necessary to clean seed to certification standards in addition to the equipment mentioned above. 
   6. It is required that the plant be equipped with a seed treater for purposes of disinfecting planting seed. 
   7. Plants requesting approval must be equipped with an industrial type vacuum cleaner and blower in order to thoroughly clean all equipment prior to the processing of a lot of certified seed. 
   8. All cleaners, bins, floors, augers, and other equipment where certified seed is handled must be so constructed and arranged that they can be easily cleaned prior to cleaning of certified seed. 
   9. All certified seed conditioned by an approved conditioner must be packaged in new bags.
4. Each application to become an approved certified seed conditioner shall cover only
   one conditioning plant. Any person, firm or corporation owning more than one conditioning plant must submit a separate application for each plant in which certified seed will be conditioned. 
5. The identity of all certified seed must be maintained at all times. All storage facilities whether bins, boxes, bags, or other containers must be identified with crop, variety, certification class, lot number, and source of seed. 

 

Article IV

 

Inspections

The Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association shall have the right to inspect any plant of any certified seed conditioner, as herein defined, during the conditioning of any lot of seed. At the request of the Association, the conditioner shall notify said Association two days in advance of the date conditioning of any particular lot of seed will begin.