Application of General Certification Standards

The General Certification Standards are basic and together with the following specific standards constitute the certification standards for turfgrass.

 

The terms “turf”, “sod”, “sprigs”, “plugs”, etc. are defined as vegetatively propagated planting materials. They may replace the word “seed” used in the general standards. For purposes of these standards, the term “sod” will be used to designate the various vegetatively propagated planting materials

 

The General Standards are modified as follows:

1. Foundation Sod may be planted to produce Registered Sod or Certified Sod.
2. Registered Sod may be planted to produce Certified Sod.
3. For Certified Sod produced from seeded types, only Foundation seed may be used to produce Certified Sod. After removal of the sod crop the field will be re-established from seed and treated as a new field.
4. Life of Stand: The life of the stand for vegetatively propagated stands will continue as long as the varietal and mechanical purity for the class is maintained unless a shortened life is stipulated by the breeder at the time of varietal release. The stand life of sod produced from seeded turf types shall be limited to one lifting of the sod.

 

Planting Stock Standards

¹ Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense) and nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus)

 

Land Requirements

A field to be eligible for the production of Foundation planting stock must have been free of other strains of the same species and perennial grass species for two consecutive years preceding the year that it is to be planted.

 

A field to be eligible for the production of certified (all classes) planting stock must have been thoroughly inspected at a time prior to planting, when objectionable plants can be determined, and must have been found to be free of noxious weeds and other strains of the same species. Further, the field being inspected must not have been tilled or otherwise molested prior to the inspection in such a way as to obscure objectionable plants.

 

A field producing certified sod from foundation seeded type varieties may be replanted in the current crop year and/or consecutive years if it is planted to the same variety and after eradication of the previous crop (same variety).

 

Field Inspection

 

Handling the Crop After Planting and Prior to Inspection

A field must be rogued and/or sprayed as needed to remove (1) other varieties, (2) other grasses, (3) objectionable and noxious weeds, and (4) common weeds in excess of agency standards.

 

Number of Inspections

1. Pre-plant – See II B.
2. Foundation, Registered, Certified
   1. A minimum of two field inspections per year required when sod is to be harvested. First inspection should be 4-6 weeks after planting.
   2. A field inspection prior to each harvest when seed is to be harvested.
   3. One annual field inspection for maintenance of purity when no certified crop is harvested (May or October).

 

Field Standards

 

General Requirements

Unit of Certification

A field or a portion of a field may be certified.

 

Isolation

Plantings of vegetatively propagated turf grasses and seeded type turf grasses for the production of sod must be isolated from any other variety and other perennial grasses by an artificial barrier and/or strip at least six (6) feet wide to prevent mixing during the growing season and harvesting operation.

 

Plantings of turf grasses where seed is to be harvested shall meet isolation requirements of “Grass Seed Certification Standards”.

 

Specific Requirements

*Other varieties shall consist of all other varieties of the kind being produced.
**Other crops shall consist of all other kinds and varieties of perennial grasses.
Should other varieties, other crops and or noxious weeds be found in excess of standard during field inspections – roguing and eradication by spot spraying will be permitted to bring turf in line

with standards.

 

Sod Standards

*See General Certification Standards for list of Noxious Weeds (section XLI  O&P).
**Objectionable Weeds: Perennial sedges other than nutsedge (grass), Dichrondra spp. and Diodia spp.

 

Turfgrass Tagging

 

Special Instructions and Procedures

An official certificate or tag must accompany each shipment of certified sprigs, sod, plugs or turf. An official tag must be attached to each bag of certified seed. A complete record on the amount of certified sod sales will be maintained and made available to the official certifying agency. The record will include:

1. class of certified sod sold (Foundation, Registered or Certified
2. kind and variety
3. field number
4. date of harvest
5. amount of sod shipped (square feet, cubic feet, bushels, etc).

Records required for “Grass Seed Certification Standards” will also apply
for these turfgrass standards.

 

Information and Fees for Turfgrass Inspections

Required Inspections (see standards for details).

 

Normal Certification

• Preplant - One required before planting.
• Annual - Two per year required when sod is harvested. One before each harvest when seed is harvested.
• Maintenance of Purity - One per year required when sod or seed is not harvested.

 

Special Certification

Modified standards as agreed upon. These must be equal to or more stringent than OCIA normal standards.

 

Dates

The deadline for filing applications for field inspections is March 1 of each year. Only one application per year required for each variety/certification class/land section combination. An application cannot contain more than one variety, one certification class and fields within more than one section.

 

Preferred Inspection Dates

• Preplant - October in year prior to planting
• Annual - May, October
• Maintenance of purity - July

 

Mileage

No mileage will be charged when applications are submitted prior to March 1. A round-trip fee at the current IRS rate or a fee of $50 (whichever is greater) will be charged when applications are late.

 

Fees

 

Annual Application Fee (per applicant)

• $1000.00/year for normal certification
• $2000.00/year for special certification

 

Inspection Fees (each inspection/each field)

• Normal Certification Fee - $20.00/acre of part of acre up to 20 acres then $10.00/acre over 20
• Special Certification Fee - same as for normal certification

 

Fees for additional requirements will be agreed upon prior to acceptance of
modified standards.