IJUSiuvSd News industry and Seed government regulations BYDONWERTMAN Pa. Seedsmen’s Assn. This is the age of regulation. Although we know the situation has worsened during the last decade due to an increase in the number and scope of regulatory agencies, the seed industry has been under federal regulation since 1939. The Federal Seed Act of 1939 is a truth in labeling law which is managed by the Seed Division of the tencan Marketing Ser a of the U.S. Department of-Agnculture. rhe Act is concerned with 16 H.P., 3 FT. Hitch Front & Rear, Hydraulic Lift Front & Rear - Many Other Features Similar to The Big Tractors at a Price You Can Afford! ALLEN H. MfITZ, INC. 505 E. Main St., New Holland Ph: 717-354-2214 SERVING THE COMMUNITY THIRTY-ONE YEARS f LANC. CO.’S OLDEST FORD DEALER Do You Have Milking Problems Such As: • Milkers Drop Off • Squeaking and Squawking Teat Cups WE HAVE THE SOLUTION FOR YOU Let Us Give You A Free Demonstration Call Us Collect At 717-626-1151 ★ WE WILL GUARANTEE YOU GOOD MILKING * SHENK'S FARM SERVICE 501 E. WOODS DRIVE. LITITZ, PA 17543 1 PH; 717-626-1151 ★ OUR SERVICE TRUCKS ARE RADIO DISPATCHED After Duslaess Hoars Plane; Peal Repine - 717-62&28J7 *24 HOUR SERVICE Herein Wissley ■ Tl7-87MM5 seed moving in inter-state commerce. The only way a violation is cited is when the individual state regulatory official submits a complaint to the Federal Agency. This procedure leaves the individual states with the authority to handle its own problems and when possible, work .out solutions with neighboring states without federal intervention. If only this were the case with other federal agencies. Many of the rules and definitions cited in the Federal Standards have • PUNNING UYOUTS • SALES • INSTALLATION • SERVICE been adopted by the in dividual states, thereby creating uniformity among agencies. The Regulations are lengthy, technical, and rigid. We will highlight several which are of par ticular interest to producers of agronomic crops in Pennsylvania. The current Seed Act in Pennsylvania dates back to 1965. Several of the key points are; the list of restricted or prohibited weed seeds, labeling requirements, certification requirements, and the prohibitions placed on the marketing of illegal seed. Restricted or prohibited weeds are those which are determined to be highly destructive or difficult to control within this state by normal cultural practices. In the case of restricted weeds only so many per pound are permissible in legal seed and when present must be listed on the label. Examples are Buckhorn m red clover or Bedstraw m timothy. Prohibited weeds mclude species such as quackgrass or Canadian thistle. No seed can be sold which contains these weeds. Each state has its own list of restricted or prohibited weeds. Differing climatic conditions or cultural practices determine whether a weed will cause a problem in that state. It is in all cases the seedsmen’s responsibility under the law. Again, requirements vary by state but most agree that the following information be provided: a purity analysis which lists the pure seed content, weed seeds, other crop seeds and inert matter. These are stated on the analysis tag by percentage of weight. For example, an analysis tag stating .05 percent weed seeds means that there is one half pound of weed seeds in 1000 lbs. of seed. Or 0.45 per cent inert matter means there is 4.5 pounds of dirt or inert matter in 1000 pounds of seed. Again, seed laws deter mine how much other material is permitted in a given lot of seed before it is no longer legal for sale. Stated another way, most • Uneven Milking • Lop-sided Udders • Slow Milking seed must have a minimum purity to be legal for sale. The mmimums differ drastically for different seeds. Certified seed gram must be 99 percent pure whereas grasses such as brome or bluegrass are perfect!* acceptable with a purity of 85 percent. Other required in formation on the label in cludes the accepted name of the seed, lot number, the state or country of origin, the net weight of the container, the treatment if any, and the germination. The two most important items here are the treatment and Some seed is treated while other isn’t and the user should be aware of what the seed treatment is mtended to protect. In most cases, treatment performs two functions: it protects the seed while stored in the bag; and/or it protects the seed from deterioration when first planted. Both aspects are good but limited. Growers should jmow if the treatment is an in secticide or fungicide, or perhaps only mnoculation in the case of legumes. The label won’t give all this in formation, but it will state the properly accepted name for the treatment and will be flagged by the accepted Lancaster Farming, Saturday, April 5,1980—C47 terminology of “Warning” or “Caution” depending on the type of chemical. In any case, treated seed must be handled with caution and protected from children and livestock. Germination is another important item on the label. The law specifies how low the germination may be of certified seed, while in the case of non-certified it is required that the ger mination be stated along with the date of test. The consumer must then decide if the germination meets his criterion. For most seeds the ger mination test date must be current within nine months, while five months is maximum for interstate shipments. Again seed variety determines minimum acceptable ger mination. Most seed grains should germinate 90 percent while varieties such as crownvetch are acceptable at germination levels such as 65 percent. One confusing aspect of germination information has been the term “Hard Seed.” Hard seed is part of the total germination for legumes. It is a desirable characteristic in most cases. Hard seed is viable seed which needs more time to germinate than other viable seeds in the lot. The hard seed coat of legumes reduces the intake of water Named to dealer’s WASHINGTON BORO - H. Melvin Charles of Washington Boro recently was honored as one of ten men named to the National Dealers Advisory Council for Vigortone Products. The company has more than 6500 H. Melvin Charles BULK BINS A Good Investment. We know your bulk feeding problems, and we know that Read systems can solve them We stand behind Read quality because Read engineers design for adaptability, economy and long-life It makes good sense to invest in strength and experience Let us show you Read Reliability. THOMAS FARM SYSTEMS, INC. 2025 Horseslioe Road Lancaster, PA 17601 PH: (717)299-1706 your local