(a) The Basinwide Council, in consultation with CDFA and ARB, shall establish a program to train and certify rice disease inspectors. The training program shall be implemented through an accredited agricultural educational facility, such as, but not limited to, the University of California Cooperative Extension. Successful completion of the training course shall be a prerequisite to certification. Trainers shall be experienced agricultural professionals with extensive in-field pest inspection and identification experience. Any individual, other than agricultural commissioners and their staff, performing inspections must be trained and certified. Agricultural commissioner staff shall be encouraged, though not required, to be trained through the program. The Basinwide Council may establish minimum criteria for entrance into the training program.(b) The certifications shall be issued by the training facility, Basinwide Council, or agricultural commissioner and shall be revocable by the issuer for cause. Issuance of certification shall be based upon evidence of completion of the training program and demonstrated knowledge of the following subject matter: (1) Commonly occurring qualifying and nonqualifying rice diseases.(2) Life cycle or etiology of rice diseases.(3) Inspection methods and their statistical limitations.(4) Techniques of prioritizing suitable test methods based upon field and disease characteristics.(5) Penalties associated with fraudulent inspections and/or related documentation.(6) Estimation of acreage of fields, acreage of inspection areas, and acreage of disease infected areas.(7) Webster's stem rot disease severity quantification protocol (Krause, R.A. & R.K. Webster, 1973, Phytopathology 63: 518-523).(8) Webster's soil inoculum potential protocol for stem rot (Krause, R.A. & R.K. Webster, 1972, Mycologia 64:1333-1337).(9) Disease survey and detection techniques.(10) Visual inspection indicators, if available, that meet the disease significance thresholds defined in section 80101.Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 17, § 80157
1. New section filed 8-20-2001; operative 8-20-2001 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2001, No. 34). Note: Authority cited: Sections 39600, 39601, 41856, 41859 and 41865, Health and Safety Code. Reference: Sections 41850, 41852, 41853, 41857, 41858, 41863 and 41865, Health and Safety Code.
1. New section filed 8-20-2001; operative 8-20-2001 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4 (Register 2001, No. 34).