Section 9.12 - Seed Sampling Procedures(a) General procedure. (1) In order to secure a representative sample, equal portions shall be taken from evenly distributed parts of the quantity of seed to be sampled. Access shall be had to all parts of that quantity. When more than one trierful of seed is drawn from a bag, different paths shall be followed. When more than one handful is taken from a bag, the handfuls shall be taken from well-separated points.(2) For free-flowing seed in bags or 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 should be used.(3) Nonfree-flowing seed, such as certain grass seed, uncleaned seed, or screenings, difficult to sample with a probe or trier, shall be sampled by thrusting the hand into the bulk and withdrawing representative portions. The hand is inserted in an open position and the fingers are held closely together while the hand is being inserted and the portion withdrawn.(4) As the seed or screenings are sampled, each portion shall be examined. If there appears to be lack of uniformity, the portions shall not be combined into a composite sample but shall be retained as separate samples or combined to form individual container samples to determine such lack of uniformity as may exist.(5) When the portions appear to be uniform, they shall be combined to form a composite sample.(b) Bulk. Bulk seeds or screenings shall be sampled by inserting a long probe or thrusting the hand into the bulk as circumstances require in at least seven uniformly distributed parts of the quantity being sampled. At least as many trierfuls or handfuls shall be taken as the minimum which would be required for the same quantity of seed or screenings in bags of a size customarily used for such seed or screenings.(c) Bags. (1) For lots of six bags or less, each bag shall be sampled. A total of at least five trierfuls shall be taken.(2) For lots of more than six bags, five bags plus at least 10% 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 that more than 30 bags be sampled.(3) Samples shall be drawn from unopened bags except under circumstances where the identity of the seed has been preserved.(d) Small containers. In sampling seed in small containers which it is not practical to sample as required above, entire unopened containers may be taken in sufficient number to supply a minimum size sample as required below. The sample may consist of the contents of one container, or two or more containers when combined.(e) Size of sample. The following are minimum sizes of samples of agricultural seed, vegetable seed, and screenings to be submitted for analysis, test, or examination: (1) two ounces of grass seed not otherwise mentioned, white or alsike clover, or seeds not larger than these;(2) five ounces of red or crimson clover, alfalfa, lespedeza, ryegrass, bromegrass, millet, flax, rape, or seeds of similar size;(3) one pound of sudangrass, proso, hemp, or seeds of similar size;(4) two pounds of cereals, vetch, sorghums, or seeds of similar or larger size; and(5) two quarts of screenings.4 Tex. Admin. Code § 9.12
The provisions of this §9.12 adopted to be effective September 2, 1996, 21 TexReg 7800; Amended by Texas Register, Volume 48, Number 08, February 24, 2023, TexReg 1030, eff. 2/27/2023