Section 16-302-810 - Field tolerances and requirements for sunflower seed production(1) Only breeder or foundation seed may be used to establish a hybrid field to produce certified seed.(2) For hybrid varieties the certified generation produced from breeder or foundation seed produces a commercial hybrid and is not eligible for further certification.(3) For open pollinated sunflower varieties, one field inspection must be made after fifty percent of the plants are in bloom but before the plants are fully mature.(4) For hybrid sunflower varieties at least two inspections must be made. The first inspection is during the very early bloom stage and the second inspection is during the full bloom stage.(5) For hybrid sunflower varieties, at least fifty percent of the male parent plants must be flowering and producing pollen when the female parent is in full bloom.(6) Fields must be free of prohibited noxious weeds listed in WAC 16-302-100. Objectionable weeds listed in WAC 16-302-105 and common weeds difficult to separate must be controlled.(7) Different sunflower varieties cannot always be differentiated at field inspection. When differences can be distinguished, the maximum of other varieties of off-types allowed is: | Off-types | Open pollinated varieties | Female seed parent | Pollinating parent |
| Foundation | Certified |
| Other than pollen shedding female plants | | 1:2,000 | 1:2,000 | 1:2,000 |
| Pollen shedding female plant | | 1:1,000 | 4:1,000 | |
| Total (including above) | 5:1,000 | 1:1,000 | 4:1,000 | 1:2,000 |
(8)(a) Percent hybridity shall not be less than seventy-five percent. If the field inspection shows one or more of the following, the applicant may request that seed certification be based on the results of a precertification grow-out test approved by the department:(i) Inadequate isolation;(ii) Too few male parent plants shedding pollen when female parent plants are receptive; or(iii) Excess off-types not to include wild-types.(b) At least two thousand plants must be observed and meet the standards in the table below before hybrid and inbred seed can be certified from fields with problems listed in (a) of this subsection. | Maximum % Permitted |
| Factor | Hybrid | Inbred |
| Sterile plant | 5 | ----- |
| Sterile or fertile plants | ----- | 5 |
| Morphological off-types | 0.50 | 0.50 |
| Wild types | 0.20 | 0.20 |
| Total (including above types) | 5 | 5 |
Wash. Admin. Code § 16-302-810
Adopted by WSR 14-20-050, Filed 9/25/2014, effective 10/26/2014