Pursuant to the provisions of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. No. 7308, otherwise known as the Seed Industry Development Act of 1992, Article 11, Section 3C the following seed standards are to be followed in order to assure high quality of hybrid rice and corn seeds.

A.        SEED STANDARD FOR HYBRID RICE

I.          General Requirements for Hybrid Rice . The General Requirements for hybrid rice seed standards as adopted by the Seed Certifying Agency are basic and together with the following specific standards.

II.         Land Requirements

1.      Select suitable areas capable of reliable economic production with a minimum of natural hazards.

1.1     Fertile soil, adaptable for parental lines with sufficient irrigation and drainage system.

1.2     Relatively free from weeds and volunteer rice varieties that might interfere with the seed production.

1.3     Sufficient sunshine and no serious pest and disease problems.

III.         Field Inspection. Official seed inspectors are required to conduct field inspection as follows:

1.      At transplanting to ensure that the proper row orientation and ratio of A and R, appropriate distance of planting and number of seedling per hill are followed.

2.      During maximum tillering, initial heading to flowering and before harvest to determine whether off types (other varieties) are properly removed.

3.      At harvest time, make sure that the R lines (male parent) are harvested ahead and taken out of the field before harvesting the A-line (seed parent).

IV.       Field Standards

A.      Production area - The area intended for hybrid seed production should be at least five hectare compact area.

B.      Isolation - Strictly isolated to ensure genetic purity of hybrid seed and to avoid pollination from unwanted varieties. This can be isolated by distance from other rice fields, differences in time of flowering and natural and artificial barriers.

B.1    Distance isolation - An isolation distance of 100 m is found to be satisfactory. Within this range, no other rice varieties should be grown except from the pollen parent.

B.2    Time isolation - Adjust planting time to separate flowering time of the seed parent from other rice cultivars within 100 m by at least 3 weeks. In other words, the heading stage of varieties grown within 100 m around the hybrid seed production field should be over 21 days earlier or later than that of the Cytoplastic Male Sterile lines (CMS) or A-line.

B.3    Barrier isolation - Topographic surface features or any physical obstacle (natural, artificial, or crop barrier) having a height of at least 2.5 m and 3-4 m wide can be used as means of isolation barrier.

V.        Seed Standards

FACTORS	F1 SEED (%)
Pure seed (min.)	98
Weed and other crop seed (max.)	0.1 *
Inert matter (max.)	2
Red rice, grains/500 gms. (max.)	2
Other varieties grains/500 gms. (max.)	20
Germination (min.)	85
Moisture content (max.)	14

* Instead of 10% as printed, it should be 0.1% per letter of Director Blo Umpar Adiong of the Bureau of Plant Industry, to Secretary Angara rectifying the clerical error.

B.        SEED STANDARD FOR HYBRID CORN

I.          General Requirements for Hybrid Corn Seed Production. The General Requirements for seed as adopted by the Seed Certifying Agency are basic and together with the following specific standards.

II.          Land Requirements. There are no requirements as to previous crop. However, the field must be relatively free from volunteer plants.

III.         Field Inspection. Official seed inspectors are required to conduct at least three field inspection besides those during detasseling, as follows:

1.      At planting time, to make sure that male and female rows are properly placed and in a correct ratio.

2.      During the vegetative stage, to determine whether roguing of off-types, disease plants and volunteer plants (if any), cultivation, weed control and applications of fertilizer are being attended to.

3.      At flowering time, roguing of female, off-types should be done followed by detasseling. For single crosses only 0.25% undetasseled is allowed. For three way crosses, 0.5% undetasseled (shedding) is allowed.

4.      At harvest time, to see that the ears of the seed parents are properly guarded against mixture with the harvest from the pollen rows.

IV.       Field Standards

A.      Production Area - The area intended for hybrid corn seed production should be at least one hectare.

B.      Isolation - a specific seed production field must have proper isolation:

B.1       Time isolation - 20 days before or after planting of any corn planted nearby.

B.2       Distance isolation- 200 m for same color
                                       - 400 m for yellow/white color
                                       - 250 m. with barrier
                                       - 300 m without barrier

C.      Detasseling - Field Inspector should be furnished with a guide on detasseling process depending on the variety at flowering stage but before pollen shedding.

At least four samples of 100 plants each are necessary before any decision can be reached as to whether a hybrid corn seed production field is rejected or approved. The inspector continues to take samples if a determination number is not yet reached. If tassel shedding exceed minimum standard add at least two more sampling.

V.        Seed Standards

FACTORS	SINGLE CROSS	DOUBLE CROSS
Pure seed (min.)	98%	98%
Inert matter (max.)	2%	2%
Other varieties	2 seeds/500 g	5 seeds/500 g
Other crop seed (max.)	0%	0.5%
Weed seed (max.)	0%	0.%
Germination (min.)	85%	85%
Moisture content (max.)	14%	14%

For your guidance and strict compliance.

Adopted: 27 April 2000

Approved:

(SGD.) EDGARDO J. ANGARA
Secretary