CHOW-CHOW (CHAYOTE): Sechium edule (Savi.)

I. Application and Amplification of General Seed Certification Standards

A. The General Seed Certification Standards are basic and, together with the following specific standards 

     constitute the standards for certification of chow-chow.

B. The General Standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to chow-chow.

All certified classes shall be produced from the viviparous fruits whose source and identity may be assured      and approved by the Certification Agency.

II. Land requirements

Land to be used for seed production shall be free of volunteer plants. 

III. Field Inspection

A minimum of three inspections shall be made, the first before flowering, the second during flowering and fruiting stage, and the third before harvesting of the fruits.

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

Seed fields shall be isolated from the contaminants shown in the column 1 of the Table below by the distances specified in columns 2 and 3 of the said Table:

        Contaminants                                                                                   Minimum distance (meters)

                                                                                                                Foundation        Certified

            1                                                                                                         2                     3

Fields of other varieties                                                                                 1000                 500

Fields of the same variety not conforming to 

varietal purity requirements for certification                                                    1000                 500  

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

      Offtypes                                                                                               0.10                    0.20      

* Maximum permitted at and after flowering.                                                         

V. Seed (Viviparous fruits) standards

The Seed material (Viviparous fruits) shall be reasonably clean, healthy and shall conform to the characteristics of the variety. The fruits not conforming to varietal characteristics shall not exceed 0.10% and 0.20% (by number) for Foundation and Certified seed classes respectively.