COTTON (Gossypium spp.)

I. Application and Amplification of General Seed Certification Standards

The General Seed Certification Standards are basic and together with the following specific standards constitute the standards for certification of cotton seed.

II. Land requirements

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

III. Field Inspection

A minimum of two inspections shall be made,  from the time crop approaches flowering until it is ready for harvesting. 

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

    Cotton  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                                                                                   50                   30

Fields of the same variety not conforming to the

varietal purity requirements for certification                                                      50                   30

Fields of other varieties of different spp. (different ploidy levels)                         5                     5

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

      Offtypes                                                                                               0.10                    0.20

*Maximum permitted at any inspection at and after flowering.

V. Seed standards

        Factor                                                                                              Standards for each class

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

Pure seed (minimum)                                                                                98.0%                    98.0%

Inert matter (maximum)                                                                             2.0%                      2.0%

Other crop seeds (maximum)                                                                    5/kg                       10/kg

Weed seeds (maximum)                                                                           5/kg                       10/kg

Germination  (minimum)                                                                           65%                       65%

Moisture (maximum)                                                                               10.0%                    10.0%

For vapour-proof containers (maximum)                                                   6.0%                     6.0%

VI. Ginning

    Ginning of seed cotton shall be done on the gins approved by the Certification Agency.