COTTON (Gossypium spp.)HYBRIDS
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 seed of cotton hybrids.
B. The General standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to the hybrids of cotton:
1. Eligibility requirements for certification if male sterile lines are used for producing hybrid seed:
(a) An inbred line to be eligible for certification shall be from a source such that its identity may
be assured and approved by the Certification Agency.
(b) Hybrid seed to be eligible for certification shall be the progeny of two approved inbred lines,
one of which shall be male sterile.
2. Classes and sources of seed
(a) An inbred line shall be a relatively true breeding strain resulting from self -pollination with selection.
(b) The Foundation class seed shall consist of an approved male sterile line to be used as a female parent
and an approved inbred line to be used as a male parent for the purpose of producing hybrid seed.
(c) A male sterile line shall be a strain (A) carrying cytoplasmic-genetic male sterility, which sheds no viable
pollen and is maintained by the normal sister strain (B) which is used as pollinator.
(d) The Certified class seed shall be the hybrid seed to be planted for any use except seed production .
II. Land requirements
Land to be used for seed production of hybrid cotton shall be free of volunteer plants.
III. Field Inspection
A. Foundation Seed Production
A minimum of three inspections shall be made, the first and second during flowering and the third at maturity and prior to harvesting.
B. Certified Seed Production
A minimum of four inspections shall be made as follows:
1. the first inspection shall be made before flowering to verify isolation, volunteer plants, outcrosses
and other relevant factors.
2. the second and third inspections shall be made during flowering to verify isolation, offtypes and
other relevant factors. Incase malesterile line is used for producing hybrid seed, the number fo pollen
shedding plants in female parent shall also be verified;
3. the fourth inspection shall be made during picking of cotton in female parent in order to determine that
selfed bolls are eliminated and only cotton from crossed bolls is picked. This inspection is not required for the
fields if a male sterile line is used.
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 including commercial
hybrid of the same variety 50 30
Fields of the same hybrid (code designation) not conforming to
varietal purity requirements for certification 50 30
Fields of other varieties of different spp. (different ploidy levels) 5 5
Between blocks of the parental lines incase seed parent
and pollinator are planted in separate blocks - 5
B. Specific requirements
Factor Maximum permitted (%)*
Foundation Certified
Offtypes 0.010 0.050**
*** Pollen shedding plants in seed parent 0.050 0.10
* Maximum permitted at any inspection at and after flowering.
** Standard shall be met separately for seed parent and pollinator.
*** It shall be applicable in case male sterile line is used for the producation of hybrid seed.
V. Seed standards
(a) All certified seed lots which have been produced by adopting emasculation shall be subjected to grow-out
test and shall conform to the following minimum genetic purity requirements:
Class Genetic purity (%) (minimum)
Certified 90.0%
*During grow-out test, the offtype plants (other than selfed plants) such as segregants, outcrosses and plants
of other varieties should not exceed more than 1.50%out of the 10.0% plants earmarked for selfed plants.
(b) The minimum population size of 400 plants shall be maintained in two replicates of 200 each or four of 100
each through out the test and each plant shall be examined individually. The reject number shall be as follow:
Class Genetic purity (%) Reject number
(minimum)
Certified 90.0 (10 in 100) 44
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.