SAFFLOWER (Carthamus tinctorius L.)

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 safflower seed.

II. Land requirements

Land to be used for seed production of safflower seed 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

third at maturity and prior to harvesting.

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

    Safflower 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                                                                                  400                  200

Fields of the same variety not conforming to the

varietal purity requirements for certification and wild safflower

(Carthamus oxyacantha M.Bieb.)                                                                   400                  200

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

      Offtypes                                                                                                0.05                    0.10

 ** Objectionable weed plants                                                                     None                  None

*   Maximum permitted at any inspection at and after flowering.

** Objectionable weed shall be: wild safflower (Carthamus oxyancantha M.Beib)

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)                                                                    None                       None

Total weed seeds (maximum)                                                                    5/Kg                       10/kg                       

*Objectionable weed seeds (maximum)                                                      None                       None

Germination (minimum)                                                                              80%                         80%

Moisture (maximum)                                                                                  9.0%                       9.0%

For vapour-proof containers (maximum)                                                    7.0%                        7.0%

* Objectionable weed is the same as given at IV.B.ablve.