SUMMER SQUASH (Cucurbita pepo Duch.) 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 of hybrid summer squash seed.

B. The General standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to the hybrids of summer squash:

1. Eligibility requirements for certification

(a) A parental 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 parental lines.

2. Classes and sources of seed

 (a) A parental line shall be a relatively true breeding strain.

 (b) 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 summer squash shall be free of volunteer plants.

III. Field Inspection

A. Foundation seed

A minimum of four inspections shall be made as follows:

1. the first inspection shall be made before flowering in order to determine isolation, volunteer plants and other 

    relevant factors;

2. the second and third inspections shall be made during flowering and fruiting stage to cheek isolation, 

    offtypes, and other relevant factors;

3. the fourth inspection shall be made at mature fruit stage and prior to harvesting in order to determine the true 

    characteristics of the fruits.

B. Certified seed

A minimum of four inspections shall be made as follows: 

    1. the first inspection shall be made before flowering in order to determine isolation, volunteer plants, 

        out crosses demarcation between seed parent and pollinator blocks or planting ratio and errors in 

        planting as the case may be, and other relevant factors.

    2. the second and third inspections shall be made during flowering and fruiting stage to cheek isolation, 

        offtypes, plucking of male flower buds in seed parent and other relevant factors;

    3. the fourth inspection shall be made at mature fruit stage and prior to harvesting in order to determine the 

        true characteristics 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 including commercial 

hybrid of the same variety                                                                             1500                1000

Fields of the same hybrid (code designation) not conforming

to varietal purity requirements for certification and from

(Cucurbita moschata (Duch.) Poir.) cushaw 

(Cucurbita mixta Pang.), and winter squash 

(C. maxima Duch.)                                                                                       1500                1000  

Between blocks of the parental lines incase seed parent

and pollinator are planted in separate blocks and hand 

pollination is to be adopted                                                                               -                      5

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                              Foundation            Certified

    Offtypes in seed parent                                                                           0.010                  0.050

    Offtypes in pollinator                                                                                  -                      0.050

    Male flowers shedding pollens in seed parent                                              -                      0.10  

** Plants affected by seed borne diseases                                                   0.10                    0.50     

* Standards for offtypes and male flowers shedding pollens in seed shall be met at and after flowering and for 

   seed borne disease at final inspection.

** Seed borne disease shall be: Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV), Watermelon Mosaic Virus.

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

Weed seeds (maximum)                                                                            None                      None

Germination (minimum)                                                                             60%                       60%

Moisture (maximum)                                                                                 7.0%                      7.0%

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