TAPIOCA (Cassava) : Manihot esculenta Crantz.

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 tapioca planting material.

B. The General Standards are amplified as follows to apply specifically to tapioca:.

         All certified classes shall be produced from planting stakes (stem cuttings) cut from the seed field 

whose source and identity may be assured and approved by the Certification Agency.

II. Land requirements

     (a) Land to be used for seed production of tapioca shall be free of volunteer plants. Swampy and shaded

          conditions might be avoided.

    (b) Avoid topioca residue and drainage from other tapioca fields.

III. Field Inspection

        A minimum of four inspections shall be made, the first inspection about 60days, the second about 120days 

and the third about 180days after planting or at appropriate growth stage depending on the crop duration of the

variety concerned and the fourth prior to cutting of planting stakes to verify isolation, offtypes and other relevant

factors.

IV. Field Standards

A. General requirements

1. Isolation

        Seed fields shall be isolated from the contaminants shown in the column1of 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                                                                                   5                      5 

Fields of the same variety not conforming to 

varietal purity requirements for certification                                                      5                      5 

B. Specific requirements

        Factor                                                                                              Maximum permitted (%)*

                                                                                                                Foundation            Certified

      * Offtypes                                                                                            0.10                     0.20

         Plants showing symptoms of mosaic                                                   0.10                     0.50

         Plants infested with scale insects                                                         None                   None

    * Standards for the offtypes shall be met at final inspection and for mosaic and plants infested with

       scale insects at each inspection.

V. Seed  Standards

      A. Specification in respect of size and age of the planting stakes for Foundation and Certified classes shall as 

           follows:

           1. Age of the crop    : 7 to 12 months

           2. Diameter of the stem : 1.5 cm to 2.5cm (planting stake)

           3. Approximate length of the stem: 20cm (planting stake)

           4. Approximate number of nodes: 5

               in the planting stake.

           5. Presence of latex at the cut end of the planting stake is the indication of good quality planting material.                   

      B. Maximum tolerance limit of planting stakes showing visible symptoms of infestation caused by scale insects

           will be as follows:

                                                                                                               Maximum permissible limits   

                        Diseases

                                                                                                 Foundation                         Certified

        Planting stakes infested with scale insects                              None                              None