Title 7

SECTION 361.5

361.5 Sampling of seeds.

§ 361.5 Sampling of seeds.

(a) Sample sizes. As provided in § 361.4(b), samples of seed will be taken from each lot of seed being imported for seeding (planting) purposes to determine whether any seeds of noxious weeds listed in § 361.6(a) are present. The samples shall be drawn in the manner described in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section. Unused portions of samples of rare or expensive seeds will be returned by APHIS upon request of the importer.

(1) A minimum sample of not less than 1 quart shall be drawn from each lot of agricultural seed; a minimum sample of not less than 1 pint shall be drawn from each lot of vegetable seed, except that a sample of 1/4 pint will be sufficient for a vegetable seed importation of 5 pounds or less. The minimum sample shall be divided repeatedly until a working sample of proper weight has been obtained. If a mechanical divider cannot be used or is not available, the sample shall be thoroughly mixed, then placed in a pile; the pile shall be divided repeatedly into halves until a working sample of the proper weight remains. The weights of the working samples for noxious weed examination for each lot of seed are shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section. If the lot of seed is a mixture, the following methods shall be used to determine the weight of the working sample:

(i) If the lot of seed is a mixture consisting of one predominant kind of seed or a group of kinds of similar size, the weight of the working sample shall be the weight shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section for the kind or group of kinds that comprises more than 50 percent of the sample.

(ii) If the lot of seed is a mixture consisting of two or more kinds or groups of kinds of different sizes, none of which comprises over 50 percent of the sample, the weight of the working sample shall be the weighted average (to the nearest half gram) of the weight shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section for each of the kinds that comprise the sample, as determined by the following method:

(A) Multiply the percentage of each component of the mixture (rounded off to the nearest whole number) by the sample sizes shown in column 1 of table 1 of this section;

(B) Add all these products;

(C) Total the percentages of all components of the mixtures; and

(D) Divide the sum in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(B) of this section by the total in paragraph (a)(1)(ii)(C) of this section.

(2) It is not ordinarily practical to sample and test small lots of seed offered for entry. The maximum sizes of lots of each kind of seed not ordinarily sampled are shown in column 2 of table 1 of this section.

(3) The maximum sizes of lots of each kind of seed allowed entry without sampling for sowing for experimental or breeding purposes as provided in § 361.4(a)(4) are shown in column 3 of table 1 of this section.

Table 1

Name of seed Working weight for noxious weed examination
(grams)
(1)		 Maximum weight of seed lot not ordinarily sampled
(pounds)
(2)		 Maximum weight of seed lot permitted entry for experimental or breeding purposes without sampling
(pounds)
(3)
VEGETABLE SEED:
Artichoke 500 25 50
Asparagus 500 25 50
Asparagusbean 500 25 50
Bean 25 200
Garden 500 100 500
Lima 500 25 200
Runner 500 25 200
Beet 300 25 50
Broadbean 500 25 200
Broccoli 50 5 10
Brussels sprouts 50 5 10
Burdock, great 150 10 50
Cabbage 50 5 10
Cabbage, Chinese 50 5 10
Cabbage, tronchuda 100 5 10
Cantaloupe (see Melon)
Cardoon 500 25 50
Carrot 50 5 10
Cauliflower 50 5 10
Celeriac 25 5 10
Celery 25 5 10
Chard, Swiss 300 25 50
Chicory 50 5 10
Chives 50 5 10
Citron 500 25 50
Collards 50 5 10
Corn, sweet 500 25 200
Cornsalad 50 5 10
Cowpea 500 25 200
Cress, garden 50 5 10
Cress, upland 35 5 10
Cress, water 25 5 10
Cucumber 500 25 50
Dandelion 35 5 10
Dill 50 5 10
Eggplant 50 5 10
Endive 50 5 10
Gherkin, West India 160 25 50
Kale 50 5 10
Kale, Chinese 50 5 10
Kale, Siberian 80 5 10
Kohlrabi 50 5 10
Leek 50 5 10
Lettuce 50 5 10
Melon 500 25 50
Mustard, India 50 25 100
Mustard, spinach 50 5 10
Okra 500 25 50
Onion 50 5 10
Onion, Welsh 50 5 10
Pak-choi 50 5 10
Parsley 50 5 10
Parsnip 50 5 10
Pea 500 25 200
Pepper 150 5 10
Pumpkin 500 25 50
Radish 300 25 50
Rhubarb 300 5 10
Rutabaga 50 5 10
Sage 150 25 50
Salsify 300 25 50
Savory, summer 35 5 10
Sorrel 35 5 10
Soybean 500 25 200
Spinach 150 25 50
Spinach, New Zealand 500 25 50
Squash 500 25 50
Tomato 50 5 10
Tomato, husk 35 5 10
Turnip 50 5 10
Watermelon 500 25 50
AGRICULTURAL SEED:
Agrotricum 500 100 500
Alfalfa 50 25 100
Alfilaria 50 25 100
Alyceclover 50 25 100
Bahiagrass 50 25 100
Barrelclover 100 25 100
Barley 500 100 500
Bean, adzuki 500 100 500
Bean, field 500 100 500
Bean, mung 500 100 500
Bean (see Velvetbean)
Beet, field 500 100 500
Beet, sugar 500 100 1,000
Beggarweed 50 25 100
Bentgrass, colonial 2.5 25 100
Bentgrass, creeping 2.5 25 100
Bentgrass, velvet 2.5 25 100
Bermudagrass 10 25 100
Bermudagrass, giant 10 25 100
Bluegrass, annual 10 25 100
Bluegrass, bulbous 40 25 100
Bluegrass, Canada 5 25 100
Bluegrass, glaucantha 10 25 100
Bluegrass, Kentucky 10 25 100
Bluegrass, Nevada 10 25 100
Bluegrass, rough 5 25 100
Bluegrass, Texas 10 25 100
Bluegrass, wood 5 25 100
Bluejoint 5 25 100
Bluestem, big 70 25 100
Bluestem, little 50 25 100
Bluestem, sand 100 25 100
Bluestem, yellow 10 25 100
Bottlebrush-squirreltail 90 25 100
Brome, field 50 25 100
Brome, meadow 130 25 100
Brome, mountain 200 25 100
Brome, smooth 70 25 100
Broomcorn 400 100 500
Buckwheat 500 100 500
Buffalograss:
(Burs) 200 25 100
(Caryopses) 30 25 100
Buffelgrass:
(Fascicles) 66 25 100
(Caryopses) 20 25 100
Burclover, California:
(In bur) 500 100 500
(Out of bur) 70 25 100
Burclover, spotted:
(In bur) 500 100 500
(Out of bur) 50 25 100
Burnet, little 250 25 100
Buttonclover 70 25 100
Canarygrass 200 25 100
Canarygrass, reed 20 25 100
Carpetgrass 10 25 100
Castorbean 500 100 500
Chess, soft 50 25 100
Chickpea 500 100 500
Clover, alsike 20 25 100
Clover, arrowleaf 40 25 100
Clover, berseem 50 25 100
Clover, cluster 10 25 100
Clover, crimson 100 25 100
Clover, Kenya 20 25 100
Clover, Ladino 20 25 100
Clover, Lappa 20 25 100
Clover, large hop 10 25 100
Clover, Persian 20 25 100
Clover, red 50 25 100
Clover, rose 70 25 100
Clover, small hop (suckling) 20 25 100
Clover, strawberry 50 25 100
Clover, sub (subterranean) 250 25 100
Clover, white 20 25 100
Corn, field 500 100 1,000
Corn, pop 500 100 1,000
Cotton 500 100 500
Cowpea 500 100 500
Crambe 250 25 100
Crested dogtail 20 25 100
Crotalaria, lance 70 25 100
Crotalaria, showy 250 25 100
Crotalaria, slenderleaf 100 25 100
Crotalaria, striped 100 25 100
Crotalaria, Sunn 500 25 100
Crownvetch 100 25 100
Dallisgrass 40 25 100
Dichondra 50 25 100
Dropseed, sand 2.5 25 100
Emmer 500 100 500
Fescue, Chewings 30 25 100
Fescue, hair 10 25 100
Fescue, hard 20 25 100
Fescue, meadow 50 25 100
Fescue, red 30 25 100
Fescue, sheep 20 25 100
Fescue, tall 50 25 100
Flax 150 25 100
Galletagrass:
(Other than caryopses) 100 25 100
(Caryopses) 50 25 100
Grama, blue 20 25 100
Grama, side-oats:
(Other than caryopses) 60 25 100
(Caryopses) 20 25 100
Guar 500 25 100
Guineagrass 20 25 100
Hardinggrass 30 25 100
Hemp 500 100 500
Indiangrass, yellow 70 25 100
Indigo, hairy 70 25 100
Japanese lawngrass 20 25 100
Johnsongrass 100 25 100
Kenaf 500 100 500
Kochia, forage 20 25 100
Kudzu 250 25 100
Lentil 500 25 100
Lespedeza, Korean 50 25 100
Lespedeza, sericea or Chinese 30 25 100
Lespedeza, Siberian 30 25 100
Lespedeza, striate 50 25 100
Lovegrass, sand 10 25 100
Lovegrass, weeping 10 25 100
Lupine, blue 500 100 500
Lupine, white 500 100 500
Lupine, yellow 500 100 500
Manilagrass 20 25 100
Meadow foxtail 30 25 100
Medick, black 50 25 100
Milkvetch 90 25 100
Millet, browntop 80 25 100
Millet, foxtail 50 25 100
Millet, Japanese 90 25 100
Millet, pearl 150 25 100
Millet, proso 150 25 100
Molassesgrass 5 25 100
Mustard, black 20 25 100
Mustard, India 50 25 100
Mustard, white 150 25 100
Napiergrass 50 25 100
Needlegrass, green 70 25 100
Oat 500 100 500
Oatgrass, tall 60 25 100
Orchardgrass 30 25 100
Panicgrass, blue 20 25 100
Panicgrass, green 20 25 100
Pea, field 500 100 500
Peanut 500 100 500
Poa trivialis (see bluegrass, rough)
Rape, annual 70 25 100
Rape, bird 70 25 100
Rape, turnip 50 25 100
Rape, winter 100 25 100
Redtop 2.5 25 100
Rescuegrass 200 25 100
Rhodesgrass 10 25 100
Rice 500 100 500
Ricegrass, Indian 70 25 100
Roughpea 500 100 500
Rye 500 100 500
Rye, mountain 280 25 100
Ryegrass, annual 50 25 100
Ryegrass, intermediate 80 25 100
Ryegrass, perennial 50 25 100
Ryegrass, Wimmera 50 25 100
Safflower 500 100 500
Sagewort, Louisiana 5 25 100
Sainfoin 500 100 500
Saltbush, fourwing 150 25 100
Seasame 70 25 100
Sesbania 250 25 100
Smilo 20 25 100
Sorghum 500 100 1,000
Sorghum almum 150 25 100
Sorghum-sudangrass hybrid 500 100 1,000
Sorgrass 150 25 100
Sourclover 50 25 100
Soybean 500 100 500
Spelt 500 100 500
Sudangrass 250 25 100
Sunflower 500 100 500
Sweetclover, white 50 25 100
Sweetclover, yellow 50 25 100
Sweet vernalgrass 20 25 100
Sweetvetch, northern 190 25 100
Switchgrass 40 25 100
Timothy 10 25 100
Timothy, turf 10 25 100
Tobacco 5 1 1
Trefoil, big 20 25 100
Trefoil, birdsfoot 30 25 100
Triticale 500 100 500
Vaseygrass 30 25 100
Veldtgrass 40 25 100
Velvetbean 500 100 500
Velvetgrass 10 25 100
Vetch, common 500 100 500
Vetch, hairy 500 100 500
Vetch, Hungarian 500 100 500
Vetch, Monantha 500 100 500
Vetch, narrowleaf 500 100 500
Vetch, purple 500 100 500
Vetch, woolypod 500 100 500
Wheat, common 500 100 500
Wheat, club 500 100 500
Wheat, durum 500 100 500
Wheat, Polish 500 100 500
Wheat, poulard 500 100 500
Wheat × Agrotricum 500 100 500
Wheatgrass, beardless 80 25 100
Wheatgrass, fairway crested 40 25 100
Wheatgrass, standard crested 50 25 100
Wheatgrass, intermediate 150 25 100
Wheatgrass, pubescent 150 25 100
Wheatgrass, Siberian 50 25 100
Wheatgrass, slender 70 25 100
Wheatgrass, streambank 50 25 100
Wheatgrass, tall 150 25 100
Wheatgrass, western 100 25 100
Wildrye, basin 80 25 100
Wild-rye, Canada 110 25 100
Wild-rye, Russian 60 25 100
Zoysia Japonica (see Japanese lawngrass)
Zoysia matrella (see Manilagrass)

(b) Method of sampling. (1) When an importation consists of more than one lot, each lot shall be sampled separately.

(2) For lots of six or fewer bags, each bag shall be sampled. A total of at least five trierfuls shall be taken from the lot.

(3) For lots of more than six bags, five bags plus at least 10 percent of the number of bags in the lot shall be sampled. (Round off numbers with decimals to the nearest whole number, raising 0.5 to the next whole number.) Regardless of the lot size, it is not necessary to sample more than 30 bags.

(4) When the lot of seed to be sampled is comprised of seed in small containers that cannot practically be sampled as described in paragraph (b)(2) or (b)(3) of this section, entire unopened containers may be taken in sufficient number to supply a sample that meets the minimum size requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section.

(c) Drawing samples. Samples will not be drawn unless each container is labeled to show the lot designation and the name of the kind and variety of each agricultural seed, or kind and variety of each vegetable seed, appearing on the invoice and other entry papers, and a declaration has been filed by the importer as required under § 361.2(a). In order to secure a representative sample, an APHIS inspector will draw equal portions from evenly distributed parts of the quantity of seed to be sampled; the APHIS inspector, therefore, must be given access to all parts of that quantity.

(1) For free-flowing seed in bags or in bulk, a probe or trier shall be used. For small free-flowing seed in bags, a probe or trier long enough to sample all portions of the bag shall be used. When drawing more than one trierful of seed from a bag, a different path through the seed shall be used when drawing each sample.

(2) For non-free-flowing seed in bags or bulk that may be difficult to sample with a probe or trier, samples shall be obtained by thrusting one's hand into the seed and withdrawing representative portions. The hand shall be inserted in an open position with the fingers held closely together while the hand is being inserted and the portion withdrawn. When more than one handful is taken from a bag, the handfuls shall be taken from well-separated points.

(3) When more than one sample is drawn from a single lot, the samples may be combined into a composite sample unless it appears that the quantity of seed represented as a lot is not of uniform quality, in which case the separate samples shall be forwarded together, but without being combined into a composite sample.

(d) In most cases, samples will be drawn and examined by an APHIS inspector at the port of first arrival. The APHIS inspector may release a shipment if no contaminants are found and the labeling is sufficient. If contaminants are found or the labeling of the seed is insufficient, the APHIS inspector may forward the sample to the USDA Seed Examination Facility (SEF), Beltsville, MD, for analysis, testing, or examination. APHIS will notify the owner or consignee of the seed that samples have been drawn and forwarded to the SEF and that the shipment must be held intact pending a decision by APHIS as to whether the seed is within the noxious weed seed tolerances of § 361.6 and is accurately labeled. If the decision pending is with regard to the noxious weed seed content of the seed and the seed has been determined to be accurately labeled, the seed may be released for delivery to the owner or consignee under the following conditions:

(1) The owner or consignee executes with Customs either a Customs single-entry bond or a Customs term bond, as appropriate, in such amount as is prescribed by applicable Customs regulations;

(2) The bond must contain a condition for the redelivery of the seed or any part thereof upon demand of the Port Director of Customs at any time;

(3) Until the seed is approved for entry upon completion of APHIS' examination, the seed must be kept intact and not tampered with in any way, or removed from the containers except under the monitoring of an APHIS inspector; and

(4) The owner or consignee must keep APHIS informed as to the location of the seed until it is finally entered into the commerce of the United States.