R68-8-19. Sampling

A. General Procedure

1. In order to secure a representative sample, equal portions shall be taken from evenly distributed parts of the quantity of seed or screenings to be sampled. Access shall be had to all parts of that quantity.

2. For free-flowing seed in bags or 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.

3. Non-free-flowing seed, such as certain grass seed, uncleaned seed, or screenings which are difficult to sample with a probe or trier, shall be sampled by thrusting the hand into the bulk and withdrawing representative portions.

4. The portions shall be combined into a composite sample or samples.

5. As the seed or screening is sampled, each portion shall be examined and whenever there appears to be lack of uniformity, additional samples shall be taken to show such lack of uniformity as may exist.

B. Bulk. Bulk seeds or screenings shall be sampled by inserting a probe or thrusting the hand into the bulk, as circumstances require, to obtain a composite sample of at least as many cores or handfuls of seed or screenings as if the same quantity were in bags of an ordinary size. The cores or handfuls of seed which comprise the composite sample shall be taken from well distributed points throughout the bulk.

C. Bags.

1. In quantities of six bags or less, each bag shall be sampled.

2. In quantities of more than six bags, five bags plus at least 10% of the number of bags in the lot shall be sampled, rounding numbers with decimals to the nearest whole number. Regardless of the lot size, it is not necessary to sample more than thirty bags. Example:

TABLE

     No. Bags in Lot 7 10 23 50 100 200 300 400

     No. Bags to Sample 6 6 7 10 15 25 30 30

3. Samples shall be drawn from unopened bags except under circumstances where the identity of the seed has been preserved.

D. Small Containers. Seed in small containers shall be sampled by taking the entire unopened containers in sufficient number to supply a minimum size sample as required in Subsection R68-8-19(E). The contents of a single container or the combined contents of multiple containers of the same lot shall be considered representative of the entire lot of seed sampled.

E. Size of Samples. The following are minimum weights of samples of seed to be submitted for analysis, test, or examination:

1. Grass seed not otherwise mentioned, white or alsike clover, or seeds not larger than these - two ounces (approximately 55 grams).

2. Alfalfa, bromegrasses, crimson or red clover, flax, lespedezas, millet, rape, ryegrass or seeds of similar size - five ounces (approximately 150 grams).

3. Proso, sudangrass, or seeds of similar size - one pound. (Approximately 500 grams).

4. Cereals, sorghums, vetches or seeds of similar or larger size - two pounds (approximately 1000 grams).

5. Vegetable and flower seed - at least 400 seeds per sample.

6. Tree and shrub seed - at least 600 seeds per sample for germination purposes. If a purity or noxious-weed seed examination is required, the amount of sample shall be at least the size of that required for seeds of similar size in Subsections R68-8-19(E)(1), (2), (3), and (4).

7. Screenings - two quarts.