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.