LAC 7:XIII.785. Shallot Seed Certification Standards

A. Land Requirement. The unit of certification shall be a field, which must be at least 300 feet from garlic, onions, or uncertified shallots and shall not have been planted to shallots for two previous years. B. Field Inspections. Three or more inspections shall be made of the shallots while growing. 1. The first inspection shall be in the seed bed, between November 15 and December 15. On first inspection, more than 5 percent severe yellow dwarf shall cause the shallots in the entire plot to be ineligible for certification. 2. The second inspection shall be after transplanting, during March or April. On second inspection, yellow dwarf infection shall not exceed 1 percent in any area of a unit plot. 3. The third inspection shall be just prior to or at harvest time, generally around May 1 through May 15. A field having in excess of 3 percent plants or irregular growth and maturity and/or more than 3 percent pink root infection shall be ineligible for certification. C. Storage Requirements 1. There shall be at least one inspection of the seed while in storage between June 15 and July 15. 2. The identity of shallot seed produced in each unit plot must be maintained by the grower. 3. Shallot seed with more than 3 percent storage rot and/or pink root infection shall not be eligible for certification. 4. Seed severely infested with bulb mites shall not be eligible for certification. Seed lightly infested with bulb mites must be treated in a manner prescribed by LDAF before certified permit tags will be issued. D. Use of Certified Tags for Shallots. Shallot certificate permit tags shall be valid only during the season (June 1 of one year through May 31 of the succeeding year) in which issued and shall be invalid after being used one time only.