Section 1.  Certification - Authority and General Provisions

 

A.          Certification of seed potatoes in Montana is conducted by Montana State University in accordance with Section 80-5-140 et seq., MCA.

 

1.     These Rules and Regulations have been adopted in consultation with the Board of Directors of the Montana Potato Improvement Association. 

 

2.     These Rules are effective upon approval by the President, and apply to the 2007 crop of Montana seed potatoes grown and future crops grown certified under these Rules.

 

3.       All correspondence and inquiries regarding the certification of Montana seed potatoes should be directed to:  Director, Seed Potato Certification, MSU-Bozeman, PO Box 172060, Bozeman, MT 59717-2060.  Telephone: (406) 994-3150; FAX: (406) 994-6042; e-mail: potatocert@montana.edu.

 

B.      Certification is a voluntary program designed to encourage the production of top-quality seed potato tubers through application of the requirements stated in the Rules for Seed Potato Certification and through research to improve seed potato quality and testing.  Certif­ica­tion means that the seed potatoes were inspected and/or tested according to these Rules for Seed Potato Certification and those potatoes inspected or tested met the require­ments of these Rules.

 

C.      By making application for certification under these Rules, the seed grower grants MSU the right of entry upon any property where seed potatoes are grown, stored, and graded and grants MSU the right to take samples of potato plants and tubers, soil, irrigation water, and pathogenic organisms for the purposes of testing and analysis.

 

D.      Failure to comply with these Rules shall be cause for refusal or cancellation of any application for or certi­fication of any seed as certified seed potatoes.

 

E.      All cull tubers must be disposed of and rendered non-viable by June 1 of each year.  Viable tubers, once germinated, should be treated with a desiccant and late blight fungicide.

 

Cull piles will be inspected by Montana State University any time after June 1.  Results of such inspections will be kept on file at the Montana State University Seed Potato Certification Office.  Any grower having a cull pile not passing inspection will be given a limited time in which to correct the situation.  If the grower fails to correct the situation within the time allotted, the MSU Potato Specialist may make alternative arrangements to correct the situation and charge the costs to the grower.

 

Failure to comply with this rule may result in loss of certification and/or fines imposed by the State of Montana Department of Agriculture.