[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 7, Volume 3]
[Revised as of January 1, 2002]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 7CFR201.56-6]

[Page 343-346]
 
                          TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
 
 CHAPTER I--AGRICULTURAL MARKETING SERVICE \1\ (STANDARDS, INSPECTIONS, 
       MARKETING PRACTICES), DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED)
 
PART 201--FEDERAL SEED ACT REGULATIONS--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 201.56-6  Legume or pea family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae).

    Kinds of seed: Alfalfa, alyceclover, asparagusbean, beans (Phaseolus 
spp.), Florida beggarweed, black medic, broadbean, burclovers, 
buttonclover, chickpea, clovers (Trifolium spp.), cowpea, crotalarias, 
crownvetch, guar, hairy indigo, kudzu, lentil, lespedezas, lupines, 
northern sweetvetch, peas, peanut, roughpea, sainfoin, sesbania, 
sourclover, soybean, sweetclovers, trefoils, velvetbean, and vetches.
    (a) Field bean, garden bean, lima bean, mung bean, asparagusbean, 
and cowpea.
    (1) General description.
    (i) Germination habit: Epigeal dicot.
    (ii) Food reserves: Cotyledons which are large and fleshy.
    (iii) Shoot system: The hypocotyl elongates and carries the 
cotyledons above the soil surface. The epicotyl elongates, causing the 
terminal bud to emerge from between the cotyledons; the primary leaves 
expand rapidly.
    (iv) Root system: A long primary root with secondary roots.
    (2) Abnormal seedling description.
    (i) Cotyledons:
    (A) For garden bean (Phaseolus vulgaris in part), remove any 
attached seed coats at the end of the test period for evaluation of 
cotyledons:
    (1) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue remaining 
attached.
    (2) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue free of necrosis 
or decay.
    (B) All other kinds:
    (1) Both missing and the seedling generally weak.
    (2) [Reserved]
    (ii) Epicotyl:
    (A) Missing.
    (B) Deep open cracks.
    (C) Malformed, such as markedly curled or thickened.
    (D) Less than one primary leaf.
    (E) Primary leaves too small in proportion to the rest of the 
seedling, usually associated with visible defects of, or damage to, the 
main stem of the epicotyl.
    (F) Terminal bud missing or damaged. (If a few seedlings with total 
or partial decay to the epicotyl are found, they may be classified as 
normal, provided the hypocotyl and root are normal. The epicotyl on such 
seedlings usually does not decay when grown in a fairly dry environment 
and exposed to light. A retest, preferably in soil or sand, will aid in 
interpretation of such seedlings.)
    (iii) Hypocotyl:
    (A) Deep open cracks extending into the conducting tissue. (A healed 
break, sometimes referred to as a ``knee,'' is considered normal.)
    (B) Malformed, such as markedly shortened, curled, or thickened. 
(Hypocotyl stunting or curling may be caused by seedling orientation or 
constriction on or in the substratum.) (Hypocotyl collar rot is the 
breakdown of hypocotyl tissue initially characterized by a watery 
appearance and collapse of the hypocotyl below the cotyledonary node. 
The area later becomes discolored, shrivelled, and necrotic. The 
condition is caused by insufficient calcium available to the

[[Page 344]]

seedling. If hypocotyl collar rot is observed on seedlings of garden 
bean, the sample involved shall be retested in accordance with 
Sec. 201.58(b)(12).)
    (iv) Root:
    (A) None.
    (B) Weak, stubby, or missing primary root with weak secondary or 
adventitious roots. (A root bound within a tough seed coat is considered 
normal.)
    (v) Seedling:
    (A) One or more essential structures impaired as the result of decay 
from primary infection. (Secondary infection is common in towel and 
blotter tests. Some pathogens, such as Fusarium, Phomopsis, and 
Rhizoctonia, can spread through the substratum and infect seedlings some 
distance away from the primary source. Seedlings with secondary 
infection are to be classified as normal. A retest in sand or soil may 
be advisable.)
    (B) Albino.
    (b) Adzuki bean, broadbean, chickpea, field pea, lentil, pea, 
roughpea, runner bean, velvetbean, and vetches.
    (1) General description.
    (i) Germination habit: Hypogeal dicot.
    (ii) Food reserves: Cotyledons which are large and fleshy, and 
remain enclosed within the seed coat beneath the soil surface. They are 
usually not photosynthetic.
    (iii) Shoot system: The epicotyl elongates and carries the terminal 
bud and primary leaves above the soil surface. The stem bears one or 
more scale leaves and, prior to emergence, is arched near the apex, 
causing the terminal bud to be pulled through the soil; after emergence, 
the stem straightens. For practical purposes, the hypocotyl is not 
discernible and is not an evaluation factor. Buds in the axils of each 
cotyledon and scale leaf usually remain dormant unless the terminal bud 
is seriously damaged. In this case, one or more axillary buds may start 
to develop into a shoot. If the axillary shoot is well-developed, it may 
be considered normal.
    (iv) Root system: A long primary root with secondary roots.
    (2) Abnormal seedling description.
    (i) Cotyledons:
    (A) Less than half of the original tissue remaining attached.
    (B) Less than half of the original tissue free of necrosis or decay.
    (ii) Epicotyl:
    (A) Missing.
    (B) Less than one primary leaf.
    (C) Malformed such as markedly shortened, curled, or thickened.
    (D) Severely damaged (e.g. terminal bud missing or damaged) with 
only a weak shoot developing from the axil of a cotyledon or scale leaf.
    (E) Two weak and spindly shoots.
    (F) Deep open cracks extending into the conducting tissue.
    (iii) Root:
    (A) None.
    (B) Weak, stubby, or missing primary root with weak secondary roots.
    (iv) Seedlings:
    (A) One or more essential structures impaired as a result of decay 
from primary infection. (Secondary infection is common in towel and 
blotter tests. Some pathogens can spread through the substratum and 
infect seedlings some distance away from the primary source. Seedlings 
with secondary infection are classified as normal. A retest in sand or 
soil may be advisable.)
    (B) Albino.
    (c) Soybean and lupine.
    (1) General description.
    (i) Germination habit: Epigeal dicot.
    (ii) Food reserves: Cotyledons, which are large and fleshy; they 
expand and become photosynthetic.
    (iii) Shoot system: The hypocotyl elongates and carries the 
cotyledons above the soil surface. The primary leaves usually increase 
in size and the epicotyl may elongate within the test period.
    (iv) Root system: A long primary root with secondary roots.
    (2) Abnormal seedling description.
    (i) Cotyledons:
    (A) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue remaining 
attached.
    (B) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue free of necrosis 
or decay.
    (ii) Epicotyl:
    (A) Missing.
    (B) Less than one primary leaf.
    (C) Deep open cracks.
    (D) Terminal bud damaged, missing, or decayed. (If a few seedlings 
with partial decay of the epicotyl are found,

[[Page 345]]

they may be classified as normal, provided the hypocotyl and root are 
normal. The epicotyl on such seedlings usually does not decay when grown 
in a fairly dry environment and is exposed to light. A retest, 
preferably in soil or sand, will aid in interpretation of such 
seedlings.)
    (iii) Hypocotyl:
    (A) Deep open cracks extending into the conducting tissue. 
(Adventitious roots may occur at the site of injury, particularly on the 
hypocotyl and near the base of the cotyledons. The seedling is 
classified as normal if the injury is healed over and other essential 
structures are normal.)
    (B) Malformed, such as markedly shortened, curled, or thickened. 
(Hypocotyl development is slow until the roots start functioning. 
Caution should be exercised to ensure slow seedlings are not classified 
as abnormal. Hypocotyl stunting or curling also may be caused by 
seedling orientation or constriction on or in the substratum.)
    (iv) Root:
    (A) None.
    (B) Weak, stubby, or missing primary root with weak secondary or 
adventitious roots. (Roots of seedlings on ``Kimpak'' with insufficient 
moisture may not become established and hypocotyl elongation may appear 
to be abnormal. There may be curling of the root and hypocotyl. When a 
number of seedlings are observed with this condition, the sample should 
be retested.)
    (v) Seedlings:
    (A) One or more essential structures impaired as a result of decay 
from primary infection. (Secondary infection is common in towel and 
blotter tests. Some pathogens, such as Fusarium, Phomopsis, and 
Rhizoctonia, can spread through the substratum and infect seedlings some 
distance away from the primary source. Seedlings with secondary 
infection are to be classified as normal. A retest in sand or soil may 
be advisable.)
    (B) Albino.
    (d) Peanut.
    (1) General description.
    (i) Germination habit: Epigeal dicot.
    (ii) Food reserves: Cotyledons, which are large and fleshy.
    (iii) Shoot system: The cotyledons are carried to the soil surface 
by the hypocotyl which is very thick, narrowing abruptly at the root. 
Elongation of the hypocotyl stops when the epicotyl is exposed to light 
at the soil surface. The primary leaves are compound and usually expand 
during the test period.
    (iv) Root system: A long primary root with secondary roots. 
Adventitious roots develop from the base of the hypocotyl if the primary 
root is damaged.
    (2) Abnormal seedling description.
    (i) Cotyledons:
    (A) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue remaining 
attached.
    (B) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue free of necrosis 
or decay.
    (ii) Epicotyl:
    (A) Missing.
    (B) Less than one primary leaf.
    (C) Deep open cracks.
    (D) Terminal bud damaged, missing, or decayed.
    (iii) Hypocotyl:
    (A) Deep open cracks extending into the conducting tissue.
    (B) Malformed, such as markedly shortened or curled. (Hypocotyls 
remain somewhat thickened and may appear to be stunted. Light, depth of 
planting, and substratum moisture all contribute to the length of the 
hypocotyl. Hypocotyl stunting or curling may be caused by seedling 
orientation or constriction in the substratum. Seedlings planted in a 
soil test with the radicle too close to the surface may send roots above 
the soil and appear to exhibit negative geotropism and a distorted, U-
shaped hypocotyl.
    (iv) Root:
    (A) None.
    (B) Weak, stubby, or missing primary root with weak secondary or 
adventitious roots.
    (v) Seedling:
    (A) One or more essential structures impaired as a result of primary 
infection.
    (B) Albino.
    (e) Alfalfa, alyceclover, Florida beggarweed, black medic, 
burclovers, buttonclover, milkvetch, clovers, crotalarias, crownvetch, 
guar, hairy indigo, kudzu, lespedezas, northern

[[Page 346]]

sweetvetch, sainfoin, sesbania, sourclover, sweetclovers, and trefoils.
    (1) General description.
    (i) Germination habit: Epigeal dicot.
    (ii) Food reserve: Cotyledons, which are small and fleshy; they 
expand and become photosynthetic. The cotyledons of sub clover develop 
elongated petioles.
    (iii) Shoot system: The hypocotyl elongates and carries the 
cotyledons above the soil surface. The epicotyl usually does not show 
any development within the test period.
    (iv) Root system: A long, tapering primary root, usually with root 
hairs. Secondary roots may or may not develop within the test period, 
depending on the kind.
    (2) Abnormal seedling description.
    (i) Cotyledons:
    (A) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue remaining 
attached. (Breaks at the point of attachment of the cotyledons to the 
hypocotyl are common in seeds which have been mechanically damaged. It 
is important that seedlings not be removed during preliminary counts 
unless development is sufficient to allow the conditions of the 
cotyledons to be determined. If the point of attachment of the 
cotyledons cannot be seen at the end of the test, the seed coat should 
be peeled back to determine whether a break has occurred.)
    (B) Less than half of the original cotyledon tissue free of necrosis 
or decay.
    (ii) Epicotyl:
    (A) Missing. (May be assumed to be present if both cotyledons are 
intact.)
    (B) [Reserved]
    (iii) Hypocotyl:
    (A) Deep open cracks extending into the conducting tissue.
    (B) Malformed, such as markedly shortened, curled, or thickened. 
(Seedlings of sainfoin which have been constricted by growing through 
the netting of the pod, but which are otherwise normal, are classified 
as normal.)
    (C) Weak and watery.
    (iv) Root:
    (A) None.
    (B) Primary root stubby. (The roots of sweetclovers may be stubby 
when grown on artificial substrata due to the presence of coumarin in 
the seed; since this condition usually does not occur in soil, such 
seedlings are classified as normal. Roots may appear stubby as a result 
of being bound by the seed coat; such seedlings are classified as 
normal. Crownvetch produces phytotoxic effects similar to sweetclovers.)
    (C) Split extending into the hypocotyl.
    (v) Seedling:
    (A) One or more essential structures impaired as a result of decay 
from primary infection.
    (B) Albino.

[59 FR 64503, Dec. 14, 1994, as amended at 65 FR 1708, Jan. 11, 2000]