United States Department of Agriculture

Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service - Plant Protection and Quarantine

NATIONAL KARNAL BUNT 

SURVEY PROCEDURES

 [Drawing of wheat heads by Joel Floyd, retired USDA employee]

March 2024
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topic Page

Background ..........................................................................................................................................3

Purpose.................................................................................................................................................3

National Survey Areas.........................................................................................................................4

Crops to be Surveyed..........................................................................................................................4

Protocols for Collecting Grain Samples ............................................................................................4

Sample Preparation and Processing ................................................................................................7

Sample Analysis and Reporting........................................................................................................ 9

National Program Contacts...............................................................................................................11

Data Management ............................................................................................................................ 11

References ....................................................................................................................................... 15

 APPENDICES

Appendix A – NASS Data Instructions.............................................................................16

Appendix B - Sample Information Form...........................................................................18

Appendix C – Sample Packaging Instructions..................................................................19

 Figures 1-7..............................................................................................19

 TABLES

Table 1. Example of Proportional Sampling.......................................................................4

Table 2. Approved KB Sample Processing Laboratories ...............................................................9

Table 3. National KB Program Contacts ...........................................................................11

Table 4. through 16. NAPIS Template Categories..............................................................12

 

 JOB AIDS

Appendix A Job Aid 1. Screenshot of NASS Quick Stats Tools...........................................16

Appendix A Job Aid 2. Screenshot of NASS Wheat Production by County...........................17

Appendix C Job Aid 1. Screenshot of IPHIS Ordering System for KB Kit.............................19
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BACKGROUND

Karnal bunt (KB) is caused by the fungus Tilletia indica Mitra. This plant pathogen was

first reported in 1931, infecting wheat growing near the city of Karnal in the Indian state of

Haryana – hence the common name “Karnal bunt”. The United States Department of

Agriculture (USDA), Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), Plant

Protection Quarantine (PPQ) National Karnal Bunt Survey was initiated in 1996 in

response to the detection of KB disease in the United States (U.S.). Since then, this

survey has provided invaluable information in the form of negative occurrence data to

support the export of U.S. wheat to foreign markets. USDA-APHIS-PPQ continues to

explore new survey, detection, control, and analysis methods for the KB program. As new

information becomes available, PPQ will update these survey protocols and associated 

program guidance and regulations.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the National KB Survey is: (1) to provide the basis for U.S. certifying

officials to issue phytosanitary certificates and additional declarations, if required, by the 

countries to which we export (or may export) wheat, and (2) to establish a record of KB 

pest free areas in the United States. The survey also functions as a valuable surveillance 

tool, enabling rapid response by APHIS-PPQ and its partners in the event of a new 

detection.

Why the KB program and participation in the KB National Survey are important

The cooperative KB program is a vital part of the U.S. agriculture safeguarding continuum 

and is consistent with the mission, vision, and strategic goals of PPQ. The KB program 

and national survey protect the health and value of U.S. wheat, durum wheat, and 

triticale. In a highly competitive global marketplace, the United States is one of the world’s 

leading wheat exporters: more than 40% of the countries that imported U.S. wheat in 

2023 consider KB a quarantine pest and maintain trade restrictions for it. The National KB 

Survey helps protect these U.S. exports by providing the survey data to certify that 

shipments have originated in U.S. KB-free areas. It also advances the well-being of U.S. 

consumers by ensuring the continued availability of affordable, high-quality wheat 

products in the domestic marketplace. 

Overall, the KB program and national survey help safeguard 1.8 billion bushels and 37.3 

million acres of wheat harvested across the United States, valued at $12.7 billion (USDA 

NASS, 2023). In 2023, the U.S. exported 18 metric tons of wheat valued at $6.1 billion; 

128,000 metric tons of wheat products valued at $185 million; and 277,000 metric tons of 

wheat flour valued at $151 million (FAS GATS, 2023).
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NATIONAL SURVEY AREAS

The National KB Survey covers wheat-producing states in areas where KB is currently not

known to occur.

CROPS TO BE SURVEYED

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.), and triticale

(Triticosecale rimpaui C. Yen & J.L. Yang [Secale cereale × Triticum aestivum]Triticum

aestivum L. x Secale cereale L.) from producing counties. Note: common and scientific 

names shown as listed in the USDA Plants Database (USDA NRCS, 2024).

PROTOCOLS FOR COLLECTING GRAIN SAMPLES

General Intent and Design

The National KB Survey collects representative samples from counties where susceptible

host crops are produced according to statistics provided by USDA, National Agricultural

Statistics Service (NASS). The number of samples is based on the average production of

each host for the most recent 5-year period, which may be obtained through the NASS

website: www.nass.usda.gov/. Refer to Appendix A for detailed instructions.

The survey does not intend to sample every local elevator or farm, but to represent crop 

production within overall significant production areas. Significant production means an 

area that produces over 1 million bushels in a 5-year average. An area may be defined 

as a single county or as several counties that, when combined in a composite sample, 

meet the million-bushel production mark. See the “Sampling Intensity” section below for 

additional details about preparing composite samples. One survey sample should be 

submitted for each million bushels of production. However, no county should be 

surveyed more frequently than every other year.

Sample Size and Retention

The official sample size for the bunted kernel analysis is four (4) pounds (1.814 kgs). 

APHIS-PPQ requests that all samples submitted to the National KB Sample Processing 

Laboratory meet but not substantially exceed that weight. Any samples received that 

weigh less than 4 pounds will not qualify as official for the purpose of this survey.

A Sample Information Form (Appendix B) should be filled out for each individual sample 

at the time of collection. The person submitting the sample should also retain an 

additional 250-gram sub-sample (8.818 ounces), stored in a Nalgene® bottle or similar

appropriate container. This sub-sample should be cross-referenced to the source sample, 

in case additional testing becomes necessary. If the sample is a composite of grain from 

multiple counties, a 250-gram reserve sample from each of the counties should be held 

separately when possible. That way, as applicable, further testing of those sub-samples 

can narrow down a KB-positive sample to the individual county that actually produced the 

bunted kernel.
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Once the official 4-pound sample has been found free of KB, the 250-gram reference 

sample may be disposed of in the regular trash. If a bunted kernel is found in the 4-pound 

sample, any unused portion of the 250-gram sub-sample must be disposed of using an 

APHIS-approved method, as follows:

1. Autoclave

• Temperature: 250 degrees Fahrenheit (121 degrees Centigrade)

• Pressure: 15 pounds per square inch

• Time: minimum of 30 minutes

• Heat: steam heat

• To ensure adequate heat penetration, restrict grain depth to 2 inches when 

treating loose in trays. When treating in packages, restrict individual 

package weight to 5 pounds (or less) and leave ample spacing in between 

packages.

2. Incineration

• Incineration to ash at an incinerator that is signed to a valid PPQ compliance 

agreement.

3. Landfill

• Deep burial at a landfill that is signed to a valid PPQ compliance agreement.

Timing of Survey Sampling

The ideal time to sample grain for KB is soon after harvest; however, grain samples 

may be collected at any time. An important point to remember is that the longer after

harvest the samples are collected and analyzed, the greater the chance of having 

to regulate a bigger area if a sample tests positive, owing to downstream grain 

movement that may have occurred in the meantime. Trace-back and trace-forward 

efforts also tend to become more difficult as time passes. Samples can be taken 

from local elevators before the harvest is complete if the samples are representative

of the county in which they were taken and otherwise meet the minimum 

requirements in this sampling protocol.

Sampling Intensity

Samples should be collected in parallel with the wheat harvest and in proportion to host

production from producing counties. Counties with KB-free status should be sampled only 

every other year. A yearly survey can be maintained by sampling one half of the state’s

wheat-producing counties each year. As noted above, the sampling requirement is one 4-

pound sample for each 1 million bushels of production in counties meeting that production 

threshold. When possible, single-county samples will preferably include grain from at least 

10 different individual producers to ensure an adequate scope of representation for the 

county.

In cases where individual counties do not reach the million-bushel production threshold on their 

own, multiple counties may be combined into a composite sample. Composite samples should
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be prepared with careful attention to the relative amounts of grain included from each source 

county. Because all the grains in an ideally random sample equally represent a portion of 1 

million bushels of production, composite samples need to be drawn in a proportional manner. 

For instance, if 4 counties are to be combined, the 4-pound sample should not be 1 pound from 

each county, but a percentage of 1 million bushels based on each county’s contributing 

production. Refer to Table 1 for example of proportional sampling.

Table 1. Example of Proportional Sampling.

Sampling Methods

Samples taken at points of aggregation near their production areas (local elevators) are a 

practical source of host material for the survey and usually represent the best crop profile. 

Aggregation-point samples will generally be a composite of grain from many producers 

across a given county, and in some cases across multiple counties. Each individual 

sample, however, should consist entirely of one species: grain of different KB-susceptible 

hosts should not be mixed.

If a county has more than one elevator where grain is aggregated, then the elevator 

chosen for sampling should be the one that best represents the entire county. If a county 

appears in the NASS data but has no elevator, samples for that county should be taken 

from the elevator(s) to which the grain is shipped. This may require sampling at elevators 

in adjacent counties, or even in adjoining states.

At the beginning of the year, the State KB Survey Coordinator should create a list of all

elevators to be surveyed in the state, with the contact person identified at each location. In 

states where PPQ is not the survey leader, a PPQ representative should visit participating 

elevators on an occasional basis to ensure overall integrity of the sampling process, 

provide information, and answer questions concerning the program.

Each elevator normally takes a moisture and/or quality sample from each arriving load. If 

arrangements can be made with the elevator to save all (or most) of these samples by 

placing them in a barrel, national survey samples may be taken when each barrel reaches 

County

Bushel 

Production

Sample 

Percentage 

Sample 

Weight (lb.)

County A 100,000 .10 = 10% .40

County B 180,000 .18 = 18% .72

County C 300,000 .30 = 30% 1.2

County D 420,000 .42 = 42% 1.68

Totals: 1,000,000 100% 4 pounds
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capacity. This approach will represent a sampling of all (or most) of the wheat coming

into the elevator. The objective is to take a 4-pound sample (adding 250 grams more for 

the reference sub-sample) by using either a small grain probe or a plastic cup to draw 

grain from several locations within the barrel. Once national survey samples have been 

taken, the elevator may empty the barrels.

If the barrel sample method cannot be used, wheat should instead be run out of the 

elevator’s storage/transfer bins and collected from the belt using disposable 16-ounce 

plastic cups, until a 4-pound sample has been accumulated (including 250 grams more,

for the reference sub-sample). Mechanical samplers (diverters) should be used, if 

available, for collecting samples from a belt. If samples are to be collected by this method, 

they should be taken from each available bin in the elevator (when possible). The 

collector should ask the elevator to run grain from the first bin for a short time, taking a 

sample directly from the belt or other accessible point. The process should be repeated 

for the next bins in succession until complete. All of the bin samples should then be 

combined, mixed, and the official composite 4-pound sample taken. 

Other possible sources of samples for the survey include research stations/labs (to which 

producers have submitted grain samples for other purposes, and excess is available), 

farm storage bins, mills, trucks/combines, and rail cars. When collecting grain from these 

sources, every effort should be made to draw as representative a composite sample as 

possible. Questions about sampling procedures, methods, and sources may be directed 

to the KB national program managers (Table 3).

SAMPLE PREPARATION AND PROCESSING

Processing Laboratories

The USDA-APHIS-PPQ National KB Sample Processing Laboratory is located in 

Phoenix, Arizona (AZ). Samples are processed as they arrive, in the order they are

received. Test results are reported to the submitting state and the APHIS KB program 

managers, usually within one to two weeks. The PPQ standard for analysis of grain 

samples is bunted kernel examination (FR, 2004; NAPPO, 2016).

States may opt to screen and analyze their own samples at a different lab. However, the 

screening standard that must be used is the bunted kernel examination, and all facilities 

must be approved by APHIS prior to analyzing KB samples (Table 2). PPQ does not 

provide resources to state labs for processing samples, except in those states with

regulated areas.

Packaging of Samples

Place each grain sample in a new heavy-duty paper bag. Double bag the samples if 

heavy-duty bags are not available. Roll down the top of the bag to squeeze out as much 

air as possible, then securely tape the bag shut with strong packing tape (no staples). 

Mark the sample number on the paper bag. Place each paper-bagged sample into its 

own, secondary 6-mil plastic bag, along with a completed Sample Information Form 
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(Appendix B), and then seal the plastic bag with a zip tie. These packing materials are 

available from PPQ as the KB Sample Survey Kit and can be ordered from IPHIS 

(Appendix C). If the PPQ Kit is not being used, then all materials should be of similar type 

and quality. Appendix C summarizes these instructions with pictures.

Samples should be shipped in a sturdy, crush-resistant box. Do not use soft mail or 

envelope bags, which can readily tear or puncture in transit. Limit the weight of each 

shipping box to 36 pounds (9 samples) or less.

Shipping of Samples

For states that use the PPQ Phoenix, AZ laboratory to analyze their samples, the samples

should be shipped as soon as possible after collection using a 2-day delivery service to 

the address below:

USDA-APHIS-PPQ

Becky Van Cleave

3640 E. Wier Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85040

(602) 431-3216

becky.j.van.cleave@usda.gov

Samples should not be collected and held for shipment all at the end of the season.

Doing so impedes the seasonal workflow of the lab and risks unnecessarily delaying 

the detection of KB-positive samples. Lab analysis and reporting will occur in a timely 

manner, generally within one to two weeks, so results will be available before 

potentially contaminated source grain can move farther down the marketing channel.

It is highly recommended to write the permit number of the PPQ Phoenix, AZ lab on a 

sheet of paper inside the shipping box, or on the outside of the box near the shipping 

label. This could help avoid delays with interstate shipments. The current permit 

number is available by contacting the lab (see Table 2) or by searching e-File. A 

shipping account is also available for use by cooperators and federal personnel when

sending National KB Survey samples to the PPQ Phoenix, AZ lab. For further 

information, please contact the AZ lab directly (Table 2).
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Table 2. Approved KB Sample Processing Laboratories.

SAMPLE ANALYSIS AND REPORTING

National survey samples submitted to the PPQ Phoenix, AZ lab are analyzed using an

optical seed sorting machine. The high-speed optical sorter removes suspect bunted 

kernels from samples, can process a 4-pound sample in less than a minute, and typically 

will reduce the number of kernels that need to be examined to about 8% of the original 

sample. All suspect kernels are then visually examined by trained personnel.

APHIS approved laboratories may also use grain inspection machines and visual

examinations by trained personnel to analyze samples for bunted kernels.

When a state’s sampling is done for the year and its final samples are being submitted, 

the State KB Coordinator will notify the receiving laboratory that its season is over. The 

laboratory will in turn issue a summary report for that state within 10 days of the last 

samples received. A copy of this report should also be e-mailed to the State Plant 

Health Director (SPHD) (if different from the State Coordinator) and to the PPQ KB 

national program managers (Table 3).

Negative Sample Reporting

The laboratory conducting the sample analysis will report negative sample findings to the

State KB Coordinator of the submitting state. The report should be sent by e-mail as soon 

State Location Contact Information 

Arizona USDA-APHIS-PPQ

3640 E. Wier Avenue

Phoenix, AZ 85040

Becky Van Cleave

Telephone: (602) 431-3216

Email: becky.j.van.cleave@usda.gov

California California Department of Food & Agriculture

Plant Pest Diagnostics Center

3294 Meadowview Road

Sacramento, CA 95832

For current lab contact information, consult the 

applicable APHIS-PPQ State Plant Health Director

Delaware University of Delaware

Cooperative Extension

Plant Diagnostic Lab

151 Townsend Hall

Newark, DE 19716

For current lab contact information, consult the 

applicable APHIS-PPQ State Plant Health Director

Oklahoma Oklahoma State University

Entomology & Plant Pathology Department

315 Noble Research Center

Stillwater, OK 74078

For current lab contact information, consult the 

applicable APHIS-PPQ State Plant Health Director
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as available but no more than one week after completion of the analysis. The State Plant 

Health Director (SPHD), if different from the State Coordinator, should also receive a copy of 

the report, along with the PPQ KB national program managers (Table 3).

Preparation, Processing, and Confirmation of Suspect Positive Samples

When a suspect positive sample is detected at the initial screening lab, it must be 

confirmed by the PPQ National Specialist in Mycology. Procedures for preparing a 

bunted kernel specimen and microscope slide with teliospores are outlined in Appendix

D of the USDA Karnal Bunt Manual.

Slides and specimens should be packed carefully in small cardboard boxes, so they do

not break during shipping. The small specimen boxes should be placed within a larger, 

crush-resistant box with ample packing material. Copies of all relevant specimen 

documentation must be included inside the shipment.

When a suspect KB sample is submitted for diagnostic confirmation, the submitter should 

immediately notify all the following:

• The State Plant Health Director (SPHD)

• The State KB Coordinator in the state from which the suspect bunted kernel 

originated

• The PPQ Domestic Diagnostic Coordinator

(PPQ.Domestic.Diagnostic.Coordinator@usda.gov)

• PPQ’s National Operations Manager and National Policy Manager (Table 3).

For submitters with access to PPQ’s Agricultural Risk Management (ARM) system, a 

Diagnostic Request (DR) should be created, and specimens should be routed according 

to the instructions on the DR. Submitters without access to ARM should contact their 

SPHD and prepare PPQ Form 391. Further guidance is available on the APHIS website 

here: Request Official Confirmation of Preliminary Pest Identifications of Domestic 

Samples.

Notification and Disposal of Positive Samples

PPQ will notify the SPRO and the SPHD by email when the identification is final. If the 

sample is positive, any associated sub-samples retained at screening labs, or retained at

the office of origin, must be disposed of, when no longer otherwise needed, using an 

approved method (page 5).
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NATIONAL PROGRAM CONTACTS

Table 3. National KB Program Contacts

Role Name, Address Phone, Email

National Policy Manager Lynn Evans-Goldner

USDA-APHIS-PPQ

4700 River Road, Unit 160

Riverdale, MD 20737

Phone: (301) 851-2286

Email: lynn.evans-goldner@usda.gov

National Operations Manager Alec Ormsby

USDA-APHIS-PPQ

2150 Centre Ave 

Building B, 3E10

Fort Collins, CO 80526

Phone: (970) 494-7521

Email: alec.ormsby@usda.gov

DATA MANAGEMENT

State Survey Coordinators or their designees should enter all national KB survey data 

into the National Agricultural Pest Information System (NAPIS) database. In addition to 

putting the data into NAPIS, survey coordinators may choose to record the results in the

“Integrated Plant Health Information System” (IPHIS) database as well, but that step is 

not required.

States are responsible for their own data entry. Staff at the PPQ Phoenix laboratory 

cannot perform that task on their behalf. Each state should complete its NAPIS data 

entry as follows (unless otherwise specified within a cooperative agreement):

• First record for the state and/or county within 48 hours of PPQ confirmation.

• All other records, including positive and negative survey data, within two weeks of 

receipt.

Type of Data to Enter

Survey data entered should capture:

• Four-pound samples that represent a selected county with 1,000,000 bushels of

production or more. (A 4-pound sample should be taken for every 1,000,000

bushels: see the guidance on sampling procedures above.)

• Four-pound samples that represent multiple counties with a combined total of

1,000,000 bushels of production or more, in cases where each individual

county produces less than 1,000,000 bushels on its own.

How to Enter Data

Data for KB national survey samples will be entered based on county. Three possible

scenarios are:
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1. Sample ST-100 was drawn from one county in one location; therefore, it is 

entered once.

2. Sample ST-101 was drawn from one county with several locations. This

sample is a composite; however, it should be entered once.

3. Sample ST-102 was drawn from four counties from several locations. This

combined sample would be entered four times under each individual 

county, so that each county receives credit for participating in the survey. 

With each entry, indicate in the remarks section that the sample represents 

a composite, and list the names of the other counties.

NAPIS Codes and Definitions

Selected codes for use with the NAPIS Karnal Bunt survey template are provided below, 

along with their definitions.

Not all of the template categories are shown in these guidelines: only the ones where 

information on available options may help with the correct and accurate entry of records. 

Refer to the on-line NAPIS/CAPS “data definitions” page, under the NAPIS “data entry” 

tab, for additional details, if needed.

Table 4. NAPIS template category for “Data Source”

Code Number Definition

11 USDA-APHIS

13 state department of agriculture

14 university/extension

16 joint state/federal

18 state experiment station

20 state agriculture department of forestry

46 county agriculture department

99 unspecified/other

Table 5. NAPIS template category for “Site”

Code Number Definition

24000 grain, general

24007 common wheat, Triticum aestivum

24011 triticale, Triticosecale rimpaui

24016 durum wheat, Triticum turgidum

24018 winter wheat, Triticum aestivum

24019 spring wheat, Triticum aestivum

28065 wheat, Triticum spp.
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Table 6. NAPIS template category for “Crop Life Stage”

Code Number Definition

10 mature

13 post-harvest

Table 7. NAPIS template category for “Crop Situation”

Code Number Definition

24000 stored grains

28037 field or agronomic

29013 field inspection for export

29015 research center / experiment station

61012 farm seed/grain storage

71011 grain elevator

77004 commercial storage / warehouse

Table 8. NAPIS template category for “Funding Source”

Code Number Definition

4 state

6 other

Table 9. NAPIS template category for “Survey Name”

Code Number Definition

93 program: Karnal bunt

Table 10. NAPIS template category for “Pest”

Code Number Definition

FLBBNBF Karnal bunt, Tilletia indica

Table 11. NAPIS template category for “Pest Life Stage”

Code Number Definition

P1 pathogens – asexual

Table 12. NAPIS template category for “Survey Method”

Code Number Definition

3011 general tissue sample
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Table 13. NAPIS template category for “Sample Description”

Code Number Definition

23 X pounds of grain from each of Y locations

Table 14. NAPIS template category for “Descriptor Units”

Code Number Definition

373 samples

Table 15. NAPIS template category for “Diagnostic Lab”

Code Number Definition

0816 Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, CDFA, Sacramento, CA

0830 Plant Diagnostic Clinic, U of Delaware, Newark, DE

1403 Karnal Bunt Processing Lab, APHIS-PPQ, Phoenix, AZ

3004 Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostics Laboratory 

(PPCDL), APHIS-PPQ, Laurel, MD

4602 Wheat Pathology Lab, Oklahoma State U, Stillwater, OK

[Note: All positive samples/records must show Lab 3004. Negative samples/records 

may show any of the listed labs, depending on where the final negative determination 

was made.]

Table 16. NAPIS template category for “Confirmation Method”

Code Number Definition

9000 light microscope

9020 optical scanning

[Note 1: Code 9000 should be entered for all positive samples/records; it is also an 

option for use with negative samples/records.]

[Note 2: Code 9020 should be entered for negative samples/records only.]

Technical Assistance

For technical assistance with NAPIS, contact NAPIS User Support: 

https://napis.ceris.purdue.edu/support.

For technical assistance with IPHIS, contact: David Kowalski, PPQ Data Steward, 

Phone: 970-494-7510, Email: david.g.kowalski@usda.gov.
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REFERENCES

FAS GATS. 2023. USDA Foreign Agricultural Service, Global Agricultural Trade System

website.

FR. 2004. Federal Register Vol. 69, No. 35, Monday, February 23, 2004. Karnal Bunt; 

Revision of Domestic Regulations, Final rule. Federal Register :: Karnal Bunt; Revision of 

Domestic Regulations

NAPPO. 2016. North American Plant Protection Organization. Regional Standards for 

Phytosanitary Measures (RSPM). RSPM 13: Guidelines to Establish, Maintain and Verify 

Karnal Bunt Pest Free Areas in North America.

https://nappo.org/application/files/8015/8352/2967/RSPM_13-07-06-16-e.pdf

USDA NASS. 2023. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service website.

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. 2024. USDA Plants Database.
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APPENDIX A – NASS Data Instructions

1) Begin at the “Quick Stats” page of the NASS website:

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Quick_Stats/index.php.

2) Select the “Quick Stats Lite” option, as shown in the screenshot below.

Appendix A Job Aid 1. Screenshot of NASS Quick Stats Tools, Quick Stats Lite Option

3) Follow the prompts to obtain the wheat production by county. See the example in the 

next screenshot. Choose the 5 most recent years to calculate the average. Multiple years 

and counties can be selected by holding down the “Ctrl” or “Shift” button.
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Appendix A Job Aid 2. Screenshot of NASS Quick Stats Lite Option, 

Wheat Production by County

4) After selecting the “Get Data” button, an option will be available to download the results

as a spreadsheet, for easier sorting and analysis.

Note: in some instances, a county may not show a published county yield for a given year due 

to confidentiality reasons or because it failed to meet USDA’s publication standards (number of 

reports and/or coverage standards). In this case you will not be able to establish a true 5-year 

average from NASS.
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APPENDIX B – Sample Information Form

NATIONAL KARNAL BUNT WHEAT GRAIN SURVEY

SAMPLE INFORMATION FORM

STATE SURVEY YEAR:

NAME OF FACILITY WHERE SAMPLE WAS TAKEN

CITY AND STATE OF FACILITY

PRODUCTION COUNTY AND STATE

TYPE OF WHEAT (HARD RED WINTER, DURUM WHEAT, TRITICALE, SOFT WHITE

WINTER, etc.) Please Specify Variety

DATE SAMPLE WAS TAKEN

SAMPLE TAKEN FROM (GRAIN ELEVATOR, TRUCK, MILL, RESEARCH STATION,

FARM STORAGE, RAIL CAR, etc.)

NAME, AND TELEPHONE # OF PERSON SUBMITTING SAMPLE

AGENCY OF PERSON TAKING SAMPLE (FEDERAL, STATE, UNIVERSITY, etc.)

STATE SURVEY SAMPLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EXAMPLE: TX -100)

Each state KB Survey Coordinator should establish and assign State Survey Sample 

Identification numbers for their state. The sample number should consist of the two-letter 

state abbreviation plus a sequential three-digit number beginning with 100 (e.g., TX-100). 

However, states that prefer a different numbering convention may use that instead. The 

original form should be completed on site as the sample is taken. Additional copies can 

be made for the State Plant Health Director and the State Plant Regulatory Official. The

original form should accompany the sample to the lab that performs the analysis.
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APPENDIX C – Sample Packaging Instructions

KB Sample Kits may be used for the National Survey (Figure 1). In IPHIS, order item #137, 

Karnal Bunt Survey Kit, consisting of one heavyweight brown paper bag, one 6-mil plastic bag, 

one zip tie and one 16-oz collection bottle. If other packaging material is used, it must be 

equivalent in quality/format to the above items.

Appendix C Job Aid 1. Screenshot of IPHIS ordering system for Karnal Bunt Survey Kit

 

Figure 1. KB Sample Kit. 

When submitting National KB Survey samples to the lab for processing, they must be four (4) 

pounds to meet the official standards (Figure 2). 

Figure 2. Pan of wheat kernels on scale to confirm four-pound weight. 
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Using the KB Sample Kit, put the official sample into the sturdy paper bag (Figure 3). Label the 

paper bag, using a permanent marker, with the sample number from the Sample Information 

Form (Figure 4).

Figure 3. Four-pound sample of wheat in sturdy paper bag.

Figure 4. Sample bag labeled with number from Sample Information Form. 

Use the collection jar to retain a 250-gram subsample from the excess wheat in your survey 

sample (Figure 5). Note the sample number on the jar for cross-reference. Maintain the 

subsample until the lab results are known.

 

.

 

Figure 5. Subsample of wheat kernels in collection jar.
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The paper bags should be sealed with clear shipping package tape to prevent spillage (Figure 

6). Do not use staples.

Figure 6. Labeled sample bag sealed with clear shipping package tape.

Place each four-pound grain sample into the 6-mil plastic bag provided in the KB Survey 

Sample Kit (Figure 7).

Place the completed “Sample Information Form” inside the plastic bag (Figure 7).

Seal the plastic bag with the enclosed zip tie (otherwise known as a cable tie) provided in the 

KB Survey Sample Kit (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Final sample bag and Sample Information Form in plastic bag, sealed with a zip tie.