Wisconsin Administrative Code › Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection › ATCP 140 - Marketing › Chapter ATCP 156 - Certified Seed Potatoes › Subchapter II - Certification › Section ATCP 156.04 - Certification inspections

Current through June 24, 2024
(1) FIELD
				  INSPECTION. Before the college certifies a lot of seed potatoes, the college
				  shall conduct at least 2 field inspections of the farm on which that lot is
				  being grown. The college shall visually inspect at least 100 potato plants per
				  acre of plants from which the lot is produced, and may inspect any other potato
				  plants growing on the farm. The inspection of a potato plant may include a
				  visual inspection of the plant and any tubers from the plant. The college shall
				  inspect potato plants for compliance with the standards in s.
				  ATCP 156.03(2) and
				  (3).
(2) HARVEST INSPECTION. Before the college
				  certifies a lot of seed potatoes, the college shall visually inspect a
				  representative sample of harvested tubers chosen from that lot. The college
				  shall choose the tubers at harvest, or after the tubers have been harvested and
				  stored. The college shall visually inspect at least 100 tubers for each
				  harvested acre of tubers comprising the lot, and may inspect any other tubers
				  harvested from the farm. The college shall inspect tubers for compliance with
				  the standards under s.
				  ATCP
				  156.03(3).
(3) POST-HARVEST TEST.
(a) Except as provided in par. (b) or s.
				  ATCP 156.03(4)
				  (b), the college shall conduct a post-harvest
				  test on each lot of certified seed potatoes. The college shall conduct the
				  post-harvest test according to par. (c). The college may not certify foundation
				  seed potatoes until it completes the post-harvest test, but may certify other
				  seed potatoes before completing the post-harvest test.
Note: The college must perform a post-harvest test before
					 certifying foundation seed potatoes. The college may certify other seed
					 potatoes before completing a post-harvest test, but must withdraw the
					 certification if the post-harvest test shows a violation of standards under s.
					 ATCP
					 156.03(4).
(b) No post-harvest test is required under
				  par. (a) if the certified lot will be planted in the following season on fewer
				  than 0.25 acres and only on the grower's own farm.
(c) For a post-harvest test under par. (a),
				  the grower shall deliver to a location specified by the college a
				  representative sample of 400 tubers for every 50 acres from each lot to be
				  certified, with a maximum of 4 samples per lot. Each tuber shall be 13/4 to
				  21/4 inches in diameter and no more than 21/2 inches long. The college shall
				  plant the tubers in a winter growing location chosen by the college. The
				  college shall inspect the potato plants and potatoes grown from those tubers
				  for compliance with the standards under s.
				  ATCP 156.03(4)
				  (a).
(d) The college shall deny or withdraw its
				  certification of a seed potato lot if the seed potato grower impedes or fails
				  to permit a post-harvest test under this subsection. If the college is unable
				  to perform a post-harvest test because of conditions outside the control of the
				  seed potato grower or the college, the lack of a post-harvest test does not
				  affect the validity of a certification under s.
				  ATCP
				  156.02(1).