Adopted 8-6-14
Applicable to Rice Breeding, Genetics, Seed Increase, and Varietal Evaluation
Programs
Section 1 – Disclosure of location and type of research
A research plan shall be provided to the committee and include:
A. Locations and types of research including, but not limited to, transgenic, hybrid, conventional, and colored bran shall be provided to the Committee for approval in a time and manner determined by the Committee. The entity conducting the research may request that all or part of the information provided be kept confidential. The
Committee shall evaluate the request and determine which information, if any, shall be kept confidential.
B. A detailed standard operating procedure regarding sourcing, modification, handling, processing, and disposal of plants and seed shall be provided to the
Committee for approval in a time and manner determined by the Committee. The entity conducting the research may request that all or part of the information provided be kept confidential. The Committee shall evaluate the request and determine which information, if any, shall be kept confidential.
Section 2 – Requirements for seed for research originating in California and outside California
A. In California
Seed propagated in California for one generation or more may be planted for research without restriction, except for the following:
1.
Commercial impact types including, but not limited to, colored bran, premium short grain, sweet rice, aromatic, bold grain and transgenic materials
2. Seed contaminated with diseases, pests, weedy types such as red rice, and unregistered pesticides
The entity conducting the research shall directly or through the use of experts such as plant breeders and plant pathologists approved by the Committee, monitor and inspect the seed and the planted crop for pests and diseases.
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Adopted 8-6-14
B. Outside California
Seed originating outside California shall be grown in a greenhouse for one generation and comply with attached tissue culture methods consistent with the attached APHIS Brown Rice Protocol, as modified by the committee. Certification of compliance with these protocols may be provided by USDA.
1.
Seed originating from commercial rice producing regions including, but not limited to Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Missouri, Florida,
Tennessee, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico shall be grown in a greenhouse for one generation and comply with attached tissue culture method consistent with the APHIS Brown Rice Protocol, as modified by the committee.
2.
Seed originating from the USDA–ARS National Small Grains Collection shall be grown in a greenhouse for one generation and comply with
APHIS Brown Rice Protocol, as modified by the committee.
3.
Seed from Hawaii which is the direct result of breeding material produced in California for one generation may be planted for continued research in a greenhouse or outside nursery in California. The entity conducting the research shall ensure compliance with the requirements of this subsection through monitoring and inspection of the seed grow out by plant breeders, plant pathologists, or other experts approved by the Committee.
4.
Seed originating from greenhouse grow outs (including APHIS Permitted
Quarantine Introductions) may be grown in the first year only by the entity conducting the research at a single field location at the research entity.
Section 3 – Disease Protocol
A.
If a pest or disease is observed, the entity conducting the research shall immediately notify the county agricultural commissioner.
B.
All seed, plant material and planting medium infected with pests or races of diseases not currently present in California may be subject to destruction or other mitigation as determined by the Committee or county agricultural commissioner.
Section 4 – Isolation
A.
Transgenic research shall be isolated from commercial rice production and non-transgenic research.
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Adopted 8-6-14
B.
Greenhouses used for transgenic rice research shall be containment level BL
1-P (biosafety level one – plants) unless the trait being evaluated requires a more stringent containment level. Non-transgenic rice for research being grown in the same greenhouse as transgenic rice shall be considered transgenic and managed accordingly. All seed and plant material not used for continued research shall be is subject to the requirements of Section 14.
C.
Open field research of no more than 3 acres may be conducted in counties with no more than 10,000 acres of commercial rice production in the most recent crop survey and verified in writing by the country agricultural commissioner. A minimum 10 mile isolation from any rice production shall be maintained.
D.
Open field research of no more than 10 acres may be conducted in counties without commercial rice production as determined by the most recent crop surveys and verified in writing by the county agricultural commissioners. A minimum 20 mile isolation from any commercial rice production in an adjacent county shall be maintained.
E.
Verification of isolation shall be conducted by annual aerial survey and results provided to the Committee.
Section 5 – Testing in Isolation Zone
A.
Rice grown in an isolation zone, except rice grown at a field trial, shall be tested by an entity selected by the Committee. The entity conducting the research shall provide the Committee all information needed to conduct such tests including Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) markers for rice produced at the field trial.
B.
Tests shall be conducted at a time and in accordance with procedures established by the Committee and test results shall be submitted to the
Committee.
C.
If test results show crop contamination from the research, the entity conducting the research shall comply with requirements of the Committee relating to contamination including but not limited to the purchase of the contaminated crop and its disposal whether by sale, destruction or other means determined by the Committee.
Section 6 – Security
A.
The entire research site shall be surrounded by a fence adequate to control human trespass including locked gates and “No Trespassing” signage. A
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Adopted 8-6-14 visual barrier shall be installed when the site is less than 1 mile from a public road or right of way.
Section 7 - Movement
A.
Movement of materials shall be consistent with United States Department of
Agriculture guidelines for movement of restricted plant materials.
B.
Verification by a person or entity including the county agricultural commissioner, selected or approved by the Committee, that any vehicles or other forms of transportation moving rice from the research site are secured at the point of departure and inspected upon arrival at the point of destination is required.
Section 8 – Vertebrate control
A.
Bird netting of a mesh size not more than 1 inch to prevent the entry of waterfowl shall be placed over the entire trial from flowering and remain in place until harvest.
Section 9 – Planting Method
A.
Seeds or transplants may be planted by hand or mechanical planter but not by air. A mechanical planter that is used for transgenic rice is subject to the requirements of section 14.
Section 10 – Monitoring of commercial rice
A.
Monitoring of commercial rice within isolation zones shall be by visual inspection and through communication with county agricultural commissioners. Commercial rice growing in the isolation zone shall be reported to the Committee.
Section 11 – Harvesting Method
A.
Harvesting may be by hand or by mechanized equipment.
B.
Threshing or harvesting equipment shall be owned by the entity conducting the research and shall not be used in commercial rice production or harvesting. Equipment reuse is subject to the requirements of Section 14.
C.
Plant material not used for future research shall be autoclaved or buried and devitalized.
D.
Plant material remaining in the field shall be composted or buried.
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Adopted 8-6-14
E.
Upon termination of field research, the entire site shall be disked. The equipment shall be cleaned at the field site prior to movement. Equipment reuse is subject to the requirements of Section 14.
Section 12 – Post Harvest Monitoring
A.
The site shall remain fallow for one year or until rice volunteers are no longer present, whichever is longer. As an alternate, the site shall be monitored monthly for volunteers during the growing season. If volunteers are found in the month at the end of the growing season, monitoring shall continue until are no longer present. Volunteers may be controlled by: 1) planting a herbicide resistant crop with resistance different than the research crop, 2) planted to a dicot and monitored monthly with volunteers removed by hand or treated with a herbicide or 3) planted to a cover crop immediately after harvest and destroyed before rice flowering. Only a dicot may be planted the following year.
Section 13 – Seedling production and transplants
A.
Planting Seed Movement: Seed shall be weighed and catalogued prior to movement. Seed shall be placed in sealed containers and hand carried to facilities.
B.
Planting: Rice seed planting shall be done by automated planter or by hand.
Transplant trays shall be filled are loaded with soil, punched, planted, dressed and watered. Planting shall be observed by company personnel of the entity conducting the research. All planting seed shall be accounted for.
Unplanted seed shall be collected and returned to the entity conducting the research in a sealed container. The total trays planted shall be counted, and the identity of the material in the tray identified, labeled and recorded.
C.
Equipment Cleaning: The seed line shall be thoroughly cleaned after removal of all seed, soil and other material. This material shall be placed in plastic bags and returned to the entity conducting the research for destruction consistent with this Section.
D.
Identification: The planted trays shall be clearly identified.
E.
Growing:
1. Transplants shall be grown in greenhouses.
2. Fully grown seedlings (approx. 6”high) shall be placed in boxes specifically designed for transplant movement.
3. Each box shall be inspected for structural integrity.
4. Only boxes that fully contain transplants shall be used.
5. The boxes shall be sealed and secured by straps.
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Adopted 8-6-14
6. Personnel from the entity conducting the research shall accompany movement of the boxes to the field site and the boxes shall not be opened except at the field site.
7. Transplant trays shall be removed from the boxes, moved to appropriate areas of the field site and the seedlings planted.
8. Upon completion of planting, all remaining material shall be removed from the trays and disposed of at the field site.
9. Trays shall be inspected and verified free from soil and plant material.
10. The boxes shall be cleaned of all soil and plant material.
11. The trays shall be placed in the boxes which shall be returned to the producer of the seedlings.
12. The trays shall be steam sterilized prior to reuse.
13. The entity conducting the research shall supervise the handling of planting seed, transplants, movement of the transplants and cleaning of trays and moving boxes and record all activities associated with containment and record all activities associated with this subsection.
14. Rice plants shall be removed before flowering.
Section 14 – Equipment cleanout and reuse
A.
All equipment used in seeding, seed handling, transplanting and site termination shall be cleaned and inspected at the field site and determined to be free of any seed and plant material between lines upon completion of activities in the field.
B.
All seeds and plant material shall be devitalized in the field or returned to the laboratory or greenhouse to be destroyed or devitalized.
C.
All seed and plant material located in greenhouses and research laboratories not used for continuing research shall be devitalized.
D.
Equipment shall not be used in commercial rice production or research.
E.
Equipment may be used for non–rice crops, if free of all seed.
F.
Cleanout logs specifying date of cleaning and operator shall be maintained.
Section 15 – Production of seed from research
A.
Seed produced from research in California intended for sale or used to produce commercial rice in the state shall be enrolled in the California Crop
Improvement Association or an equivalent program approved by the
Committee to verify field eligibility and adequate isolation and field inspection for off-type, weeds and diseases and subject to audit.
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Adopted 8-6-14
Section 16 – Audit and inspection
A.
Upon written request of the Committee, an audit or inspection of the field trial and related equipment by a person or entity selected or approved by the
Committee shall be completed within 5 business days.
Section 17- Definitions
A. Generation – means one complete life cycle including both the vegetative and reproductive cycles
B. Weedy types – varieties with observed 1) levels of dormancy significantly higher than standard California market class varieties and 2) levels of shattering significantly higher than standard California market class varieties.
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