Weed Free
Hay, Straw... (and Seed)
Pilot Project
Julie Robinson
Ministry of Agriculture
Introduction/Overview

North East Invasive Plant Committee (NEIPC)

North West Invasive Plant Council (NWIPC)

Fort Nelson Invasive Plant Management Area Steering
Committee (FNIPMASC)

Invasive Aliens Species Partnership Program (IASPP)

WFF Producers

Under guidance of Inter Ministry Invasive Species
Working Group (IMIS WG)
 Fall 2010 Initiated a
Weed Free
Forage Pilot Program
Introduction/Overview

Based on North American Weed
Management Association (NAWMA) Weed
Free Forage Program
 Inspections (methods/training/in field)
 Weed lists
 Certification/transit forms and marking
 Producer involvement

Piloted in North East/West BC
Initial Goals

Effective management of invasive plants in
remote areas of BC

Producers providing weed free forage to
customers that has met a minimum standard
 Inspections of weed free forage fields by
trained individuals using a set standard

Customers aware of and buying weed free
forage that has met a minimum standard

Details and procedures clarified for the weed
free forage program to enable the
EXPANSION TO THE WHOLE PROVINCE
Benefits of Program

Prevent introduction and spread of invasive
plants

Protecting natural resources

Education and awareness and change in
behaviour for :
 Backcountry users,
 Oil and gas industry,
 Other industries adjacent to and in remote
areas or access points
AWARENESS & EDUCATION
Early Detection Rapid Response
Weed Free Forage Pilot
Weed Free Forage &
Straw Pilot
WFF and Straw Pilot –
Evolution
1.
Providing and using a premium product
that is recognized as marketable and
transportable
2.
Preventing the spread of designated weeds
and undesirable plants species
3.
Protecting private and public lands from
non-native plant species
4.
Increasing the awareness of the
environmental impact on non-native,
invasive plant species
WFF Pilot-Inspections

2 training sessions:
 1 in Peace and
 1 in Vanderhoof
 10 people trained

Certified Weed Free Hay or Straw: means
hay free of viable seed or propagules of
weeds or undesirable plants designated in
the Weed List
Inspection Procedures
1. Hay shall be inspected in the field of origin by a duly
appointed Inspector to determine if hay meets the weed
free requirements of the program.
2. A minimum 12-foot buffer zone within the field being
inspected (or as otherwise directed by the Inspector) free
from any plant species listed in the Weed List shall be
excluded and cut and harvested separate from the hay
being certified.
3. Fields shall be inspected by the inspector within 10 days
prior to cutting or harvesting.
4. Fields that contain any designated weeds may be
certified if, at the time of inspection, the hay is free from
viable seed or propagules of the designated plants.
5. Producers shall bind the hay with special coloured twine
available from the Inspector to identify it as certified.
6. Producers will report to inspectors actual dates of cutting
and baling and actual yields.
DESIGNATED WEED AND
UNDESIRABLE PLANT SPECIES LIST
NEIPC - NWIPC Certified Weed Free Hay
and Straw Program Pilot Project

Forage shall be free of those noxious
weeds or undesirable plant species
identified in the BC Weed Control Act
and the invasive plants identified in the
Forest and Range Practices Act Invasive
Plant Regulation

(NAWMA Noxious weed list is slightly
different )
Certification/transit
forms and marking
Producer involvement

5 fields inspected 2011
(464 ac, 442.5ac certified)
 562 round bales forage
 1482 sq straw
 462 round bales straw

Communication with 10
producers directly

Increased opportunity in
market for producer
involved
How the summer went

Increased awareness for both producer and weed
free forage and straw users

Lots of discussion for transition to provincial program
Next steps

Provincial delivery plan
 Government, ISC, Regionally delivered, or
some combination of the above

Signing of an agreement NAWMA

Legislation development?

Review weed lists to add to the minimum
requirements for list of species for BC
EDUCATION and AWARENESS
Change of Behaviour
Forage Seed Industry
Weed free seed Quality regulations:
Canada Seeds Act, Weed Seeds Order

Seed Growers
Association –
Producer

Canadian Food
Inspection Agency field inspection and
site qualifications

Seed trade – cleaned
and packaged seed
 Blue tags
www.peaceforageseed.ca
Seed Tags
Grade:
Foundation (white tag)
Registered (purple tag)
Certified (blue tag)
Common (company tag)
The
year the crop
The year the crop was produced
was produced
Province the seed
grower comes from
Crop kind and variety
included for pedigree seed
(i.e. certified seed or higher)
Seed grower
Seed grower number
number
Pedigreed class
of seed
Class of seed:
No. 1 - higher purity and %
germination
No. 2 - lower purity and %
germination
Assigned by the Canadian
Seed Growers Association
Seed sealing number - assigned by
CFIA or any registered firm
Seed sealing number (lot
number)
Crop certificate
number
Germination - percent of
eg.
seeds that
growKnapweed – Class
Hard Seeds (only
relevant to legume
seeds) - seeds
eg. still
Canada Thistle –
included in germination
Class
2
Pure Living
Seed - seed
that is pure and viable
Pure Seed = crop seed
only
Scentless Chamomile,
Inert Matter = stems,
seed husks,
dirt, etc.Flowering
Night
TZ = Tetrazolium
test –
Catchfly
(only applicable to
cereals) - determines
percent viable seed
Signed and stamped
by accredited seed
analyst. Place and
Date of analysis.
class 3 & 4
1
Crop Kind and
Variety
Seed testing certificate
number
Seed Grades

Common No. 2 Allows 25 primary noxious
weed seeds per 25 grams 1000 Ca thistle, oxeye daisy or toadflax seeds per kg of seed !
OK if site under intense management but not
reclamation situation or backcountry????

Common No. 1 Forage Seed mixture -Allows
zero primary noxious weeds per 25 grams

Seed from OUTSIDE THE REGION may have
species that are not present here, so are a
greater threat than the SAME GRADE from
local sources (Ontario, southern Alberta)
Summary

Weed free seed... Or at least tools needed
to determine this are already in place and
monitored by CFIA...
Report of Seed Analysis

Next Steps for Weed Free Forage and
Straw program is
Provincial Program
Supporting Partners

BC Ministry of
Environment

ISCBC

BC Ministry of Agriculture


Guide Outfitters Association
of BC

Federation of BC Naturalists
BC Ministry of Forests,
Lands & Natural Resource  Horse Council of BC
Ops
 Muskwa-Kechika
Management Area Advisory
 Bulkley Valley Cattleman's
Board
Association
 Skeena Stockman's
 Ministry of
Association
Transportation
Critical People

Amy Farella coordinator (NWIPC)

Adrian Petersen
NAWMA

Bob Drinkwater Contractor

Marc Schuffert FLNRO

Andrea Eastham
(NWIPC)

Elaine Armagost (PRRD)

Ken Siemens/Fern
Mertens (Forage
Producers)

Shelley Kirk (Min Agri)

Sonja Leverkus
(FLNRO)

Denise McLean (Min
Agri/FNLRO)

Keith Carroll (FLNRO)
Thank You!

Sonja Leverkus

Amy Farella

Denise McLean

Sandra Burton

Talon Johnson

NAMWA
“Mr.Osborne may I be excused?
My brain is full.”