WAC 16-322-015   Requirements for the production of registered and certified mint rootstock.  (1) Planting sites for production of certified or registered mint planting stock must be inspected and approved by the department at least thirty days prior to planting. At a minimum, land for a planting site must fulfill all of the following conditions:

     (a) It must not have grown mint previously;

     (b) It must be free of noxious weeds;

     (c) It must be at least five thousand feet from any field infested with verticillium wilt of mint; and

     (d) It must be at least one thousand feet from any mint field not of equal standard.

     (2) In all cases where adjoining fields are planted with different species or varieties of mint, the fields must be separated by a minimum of twenty feet to prevent mechanical mixing during harvesting and transport of mint planting stock.

     (3) Soil borne insects, noxious weeds and nematodes must be controlled.

     (4) Fields must be free of off-type mint plants.

     (5) Roguing certified or registered mint fields without permission of the department is prohibited.

     (6) Hay from registered planting stock fields may be harvested for oil if the harvesting equipment is sterilized prior to entry into the registered field by steam cleaning or by other methods approved by the department.

     (7) All sanitation methods and procedures must be approved by the department.

     (8) All sources of water used to irrigate certified or registered planting stock fields must be approved by the department.

     (9) Harvesting equipment must be sterilized by steam cleaning, or other approved methods before being used on another lot or farm.



[Statutory Authority: Chapter 15.14 RCW. 00-23-095, § 16-322-015, filed 11/21/00, effective 12/22/00; 85-15-017 (Order 1865), § 16-322-015, filed 7/8/85; Order 1087, § 16-322-015, filed 4/24/68, effective 5/24/68; Order 1017, Regulation 2, filed 5/20/66; Order 952, Regulation 2, filed 7/17/64; Order 888, Regulation 2, filed 6/4/62.]