WAC 16-354-020   Field standards for registered mother blocks.  (1) Certified stock may be produced only from foundation stock or registered mother blocks. In order to be a registered mother block, a proposed hop planting site must meet all of the following requirements:

     (a) The site must be inspected and approved by the department during the growing season immediately prior to planting. An exception may be made to allow inspection and planting during the same growing season, if exclusively greenhouse grown certified plants are planted on or after August 15th.

     (b) The site must have been out of hop production, and all poles and trellis removed, for a minimum of three full growing seasons prior to planting.

     (c) The site must be entirely free of residual hop plants or hop hullings.

     (d) The site must be separated from any other hop plants by a strip of land at least twenty-one feet wide.

     (2) A registered mother block must consist of no more than one hop variety or strain.

     (3) Registered mother blocks of different varieties or strains must be separated at all points by a strip of land at least twenty-one feet wide and free of hop plants.

     (4) Any material planted in a registered mother block must comply with at least one of the following requirements:

     (a) Foundation rootstock produced by Washington State University;

     (b) Rootstock from another registered mother block;

     (c) Growing plants or cuttings from foundation mother plants grown by Washington State University; or

     (d) Growing plants or cuttings from another registered mother block.

     (5) Plant material, including rootstock and plants described in subsection (4) of this section, may be moved from one registered mother block to another registered mother block site only after appropriate testing by a Washington State University plant pathologist and written approval by the department.

     (6) A registered mother block must be kept free of hop hullings at all times.

     (7) No registered mother block location may retain certification for more than:

     (a) Four consecutive growing seasons, if the registered mother block was produced from rootstock; or

     (b) Five consecutive growing seasons, if the registered mother block was produced from cuttings or growing plants.

     (8) If a male plant or pollinated female plant is found during any inspection, the grower may harvest certified planting stock from the registered mother block for the subsequent harvest only. After this harvest, the registered mother block site must be decertified.

     (9) Plant pests and weeds must be effectively controlled.

     (10) Growers shall rogue (i.e., dig and remove) and immediately destroy all male, diseased, unhealthy appearing or otherwise abnormal plants.



[Statutory Authority: Chapters 15.14 and 34.05 RCW. 09-18-115, § 16-354-020, filed 9/2/09, effective 10/3/09. Statutory Authority: Chapter 15.14 RCW. 98-09-049, § 16-354-020, filed 4/15/98, effective 5/16/98; 93-17-019 (Order 5000), § 16-354-020, filed 8/10/93, effective 9/10/93. Statutory Authority: Chapters 15.14 and 17.24 RCW. 91-08-016 (Order 2077), § 16-354-020, filed 3/27/91, effective 4/27/91. Statutory Authority: Chapter 15.14 RCW. 85-15-046 (Order 1867), § 16-354-020, filed 7/16/85; 79-06-038 (Order 1631), § 16-354-020, filed 5/17/79; Order 1264, § 16-354-020, filed 5/10/72; Order 1023, Regulation II, filed 6/16/66; Order 996, Regulation II, filed 11/30/65; Order 947, Regulation II, filed 4/13/64.]