disinfecting seeds - was Import permits

Richard, as a Master Gardener, I agree whole heartedly with your
suggestions.
Karl Church
Dinuba, CA
Zone 9a
On Feb 23, 2013 9:40 AM, "Richard" <richrd@nas.com> wrote:

Gastil

I usually weigh in on this issue now and then because I am concerned the
regulatory system has holes as large as the current gun control debate.
Seriously, I would not accept bulbs or live plant material from California
regions flagged with Sudden Oak Death, unless is certified clean. I had a
conversation at the Berkley get together that left me gasping. A couple
growing and distributing bulbs that had their rhododendrons die.

I have received seed from overseas shipped 'under the radar' that included
large pieces of debris and also from the exchanges. We were briefed by
APHIS in spring 2012 and I asked directly about moving seed around. They
are not concerned about clean seed but were about debris. However in some
species there are seed borne diseases ie smut in grains etc, so some
research is advised. In context of sudden oak death APHIS is not concerned.
However since we collect seed from wild, California to Montana to
Washington we are very careful how we handle our seed cleaning debris.
Ours, including fruit pulp all goes to the burn pile. Liquids are washed
into a septic system.

Once the seed is clean a chlorox wash then water rince, would be a wise
practice. For some of our seed going into stratification we dip in captan
and ridomil to eliminate molds during strat. This works very good. If the
seed is clean and no signs of soil or vegetative debris I would go ahead
and sow if it is local seed.

Richard Haard, Propagation Manager
Fourth Corner Nurseries
5652 Sand Road
Bellingham, Washington, 98226.
360 592 2250
cell 360 201 5174
http://fourthcornernurseries.com/index.html

On Feb 23, 2013, at 8:51 AM, "M. Gastil-Buhl" <gastil.buhl@gmail.com>
wrote:

Hi Richard,

I took what you wrote to heart. Your precautions for your nursery
sound wise.
You wrote "let the regulatory system function."

My intention in writing to pbs about import permits was to encourage
people to play the game by the rules, to get a permit.
I am so sorry if what I wrote implied I was suggesting anyone bypass
the regulatory system.
Of the 3 orders I have imported, all 3 got to me without any apparent
miss-handling.
The most recent was mailed from South Africa on Feb 4 and arrived at
my door Feb 18, having been forwarded from the Plant Inspection
Station in San Diego.

The imported seeds are subject to inspection for prohibited species.
And I certainly do not want my neighbors to import an Oxalis pes-
caprae that sets seeds, for example.

But maybe the biggest danger is from the smallest organisms, microbes.
You mention taking care to dispose of the "debris collected in the
seed cleaning process".
But I guess that microbes on pods or chaff may have already inoculated
the seeds.
I wonder if perhaps I should request the seeds be treated prior to
export, when that is available.
Would you recommend treatment of seeds upon receipt with a dry
fungicide powder?
Or would a brief bleach soak and rinse just prior to sowing be
sufficient?
Or is that unnecessary?

- Gastil

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