TDA Continues Voluntary Wheat
Seed Testing For Karnal Bunt

AUSTIN — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs announced last week that the Texas Department of Agriculture will continue its voluntary program for producers and storage facility managers to have their 2002 wheat seed tested for Karnal bunt.

The program, which was first offered last year, applies only to wheat seed produced and stored in non-regulated Texas counties.

"Planting is right around the corner, and wheat farmers and seed owners should start testing now to help prevent the spread of this disease. Producers need to know they have good seed before planting next season’s wheat crop," Combs said. "In addition, Texas wheat seed sold in Kansas and Oklahoma requires a phytosanitary certificate declaring the seed to be free of Karnal bunt."

There are two options available for testing both treated and untreated wheat seed.

Owners of the seed may collect a four pound representative "service sample" from a seed lot and send it in a secure container by overnight mail to Dr. Charles Rush, Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, 2301 Experiment Station Road, Bushland, Texas 79012. The service sample must be double-bagged in clean one-gallon plastic zipper bags. A tag giving seed lot number and description, physical address of the lot and name and telephone number of the sender must accompany the sample. The cost is $50 per sample, payable to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. A phytosanitary certificate cannot be issued for service samples.

Seed owners needing a phytosanitary certificate should contact Kelly Book, TDA’s Seed Quality branch chief. TDA inspectors will collect official samples for analysis. If the sample is negative, TDA will issue the certificate.

A fee of $25 payable to the Texas Department of Agriculture is required when the certificate is issued. A laboratory analysis fee of $50 per sample, payable to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, must also be sent to the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Bushland.

Any seed testing positive for Karnal bunt spores cannot be planted and must be used for grain. The samples will be further examined for bunted kernels. If bunted kernels are found, the U.S. Department of Agriculture may quarantine the facility and a portion of the county.

There is mandatory testing by USDA for wheat seed produced in regulated counties – Archer, Baylor, Throckmorton, Young and portions of San Saba and McCulloch. Seed testing free of Karnal bunt spores can be planted within these counties. If spores are present, the seed must be used as grain, and movement of the grain is restricted if bunted kernels are present.

More information is available from Kelly Book, TDA’s branch chief for seed quality, at (512) 463-7136. There is also additional information available on TDA’s website at www.agr.state.tx.us.