"Department" means the department of agriculture of the state of Washington.
"Director" means the director of the department of agriculture or a duly appointed representative.
"Fairly clean" means that the roots are not matted or caked with dirt.
"Fairly fresh" means that the roots and petioles are not excessively wilted or otherwise damaged.
"Fairly well trimmed runners and petioles" means that the length of each runner and petiole is three inches or less.
"Firm" means that the crowns are not soft or spongy, although they may yield to slight pressure.
Free from damage by:
(a) "Sunburn" means that the roots are not damaged by sunburn or scald, but slight discoloration may be present.
(b) "Mold" means that the plants are free from excessive mold or decay. Plants slightly affected by mold may be allowed.
(c) "Freezing injury" means that the roots are of a normal color, and the plant is only moderately affected by discolored roots which may affect its normal growth. Black roots caused by disease are not permitted.
(d) "Broken or split crowns, mechanical injury" means there is no breaking or severance of the crown from the root section, or splitting of the crown, or other mechanical injury that would affect the normal growth of the plant.
"Index" means to test for virus infection by means of inoculation from the plant to be tested to an indicator plant, or by any other method accepted by the department.
"Indicator plant" means any herbaceous or woody plant used to index or test for virus infection.
"Moist" means that the plants are reasonably turgid and not dried to a degree that would affect normal growth.
"Nuclear stock" means strawberry plants that have been indexed and found free of known viruses and virus-like diseases by United States Department of Agriculture personnel or other personnel acceptable to the department. Nuclear plants must be reindexed for virus and virus-like diseases at least every three years and maintained under conditions that would ensure freedom from infection.
"Off-type" means appearing by visual examination to be different from the species or variety listed on the application or exhibiting symptoms of a genetic or nontransmissible disorder.
"Similar varietal characteristics" means that the plants have the same general character of growth.
"Tolerance" means the maximum acceptable percentage of planting stock that is diseased, infected by plant pests, defective, or off-type based on visual inspection or laboratory testing by the director or other authorized person.
"Virus-like" means a graft-transmissible disorder resembling a virus disease, including, but not limited to, diseases caused by viroids and phytoplasmas.
[Statutory Authority: Chapters
15.14 and
34.05 RCW. WSR 03-10-080, § 16-328-008, filed 5/6/03, effective 6/30/03. Statutory Authority: Chapter
15.14 RCW. WSR 00-19-034, § 16-328-008, filed 9/12/00, effective 10/13/00; WSR 87-13-016 (Order 1932), § 16-328-008, filed 6/9/87; Order 1216, § 16-328-008, filed 10/18/71, effective 11/18/71.]