State of Oregon: Seed Regulatory Program - Quality Tag Certification

The Commodity Inspection Program administers Oregon's sod quality seed and endophyte forage free seed tagging programs. Annually, more than 380,000 tags are issued to certify seed is free of endophyte fungus or verify that grass seed meets Oregon sod quality seed standards. Both programs are used as marketing tools to increase the market price of Oregon seed.

Kind	Minimum purity	Minimum germination	*Maximum 1 other crop**	*Maximum 5 weed**
Perennial ryegrass	98 %	90 %	0.10 % *2	0.02 %
Marion Kentucky bluegrass	95 %	80 %	0.10 % *3	0.02 %
Other varieties of bluegrass	97 %	80 %	0.10 % *3	0.02 %
Red fescue	98 %	90 %	0.10 %	0.02 %
Chewings fescue	98 %	90 %	0.10 %	0.02 %
Hard fescue	98 %	85 %	0.10 %	0.02 %
Sheep fescue	98 %	85 %	0.10 %	0.02%
Blue fescue	98 %	85 %	0.10 %	0.02 %
Bentgrass	98 %	85 %	0.10 % *4	0.10 %
Tall fescue	98.5 %	85 %	0.10 %	0.02 %

Must be free of ryegrass, orchardgrass, timothy, bentgrass, big bluegrass, poa trivialis, smooth bromegrass, reed canary grass, tall fescue, and clover. When the base sample is one of these kinds, the species will not be considered a contaminant (e.g. ryegrass in ryegrass).
Certification fluorescence levels and appropriate calculation will be applied when determining levels of other crop.
Maximum other varieties of Kentucky bluegrass allowed is 2%. Maximum allowed Canada bluegrass is 0.02%.
A 500-seed count will be used to determine other species of Agrostis.
Must be free of: dock, Rumex spp.; chickweed, Cerastium spp. or Stelloria media; crabgrass, Digitaria spp.; plantain, Plantago spp.; black medic, Medicago lupulina; annual bluegrass, Poa annua; velvetgrass, Holcus spp.; downy brome, Bromus tectorum, and other all-state noxious weed seeds, except Hawaii.

Resources

Oregon Administrative Rule 603-056-145: Standards for Sod Quality Certification

OAR 603-056-145