2006 Minnesota Statutes

21.81 DEFINITIONS.
    Subdivision 1. Scope. The terms used in sections 21.80 to 21.92 have the meanings given
them in this section.
    Subd. 2. Advertisement. "Advertisement" means any representation, other than on a label,
disseminated in any manner or by any means, relating to seed within the scope of sections 21.80
to 21.92.
    Subd. 3. Agricultural seeds. "Agricultural seeds" includes the seeds of grass, forage, cereal,
oil, fiber crops, seeds of vegetables grown for processing, and any other kinds of seeds commonly
recognized within this state as agricultural or field seeds, lawn seeds, or mixtures of those seeds,
and may include noxious weed seed when the commissioner determines that the seed is being
used as agricultural seed.
    Subd. 4. Blend. "Blend" means seed consisting of more than one variety of a kind, each in
excess of five percent of the whole.
    Subd. 5. Certified seed. "Certified seed" means certified, registered, or foundation seed, or
any other term conveying a similar meaning when referring to seed that has been produced,
conditioned, and labeled in compliance with the rules of an officially recognized seed certification
agency.
    Subd. 6. Commissioner. "Commissioner" means the commissioner of agriculture or an
authorized agent and may include a county agricultural inspector.
    Subd. 7. Conditioning. "Conditioning" means cleaning to remove chaff, sterile florets,
immature seeds, weed seeds, inert matter, and other crop seeds, scarifying, combining to obtain
uniform quality, or any other operation which would change the purity or germination of the seed
and require retesting to determine the quality of the seed. Conditioning does not include such
operations as packaging, labeling, combining uniform lots of the same kind or variety without
cleaning or preparing a mixture without cleaning, if it would not require retesting to determine the
quality of the seed.
    Subd. 7a. Dormant. "Dormant" means viable seed, exclusive of hard seed, that fail to
germinate under the specified germination conditions for the kind of seed.
    Subd. 8. Flower seeds. "Flower seeds" includes seeds of herbaceous plants grown for their
blooms, ornamental foliage, or other ornamental parts and commonly known and sold under the
name of flower seeds in this state. This does not include native or introduced wildflowers.
    Subd. 9. Genuine grower's declaration. A "genuine grower's declaration" is a statement
signed by the grower which gives for a lot of agricultural seed, the lot number, kind, variety, origin,
weight, year of production, date of shipment, and to whom it was sold, shipped, or delivered.
    Subd. 10. Germination. "Germination" means the percentage of seeds other than hard seeds
which are capable of producing normal seedlings under favorable growing conditions. Broken,
weak, diseased, malformed, or abnormal seedlings shall not be considered as having germinated.
    Subd. 10a. Hard seed. "Hard seed" means seeds that remain hard at the end of the prescribed
test period because they have not absorbed water due to an impermeable seed coat.
    Subd. 11. Hybrid. "Hybrid" when applied to kinds or varieties of seed means the first
generation seed of a cross produced by controlling the pollination and by combining (a) two or
more inbred lines; (b) one inbred or a single cross with an open pollinated variety; or (c) two
selected clones, seed lines, varieties, or species. "Controlling the pollination" means to use a
method of hybridization which will produce pure seed which is at least 75 percent hybrid seed.
The second generation or subsequent generations from these crosses are not hybrids. Hybrid
designations shall be treated as variety names.
    Subd. 11a. Inert matter. "Inert matter" means all matter that is not seed, including broken
seeds, sterile florets, chaff, fungus bodies, and stones as determined by methods defined by rule.
    Subd. 12. Initial labeler. "Initial labeler" means a person who is the first to label for sale
within this state an agricultural, vegetable, flower, tree, or shrub seed.
    Subd. 13. Kind. "Kind" means one or more related species or subspecies which singly or
collectively is known by one common name, such as wheat, oats, or sweet clover.
    Subd. 14. Label. "Label" includes a tag or other device attached to or written, stamped, or
printed on any container or accompanying any lot of bulk seeds purporting to set forth the kind
of seeds contained, or any other information relating to the labeled seed and includes invoices
under which any seed is imported into the state.
    Subd. 15. Lot. "Lot" means a definite quantity of seed identified by a lot number or other
mark, every portion or bag of which is uniform within recognized tolerances for the factors
which appear in the labeling.
    Subd. 16. Mixture. "Mixture" means seeds consisting of more than one kind, each in excess
of five percent of the whole.
    Subd. 16a. Native wildflower. "Native wildflower" means a kind, type, or variety of
wildflower derived from wildflowers that are indigenous to Minnesota and wildflowers that are
defined or designated as native species under chapter 84D.
    Subd. 17. Noxious weed seeds. "Noxious weed seeds" includes prohibited and restricted
noxious weed seeds.
    Subd. 17b. Origin. "Origin," for an indigenous stand of trees, means the area on which the
trees are growing and, for a nonindigenous stand, the place from which the seed or plants were
originally introduced. "Origin" for agricultural and vegetable seed is the area where the seed was
produced, and for native grasses and forbs, it is the area where the original seed was harvested.
    Subd. 17c. Other crop seed. "Other crop seed" means seed of plants grown as crops, other
than the variety included in the pure seed, as determined by methods defined by rule.
    Subd. 17d. Person. "Person" means an individual, firm, corporation, partnership, association,
trust, joint stock company, or unincorporated organization; the state, a state agency, or a political
subdivision.
    Subd. 18.[Repealed, 1996 c 310 s 1]
    Subd. 19. Prohibited noxious weed seeds. "Prohibited noxious weed seeds" are those
weed seeds which are prohibited from being present in any agricultural, vegetable, flower, tree
or shrub seed. They are the seeds of weeds which are highly destructive and difficult to control
by good cultural practices or by the use of herbicides. They not only reproduce by seed but also
may spread by underground reproductive parts such as roots and rootstocks and aboveground
reproductive parts such as runners and stolons.
    Subd. 20. Pure live seed. "Pure live seed" means the product of the percent germination
multiplied by the percent pure seed divided by 100 percent.
    Subd. 21. Pure seed. "Pure seed" means seed exclusive of inert matter and all other seeds not
of the kind of seed being considered as defined by the rules for testing seeds of the Association
of Official Seed Analysts.
    Subd. 22. Record. "Record" includes all information relating to seed shipments and includes
a file sample of each lot of seed. For tree and shrub seed, the record includes all documents
regarding statement of origin and elevation where the seed originated.
    Subd. 23. Restricted noxious weed seeds. "Restricted noxious weed seeds" are those weed
seeds which, if present in agricultural, vegetable, flower, tree or shrub seed, shall be named on the
label together with the number per pound of seed specified and which shall not exceed the legal
limit. They are seeds of weeds which are objectionable in fields, lawns, and gardens of this state
and can be controlled by good cultural practice and use of herbicides.
    Subd. 24. Screenings. "Screenings" means chaff, sterile florets, immature seed, weed seeds,
inert matter, and other material removed from seed in any kind of conditioning and which contains
less than 25 percent by weight of live agricultural or vegetable seed.
    Subd. 25. Seizure. "Seizure" means a legal process carried out by a court order against
a definite amount of seed.
    Subd. 26. Sell. "Sell," when applying to agricultural, vegetable, flower, tree or shrub seed,
and seed samples, includes:
(a) selling or transferring ownership;
(b) offering and exposing for sale, exchange, distribution, giving away, and transportation
in or into this state;
(c) having in possession with intent to sell, exchange, distribute, give away, or transport
in or into this state;
(d) storing, carrying, and handling in aid of traffic in seeds, whether done in person or
through an agent, employee, or other person; and
(e) receiving, accepting, and holding on consignment for sale.
    Subd. 27. Stop sale. "Stop sale" means an administrative order restraining the sale, use,
disposition, and movement of a definite amount of seed.
    Subd. 28. Treated. "Treated" means that the seed has received an application of a substance
or that it has been subjected to a process for which a claim is made.
    Subd. 29. Tree and shrub seeds. "Tree and shrub seeds" includes seeds of woody plants
commonly known and sold as tree and shrub seeds in this state.
    Subd. 30. Tree seed collector's declaration. A "tree seed collector's declaration" is a
statement signed by a grower or person having knowledge of the place of collection which
gives for a lot of seed: the lot number, common or scientific name of the species, subspecies if
appropriate, origin, elevation, and quantity of tree and shrub seed.
    Subd. 31. Type. "Type" means a group of varieties so nearly similar that individual varieties
cannot be clearly differentiated except under special conditions.
    Subd. 32. Vegetable seeds. "Vegetable seeds" includes the seeds of those crops which
are grown in gardens and on truck farms that are generally known and sold under the name of
vegetable or herb seeds in this state.
    Subd. 33. Variety. "Variety" means a subdivision of a kind characterized by growth, yield,
plant, fruit, seed, or other characteristics by which it can be differentiated from other plants of
the same kind.
    Subd. 34. Weed seeds. "Weed seeds" includes the seeds of all plants generally recognized as
weeds within this state, including noxious weed seeds.
History: 1983 c 293 s 40; 1986 c 444; 2003 c 128 art 8 s 1-8