The Soft Fruit Plants (Scotland) Order 1991

Article 4(3)

SCHEDULE 2CERTIFICATION OF RASPBERRY PLANTS

PART IFOUNDATION GRADE

1.  Raspberry plants of the Foundation grade (F) shall–

(a)be derived directly from virus-tested nuclear stock from a source approved by the Secretary of State;

(b)be plants which have been kept free from raspberry virus and raspberry Root Rot disease (Phytophthora megasperma) during propagation period and which have been grown during the said propagation period by a person whose facilities and planting arrangements are acceptable to the Secretary of State;

(c)be grown in virus-vector proof conditions throughout the propagation period;

(d)be kept completely separate by virus-vector proof material from all plants not eligible for certification;

(e)be kept isolated from soil and risk of infection from raspberry Root Rot disease, and contamination by strawberry Red Core disease, (Phytophthora fragariae), Wart Disease of potatoes or Potato Cyst Nematode;

(f)be grown in soil free medium;

(g)be subject to an effective spray programme to control pests and diseases throughout the propagation period;

(h)be inspected twice during the growing season by inspectors;

(i)be clearly labelled by variety and clone;

(j)be true to type.

2.  The standards of purity and health for Foundation grade raspberry plants shall be–

• Purity: 100%

• Health: 100% free from pests and diseases.

PART IISUPER ELITE GRADE

3.  Raspberry plants of the Super Elite grade (SE) shall–

(a)(i)be derived from stock certified at Foundation grade during season prior to planting; or

(ii)have an` unbroken history of certification at Super Elite grade or higher;

(b)be eligible for certification at Super Elite grade for four generations only with daughter stocks being treated as part of the parent stock;

(c)be grown in spawn-beds not more than four years old;

(d)be grown on land which has been inspected and approved by the Secretary of State as suitable for the certification of raspberries at Super Elite grade;

(e)be grown in the year entered for certification by a person whose facilities and planting arrangements are acceptable to the Secretary of State;

(f)not be grown on land on which raspberry Root Rot disease (Phytophthora megasperma) or strawberry Red Core disease (Phytophthora fragariae) has been known to occur or be present in the vicinity;

(g)not be grown on land which is subject to a Notice served or continued under the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1987 in respect of inspection by Wart Disease of potatoes or Potato Cyst Nematode;

(h)not be grown on land on which raspberries have previously been grown;

(i)not be grown on holdings where raspberry fruit production takes place;

(j)be grown in spawn-beds with “alleyways” provided at 1.25 metre intervals to facilitate inspection;

(k)be inspected twice during the growing season by inspectors;

(l)be kept at all times in the year of certification–

(i)at least 4 metres from different varieties of the same or other generations eligible for Super Elite certification including daughter stocks;

(ii)at least 100 metres from raspberry stocks entered for Elite grade certification;

(iii)at least 250 metres from wild raspberries, brambles and other Rubus species or varieties;

(iv)at least 250 metres from small fruiting plantations of Rubus in private gardens;

(v)at least 250 metres from raspberry spawn-beds entered for Standard certification;

(vi)at least 1,000 metres from commercial fruiting plantations of Rubus eg raspberry, bramble or Tayberry;

(m)be kept free from flowering canes at all times except in the case of autumn fruiting varieties;

(n)be kept free from aphid infestation by a suitable spray programme;

(o)not be rogued prior to the first inspection;

(p)be rogued subsequent to the first inspection only at the discretion of the inspector;

(q)be clearly labelled by variety;

(r)be true to type;

(s)be kept in a reasonable state of cultivation.

4.  The standards of purity and health for Super Elite grade raspberry plants shall be–

• Purity: 100%.

• Health:

  (a)

  100% free from raspberry Root Rot disease;

  (b)

  100% free from visible symptoms of virus diseases;

  (c)

  substantially free from other pests and diseases.

PART IIIELITE GRADE

5.  Raspberry plants of the Elite grade (E) shall–

(a)(i)be derived from stock certified at Super Elite grade or higher during the season prior to planting; or

(ii)have an unbroken history of certification at Elite grade or higher; or

(iii)be any other approved stock;

(b)be eligible for certification at Elite grade for four generations only with daughter stocks being treated as part of the parent stock;

(c)be grown in spawn-beds not more than four years old;

(d)be grown in the year entered for certification by a person whose facilities and planting arrangements are acceptable to the Secretary of State;

(e)not be grown on land on which raspberry Root Rot disease (Phytophthora megasperma) or strawberry Red Core disease (Phytophthora fragariae) has been known to occur or be present in the vicinity;

(f)not be grown on land which is subject to a Notice served or continued under the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1987 in respect of infection by Wart Disease of potatoes or Potato Cyst Nematode;

(g)be grown in spawn-beds with “alleyways” provided at 2.5 metre intervals to facilitate inspection;

(h)be inspected twice during the growing season by inspectors;

(i)be kept at all times in the year of certification–

(i)at least 4 metres from different varieties and stocks eligible for Elite certification including daughter stocks;

(ii)at least 100 metres from commercial fruiting plantations of Rubus e.g. raspberry, bramble or Tayberry;

(iii)at least 100 metres from raspberry spawn-beds entered for Standard certification;

(iv)at least 100 metres from wild raspberries, brambles and other Rubus species or varieties;

(v)at least 100 metres from any strawberry stock infected with soil-borne virus to which the variety entered for inspection is susceptible;

(j)be kept free from flowering canes at all times except in the case of autumn fruiting varieties;

(k)be kept free from aphid infestation by a suitable spray programme;

(l)not be rogued prior to the first inspection;

(m)be rogued subsequent to the first inspection only at the discretion of the inspector;

(n)be clearly labelled by variety;

(o)be true to type;

(p)be kept in a reasonable state of cultivation.

6.  The standards of purity and health for Elite grade raspberry plants shall be–

• Purity: 100%

• Health:

  (a)

  100% free from raspberry Root Rot disease;

  (b)

  100% free from Rubus Stunt and soil borne virus diseases;

  (c)

  99.5% free from visible symptoms of other virus diseases;

  (d)

  substantially free from other pests and diseases.

PART IVSTANDARD GRADE

7.  Raspberry plants of the Standard grade (S) shall–

(a)(i)be derived from stock certified at Elite grade or higher during the season prior to planting; or

(ii)have an unbroken history of certification at Standard grade or higher; or

(iii)be any other approved stock;

(b)be eligible for certification at Standard grade for four years only;

(c)be grown in spawn-beds not more than four years old;

(d)be grown in the year entered for certification by a person whose facilities and planting arrangements are acceptable to the Secretary of State;

(e)not be grown on land on which raspberry Root Rot disease (Phytophthora megasperma) or strawberry Red Core disease (Phytophthora fragariae) has been known to occur or be present in the vicinity;

(f)not be grown on land which is subject to a Notice served or continued under the Plant Health (Great Britain) Order 1987 in respect of infection by Wart Disease of potatoes or Potato Cyst Nematode;

(g)be grown in spawn-beds with “alleyways” provided at 2.5 metre intervals to facilitate inspection;

(h)be kept at all times in the year of certification–

(i)at least 4 metres from any other raspberry stock or plantation;

(ii)at least 4 metres from wild raspberries, brambles and other Rubus species or varieties;

(iii)at least 20 metres from any raspberry stock or other Rubus species or variety infected with Rubus Stunt;

(iv)at least 20 metres from any stock of raspberry or stra wberry infected with a soil-borne virus to which the variety entered is susceptible;

(v)at least 20 metres from any raspberry stock, wild raspberries, brambles or other Rubus species or variety severely infected with any other discernible virus infection;

(i)be inspected twice during the growing season by inspectors;

(j)be kept free from aphid infestation by a suitable spray programme;

(k)be clearly labelled by variety;

(l)not be excessively rogued prior to inspection;

(m)be true to type;

(n)be kept in a reasonable state of cultivation.

8.  The standards of purity and health for Standard grade raspberry plants shall be–

• Purity: 99.5%

• Health:

  (a)

  100% free from raspberry Root Rot disease;

  (b)

  100% free from Rubus Stunt and soil-borne virus diseases;

  (c)

  98% free from visible symptoms of other virus diseases;

  (d)

  reasonably free from other pests and diseases.