Agricultural seeds sold, distributed, offered or exposed for sale, or transported for sale within or into this state shall be labeled to show the following information:

(1) The commonly accepted name of the kind and the variety, or kind and the phrase “variety not stated” for each agricultural seed present in excess of five percent (5%) of the whole and the percentage by weight of each in order of its predominance. When more than one (1) component is required to be named, the word “mixture” or the word “mixed” shall be shown conspicuously on the label. Hybrids shall be labeled as hybrids;

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 43-10-106

  • Agricultural seeds: includes the seeds of grass, forage, cereal, and fiber crops and other kinds of seeds commonly recognized within this state as agricultural seeds, lawn seeds, and mixture of such seeds, and may include noxious-weed seeds when the commissioner determines that such seed is being used as agricultural seed. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Germination: means the percentages by count of seeds under consideration, determined to be capable of producing normal seedlings in a given period of time and under normal conditions. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Inert matter: means all matter not seeds, and includes broken seeds, sterile florets, chaff, fungus bodies, and stones, determined by methods prescribed by rules and regulations promulgated pursuant to this part. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Kind: means one (1) or more related species or subspecies that singly or collectively are known by one (1) common name. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Lot: means a definite quantity of seed identified by a lot number or other identification, which shall be uniform within recognized tolerances for the factors that appear in the labeling. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Month: means a calendar month. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Origin: means the state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, possession of the United States or the foreign country where the seed was grown. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Other crop seeds: means seeds of kinds or varieties of agricultural or vegetable crops other than those shown on the label as the primary kind or kind and variety. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Person: includes any individual, partnership, corporation, company, society, association, or legal entity. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Variety: means a subdivision of a kind that is:
    (A) Distinct, in the sense that the variety clearly differs by one (1) or more identifiable, morphological, physiological or other characteristics, which may include those evidenced by processing or product characteristics. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Vegetable seeds: includes the seeds of those crops that are grown in gardens or truck farms and are generally known and sold under the name of vegetable seed in this state. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Weed seeds: means the seeds, bulblets, or tubers of all plants generally recognized as weeds within this state and includes noxious-weed seeds. See Tennessee Code 43-10-103
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(2) Lot number or other lot identifications;
(3) Net weight;
(4) Origin, if known. If the origin is unknown, the fact shall be stated;
(5) Percentage by weight of inert matter;
(6) Percentage by weight of agricultural seeds and/or vegetable seeds, which shall be designated as “other crop seeds,” other than those named on the label. Different varieties of the same kind of seed when in quantities of less than five percent (5%) will be considered as other crop seeds;
(7) Percentage by weight of all weed seeds, including noxious-weed seeds;
(8) For each named agricultural seed:

(A) Percentage of germination, exclusive of hard seed;
(B) Percentage of hard seed, if present;
(C) The calendar month and year the test was completed to determine such percentages;
(D) In addition to the individual percentage statement of germination and hard seed, the total percentage of germination and hard seed may be stated as such, if desired;
(9) The name and number per pound of each kind of restricted noxious-weed seed present; and
(10) The name and address of the person who labeled the seed, or who sells, offers or exposes the seed for sale within this state.
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