Amended 6-22-15

Brown Rice Greenhouse Import Protocol

This protocol provides for the limited importation of de-hulled brown rice to California for the purposes of propagation under the conditions specified below. A copy of the protocol identifying contents and specific compliance with the conditions shall accompany shipments.

1.  De-hulled brown rice shall be selected from disease-free and pest-free sources; be free of federal noxious weeds and soil; securely packaged to prevent loss in transit; and sent to the destination facilities.

2.  De-hulled brown rice shall be packaged and safeguarded sufficiently to maintain isolation from the domestic environment during transportation.

3.  Introductions shall not exceed more than 200 accessions, weighing no more than 50 grams each per month.

4.  Fungicidal or insecticidal dusts, powders, and slurries shall not be applied before shipment.

5.  Prior to use, de-hulled brown rice shall be labeled "Quarantined material” and is to be stored in a locked cabinet or other secure place to prevent pilferage and unauthorized use.

6.  De-hulled brown rice shall be surfaced sterilized with a 0.525 percent sodium hypochlorite solution or an equally effective sterilant and all seed surfaces are thoroughly covered with the applied material.

7.  De-hulled brown rice shall be germinated in one of the following manners:

  1. rinsed and plated on Potato Dextrose Agar and observed for microbial growth for 7 days at 25°C under fluorescent lights. Contaminated de-hulled brown rice or diseased seedlings shall be destroyed by incineration or autoclaving.
  2. germinated on blotters moistened with water and enclosed in containers capable of transmitting light, such as glass or plastic culture plates. The seeds should be equidistant from each other and there should be no more than 20 seeds per 9 cm. culture plate. The plants should be incubated under near ultra violet light or fluorescent light with a dark/light cycle of 12 hours. The incubation temperature should be 20/-2 degrees C. The germinated seeds should be examined periodically in culture over a period of 8 days. Contaminated de-hulled brown rice or diseased seedlings shall be destroyed by incineration or autoclaving.

8.  Germinated de-hulled brown rice from step 7 (a)(b) shall be planted and grown in a greenhouse for a minimum of 40 days.

9.  Mother plants shall be inspected by a pathologist approved by the Committee.

10.  Plants showing disease symptoms shall be destroyed and removed from the greenhouse.

11.  Plants showing characteristics of propagating by rhizomes or shattering of seed heads shall be removed from the greenhouse and sterilized in an autoclave.

12.  De-hulled brown rice and plants derived from it shall be considered under quarantine and shall not be removed from the designated location.

13.  Greenhouses where work is performed with plant materials shall be inspected by a county agricultural commissioner.

14.  All vegetative parts of the plants and the medium in which they grew shall be destroyed by incineration or autoclaving.

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