Drill/Planter Clean Out Procedure

Planter must be thoroughly cleaned out and inspected prior to planting Identity Preserved (IP) and organic crops.  This must be done regardless if the grower uses their own equipment or hires a custom planter.  Planter cleaning procedures are as follows:

Ø      Empty drill/planter boxes and remove any caked-on deposits

Ø      Blow out or wash out trapped grain from boxes.

Ø      Open feed cup gates to drain any trapped grain.

Ø      Vacuum any trapped grain from the drill box

Ø      Use compressed air to blow out seed tube and seed boots

Ø      If air is not available then lightly tap seed tube to free any trapped grain

Grower should endeavor to plant IP and organic crop before planter is used on other crops.  IP and organic seed bags should be stored separately from other seed prior to planting.

Growers should detail cleaning procedure used and sign this document to authenticate that they have implemented the procedures described. 

Approved isolation distances for the IP and organic crop must be observed.  A soybean crop is required to be at least three meters apart from another soybean crop and another pulse crop.   

Ø      Growers should endeavor to leave a minimum one-meter isolation distance between an IP and organic field and fields of crops that do not require the three-meter isolation.

Ø      Proper isolation distances should be documented at time of field inspection

Grower must have records of previous crops grown on IP and organic crop field.

Ø      Grower should keep detailed field maps and history of crops grown.

Ø      Grower must be able to provide a written history of previous crop.