Article 30.
Board of Crop Seed Improvement.
§ 106‑269.  Creation and purpose.
There is hereby created a Board of Crop Seed Improvement. It shall be the duty and function of this Board, in cooperation with the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, and the Seed Testing Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, to foster and promote the development and distribution of pure strains of crop seeds among the farmers of North Carolina.  (1929, c. 325, s. 1; 1955, c. 330, s. 1; 1997‑261, s. 109; 2024‑32, s. 20(a).)

§ 106‑270.  Board membership.
The Board of Crop Seed Improvement shall consist of the Commissioner of Agriculture, the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the President of the North Carolina Foundation Seed Producers Incorporated, and the Director of Research of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University, the Associate Dean of Agriculture Research of the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, the Head of the Seed and Fertilizer Section of the Plant Industry Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, and the President of the North Carolina Crop Improvement Association.  (1929, c. 325, s. 2; 1955, c. 330, s. 2; 1997‑261, s. 109; 2024‑32, s. 20(b).)

§ 106‑271.  Powers of Board.
The said Board shall have control, management and supervision of the production, distribution and certification of purebred crop seeds under the provisions of this Article. (1929, c. 325, s. 3.)

§ 106‑272.  Cooperation of other departments with Board; rules and regulations.
Insofar as any of the State departments or agencies shall have to do with the testing, development, production, certification and distribution of farm crop seeds, such departments or agencies shall actively cooperate with the said Board in carrying out the purposes of this Article. The said Board shall have authority to make, establish and promulgate all needful rules and regulations, for certification necessary for the proper exercise of the duties conferred upon said Board and for the carrying out the full purposes of this Article. (1929, c. 325, s. 4; 1983, c. 800, ss. 1, 2.)

§ 106‑273.  North Carolina Crop Improvement Association.
For the purpose of carrying out more fully the provisions of this Article and of fostering the development, certification and distribution of pure seeds the said Board shall have authority to promote the organization and incorporation of an association of farmers to be known as the North Carolina Crop Improvement Association, which said Association when so organized and incorporated shall, subject to the rules and regulations prescribed by said Board, adopt all necessary rules and regulations and collect from their members such fees as shall be necessary for the proper functioning of such organizations. (1929, c. 325, s. 5.)

§ 106‑274.  Certification of crop seeds.
For the purposes of this Article the certification of seed, tubers, plants, or plant parts hereunder shall be defined as being produced, conditioned, and distributed under the rules and regulations for certification. (1929, c. 325, s. 6; 1983, c. 800, s. 3.)

§ 106‑275.  False certification of purebred crop seeds made misdemeanor.
It shall be a Class 1 misdemeanor for any person, firm, association, or corporation, selling seeds, tubers, plants, or plant parts in North Carolina, to use any evidence of certification, such as a blue tag or the word "certified" or both, on any package of seed, tubers, plants, or plant parts, nor shall the word "certified" be used in any advertisement of seeds, tubers, plants, or plant parts, unless such commodities used for plant propagation shall have been duly inspected and certified by the agency of certification provided for in this Article, or by a similar legally constituted agency of another state or foreign country. (1933, c. 340, s. 1; 1993, c. 539, s. 757; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)

§ 106‑276.  Supervision of certification of crop seeds.
Certification of crop seeds shall be subject to the supervision of the Board of Crop Seed Improvement. The North Carolina Crop Improvement Association is recognized as the official agency for seed certification. (1929, c. 325, s. 7; 1955, c. 330, s. 3.)