ISO 20408:2017

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 20408
First edition
2017-01
Traditional Chinese medicine — Panax
notoginseng seeds and seedlings
Médecine traditionnelle chinoise — Graines et plants de Panax
notoginseng
Reference number
©
ISO 2017
© ISO 2017, Published in Switzerland
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ii © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

Contents Page
Foreword .iv
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Descriptions . 3
4.1 Panax notoginseng seed . 3
4.2 Panax notoginseng seedling . 4
5 Requirements . 5
5.1 General characteristics . 5
5.2 Panax notoginseng seed . 5
5.2.1 Morphological features of seed . 5
5.2.2 Moisture . 5
5.2.3 Purity . 6
5.2.4 Viability . 6
5.2.5 Maturity . 6
5.2.6 Fungi . 6
5.2.7 1 000-seed weight, seed width, seed thickness and seed length . 6
5.3 Panax notoginseng seedling . 6
5.3.1 Morphological features of seedling . 6
5.3.2 Fungi . 6
5.3.3 Nematode . 6
5.3.4 Seedling weight . 7
6 Sampling . 7
6.1 Seed sampling . 7
6.2 Seedling sampling . 7
7 Test methods . 7
7.1 Moisture content . 7
7.2 Seed width . 7
7.3 Seed thickness . 7
7.4 Seed length . 8
7.5 Maturity . 8
7.6 Purity . 8
7.7 Seed viability. 8
7.8 1 000-seed weight . 8
7.9 Fungi testing . 8
7.9.1 Preparation of seeds . 8
7.9.2 Preparation of seedlings . 8
7.9.3 Alternaria spp. testing . 9
7.9.4 Fusarium spp. testing . 9
7.10 Nematode testing . 9
7.11 Seedling weight . 9
7.12 Seedling diameter . 9
7.13 Hibernaculum diameter . 9
8 Test report . 9
9 Packaging, storage and transportation .10
10 Marking .10
Bibliography .11
Foreword
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The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 249, Traditional Chinese medicine.
iv © ISO 2017 – All rights reserved

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 20408:2017(E)
Traditional Chinese medicine — Panax notoginseng seeds
and seedlings
1 Scope
This document specifies minimum requirements and test methods for seeds and seedlings of Panax
notoginseng (Burk.) F. H. Chen. It is suitable for marketing of cultivated Panax notoginseng seeds and
seedlings. It is also suitable to be used for quality assurance by cultivators of Panax notoginseng.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
International Seed Testing Association (ISTA): 2016, International Rules for Seed Testing
International Seed Testing Association (ISTA): 2003, Working Sheets on Tetrazolium testing
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— IEC Electropedia: available at http:// www .electropedia .org/
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http:// www .iso .org/ obp
3.1
1 000-seed weight
average weight of every 1 000 pure seeds of a test sample (3.19)
3.2
composite sample
portion formed by combining and mixing all the primary samples (3.8) taken from the lot (3.6)
3.3
foreign matter
parts of Panax notoginseng seeds (3.11) or seedlings (3.15) other than those named with the limits
specified for the herbal materials concerned
Note 1 to entry: Foreign matter is any organism, part or product of an organism, other than that named in the
specification and description of Panax notoginseng seeds or seedlings.
Note 2 to entry: Foreign matter is mineral admixtures not adhering to Panax notoginseng seeds or seedlings, such
as soil, stones, sand and dust.
3.4
hibernaculum
hibernated bud with bud scales
3.5
hibernaculum diameter
largest distance at the site of the hibernaculum (3.4)
Note 1 to entry: See Figure 2.
Note 2 to entry: It is expressed in centimetres.
3.6
lot
specified quantity of seeds (3.11) or seedlings (3.15) that is physically and uniquely identifiable
3.7
maturity
percentage of mature seeds, determined by number, in the test sample (3.19)
3.8
primary sample
portion taken from the lot (3.6) during one si
...