The number of counts taken and the method of taking counts vary from crop to crop. For all crops, five counts are taken for an area up to 5 acres, and one additional count is taken for every additional 5 acres, as given below.
| Area of the field crops (ac) | No. of counts to be taken |
|---|---|
| 0–5 | 5 |
| 6–10 | 6 |
| 11–15 | 7 |
| 16–20 | 8 |
| 21–25 | 9 |
In any inspection, if the first set of counts shows that the seed crop does not conform to the prescribed standards for any factor, a second set of counts should be taken for that factor. However, when the first set of counts shows that a factor is more than twice the maximum permitted, it is not necessary to take a second set of counts. Two sets of counts are called double counts. Some crops produce tillers while others do not; some are planted narrowly while others are planted widely. Therefore, the number of plants or heads comprising a single count differs from crop to crop, as given below:
| Crop | No. of plants / heads per count |
|---|---|
| Bhendi, Brinjal, Bulbcrops, Capsicum, Castor, Chilli, Cole crops, Cotton, Cucurbits, Maize, Groundnut, Redgram, Tomato, Sunflower | 100 plants |
| Beans, Blackgram, Cowpea, Greengram, Peas, Rape, Mustard, Sesame, Safflower, Sunhemp | 500 plants |
| Berseem, Jute, Mesta, Soyabean | 1000 plants |
| Bajra, Barley, Millets, Oats, Paddy, Sorghum, Wheat | 1000 heads |
| Bags / Containers | Sampling Requirement |
|---|---|
| Up to 5 bags or containers | Sample every bag (minimum 5 primary samples) |
| 6 to 30 bags or containers | 1 sample for every 3 bags (min 5 samples) |
| 31 to 400 bags or containers | 1 sample every 5 bags (min 10 samples) |
| More than 400 bags or containers | 1 sample every 7 bags (min 80 samples) |
Note: Primary samples are combined to prepare a representative submitted sample to STL.
