When used in this article, the following terms shall have the following meanings, respectively, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:

(1) PERSON. An individual, partnership, corporation, company, society, association or agency.

(2) AGRICULTURAL SEED. The seeds of grasses, forage, cereal and fiber crops and any other kinds of seeds commonly recognized within this state as agricultural or field seeds and mixtures of such seeds.

(3) VEGETABLE SEED. The seeds of those crops which are grown in gardens or on truck farms and are generally known and sold under the name of vegetable seeds in this state.

(4) FLOWER SEED. The seeds of all plants grown for ornamental purposes, either for domestic or commercial purposes, and which are generally known and sold under the name of flower seed in this state.

(5) TREE AND SHRUB SEED. The seeds of woody plants commonly known and sold as tree or shrub seeds in this state.

(6) WEED SEEDS. The seeds, bulblets and tubers of all plants generally recognized as weeds within this state, including noxious weed seeds, bulblets and tubers.

(7) NOXIOUS WEED SEED.

a. Prohibited noxious weeds.

b. Restricted noxious weeds.

The State Board of Agriculture and Industries by rules and regulations adopted under authority of this article is authorized to designate noxious weeds which shall be prohibited and noxious weeds which shall be restricted after public hearing indicates such prohibitions or restrictions are for the best interest of Alabama agriculture. Seed containing noxious weeds designated by the State Board of Agriculture and Industries as prohibited shall not be sold or offered for sale, and seed containing noxious weeds designated as restricted may be sold or offered for sale under limitations established by the board.

(8) OTHER CROP SEED. The seed of all kinds or varieties of agricultural or vegetable seeds not of the kind or variety declared on the label or tag.

(9) INERT MATTER. All matter not seeds, including, among others, broken seeds, sterile florets, chaff, fungus bodies and stones, etc.

(10) PURE SEED. The seed of the kind or kind and variety of agricultural, tree, shrub or vegetable seed declared on the label or tag.

(11) KIND. One or more related species or subspecies which singly or collectively are known by one common name, for example, wheat, oat, vetch, sweet clover, cabbage, cauliflower, etc.

(12) VARIETY. A subdivision of a kind which is characterized by growth, plant, fruit, seed, period of maturation or other characters by which it can be differentiated from other sorts of the same kind, for example, Redhart wheat, Flat Dutch cabbage, Otootan soybeans, Chantenay carrot, etc.

(13) GERMINATION. The percentage of seeds capable of producing normal seedlings under ordinarily favorable conditions (not including seeds which produce weak, malformed or obviously abnormal sprouts nor hard seeds).

(14) HARD SEEDS. The percentage of seeds which because of hardness or impermeability do not absorb moisture or germinate under prescribed tests but remain hard during the period prescribed for germination of the kind of seed concerned.

(15) MIXTURE. Seed consisting of more than one kind or variety, each present in excess of 5 percent of the whole.

(16) DEALER. Any person who buys and sells seed in Alabama. An itinerant trucker who buys seed and sells or delivers them in Alabama shall be deemed to be a dealer and shall be subject to the requirements of this article.

(17) LOT OF SEED. A definite quantity of seed identified by a lot number, every portion or bag of which is uniform, within permitted tolerances, for the factors which appear in the labeling.

(18) CERTIFIED SEED and REGISTERED SEED. Seed that have been produced and labeled in accordance with the procedure and in compliance with the rules and regulations of an officially recognized seed-certifying agency.

(19) HYBRID SEED CORN. The first generation seed of a cross produced by controlling the pollination and by combining two, three or four inbred lines or by combining one inbred line or a single cross with an open-pollinated variety. Hybrid designations shall be treated as variety names. As used in this subdivision, the term inbred means a pure live strain that has been self-pollinated for not less than three generations.

(20) ORIGIN or WHERE GROWN. The state, if grown in the United States, or country or province, if grown outside the continental United States.

(21) LABELING. All labels and other written, printed or graphic representations in any form whatsoever accompanying and pertaining to any seed, whether in bulk or in containers, and such term includes invoices and other bills of shipment.

(22) ADVERTISEMENT. All representations, other than those on the label, disseminated in any manner or by any means, relating to seed within the scope of this article.

(23) PROCESSING. The passing of seed through a cleaning machine for the purpose of removing some constituent or through a blending machine or grinding of the seed for other uses.