Statement of Work.pdf

Statement of Work (SOW) Project: Maize Winter Nursery in Mexico

GENERAL INFORMATION

1.0 Scope of Work: The USDA, ARS, Plant Introduction Research Facility has a requirement for a corn winter nursery for increase seed production for growing between September 2023 and April 2024. The details for this planting, growing, and harvesting requirement are below. Quoters must include all associated costs and state on quotes any variances between their offered products and the provided specifications. Any resulting award from this solicitation will be a fixed price contract.

2.0 Background: Subject to local weather, soil moisture conditions, minimal disease, and low insect pressure, an arid temperate location has been determined required. Western Mexico in the Puerto Vallarta area has been determined to have a location best suited for the winter nursery required for this research. Nursery sets shall be grown within the 8-month period beginning in September- November 2023. Nursery should be harvested and returned no later than late-April 2024.

CONTRACTOR REQUIREMENTS

3.0 Technical Requirements/Tasks: Contractor’s growing location must be in the Puerto Vallarta area of western Mexico. Proposed growing site should be in agricultural production fields with uniform soil. Contractor will obtain and provide copy of the necessary seed import permit from the Mexican government to receive USDA nursery material. Contractor will provide for all field activities including land, land preparation, planting, monitoring, weed and pest control, pollination services, irrigation, fertilization, harvest, and drying of harvested ears. Ability to provide shelling services as needed is preferred. Contractor will provide bi-weekly or monthly progress reports depending on crop development stage to track crop progress and condition. Hand harvesting will be done by plot when grains have dried sufficiently, and the ears dried to approximately 12% moisture at temperatures not to exceed 95o Fahrenheit. Dried, harvested ear and/or seed will be prepared for shipping in containers provided by contractor. Contractor will provide information on number of containers, dimensions, and weight of each container sufficient for USDA to procure shipping services via UPS or FedEx. Contractor is responsible for field and seed inspections and conducting fumigation operations necessary to obtain phytosanitary certification of produced seed to meet standards for import shipment to the U.S.

4.0 Government Furnished: The USDA is responsible for providing all seed to be planted, phytosanitary certification of seed, and treating seed according to requirements of Mexican government import permit furnished by contractor. The USDA will also obtain the necessary APHIS import permit to allow return shipment of seed prior to harvest and provide the information to the contractor.

5.0 Deliverables / Schedule: Contractor will provide brief report of crop development progress in weekly or every two-intervals prior to flowering, and photos as the crop develops. Shoot bagging and pollination will be done according to USDA breeder’s instructions. Hand-harvesting will be done by plot when grains have dried sufficiently, and the ears will be dried to approximately 12% moisture at temperatures not to exceed 95o Fahrenheit. Dried ears and/or seeds will be prepared for shipping according to USDA breeder’s instructions.

GEM Project Winter Nursery

Mid-September – late November plantings will consist of 2,850 nursery rows comprised of:

- 600 self-pollinated rows, 5.5 m long rows planted with 26 kernels per row

- 500 paired rows for cross-pollination, 3.0 m long rows planted with 13 kernels per row

- 1,750 self-pollinated rows, 3.0 m long rows planted with 13 kernels per row

Ears and seed will be prepared for shipping according to USDA breeder’s instructions.

6.0 Data Rights: All corn nursery data collected on stand counts, plant height, and ear height, flowering or other traits are to be returned to USDA.

7.0 Place of Performance: Puerto Vallarta area of western Mexico

8.0 Period of Performance: September 25, 2023, through April 31, 2024

9.0 Technical Point of Contact: TBD