b'ASSOCIATION NEWS Flower Seed Testing CommitteeSarah Dammen (Chair)www.seedtest.org/en/technical-committees/flower-seed-testing-committee.htmlTHE ISTA FLOWER SEED TESTING COMMITTEE (FSC) IS CURRENTLY COMPOSED OF 10 MEMBERS from different countries around the world. With this vast expanse of knowledge, we work together to further ISTAs mission through our current Working Programme. The FSC collaborates with several other ISTA Technical Committees (TCOM) such as Germination, Proficiency Test, Purity, Moisture, Statistics, Tetrazolium and Wild Species.Our activities in the FSC include the development of new working sheets for the ISTA Handbook on Flower Seed Testing. The working sheets include all testing information for an analyst to perform purity, germination and tetrazolium tests, along with colour photos and detailed guidance. Thesesample for purity analysis. In 2025, we haveThe FSC will also be creating a survey to send out sheets prove very helpful in the testing industryincluded talks with the Statistics Committee,to all ISTA accredited laboratories. The questions and the Committee intends to continue theto see if we can use the information alreadywill focus on flower species tested and possible work to include more flower species. We strive tocollected to make changes to the ISTA Rules.frequency, number of flower samples tested per promote information about flower seed testing. The Flower Seed Committee of the Associationyear, methods used, any species that need to be of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) in the USA isadded to the ISTA Rules, interest in native flower The FSC works to improve the Internationalalso looking at TSW on species that are in thetesting, etc. We expect this survey to come out Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules) for flowerAOSA rules, but do not have purity weights. Thelater in 2025.species, as needs arise. It may be a member ofcurrent species of interest in the AOSA rules is the Committee who finds a need while workingLiatris spp. If you test Liatris spp. and have TSWsMany flower species are considered to be native in their laboratory, or the request can come fromavailable, please contact Sarah Dammen atin one part of the world or another. For this non-members or audit questions. We welcomesarah.dammen@sgs.com. These findings will bereason, we also want to work closely with the all comments and questions to help improve theused by both organisations. ISTA Wild Species Committee. We have at least ISTA Rules on flowers. two FSC members that are members of the Wild A new method validation is being initiatedSpecies Committee. Our hope is to work together Highlights of the Yearin the FSC. A member of the Committee hasto collect information about flower species, to (January 2024 to present) done preliminary testing in their laboratory toshare with the wider ISTA membership and The ISTA Flower Seed Committee met mid- show that germination of the species Begoniainclude in the ISTA Rules, if possible.year through an online meeting to discusssemperflorens is better at 25 C, than at 20 C or the progress of our projects. Our projects are20=30 C, which are currently in Table 5A Flower Seed Testing described below, with updates for the 20242025Part 1 of the ISTA Rules for BegoniaCommittee Noticesperiod. The FSC has open slots for new members.Semperflorens-Cultorum Group and BegoniaThere are currently no flower seed workshops If you have a passion for all things flowers, ortuberhybrida. The test plan has been approved,planned. If you have an interest or want to want to work with us in any other way, just let usand the seed is being prepared to be sent outinquire about adding flower seed testing to know. to the laboratories that have volunteered toany workshops, please reach out to the ISTA participate in this study. Secretariat or Sarah Dammen, the FSC Chair.In our Committee, we are discussing sample sizes for flower species and if the weights that areThe ISTA Handbook on Flower Seed Testing isLastly, I would like to thank Sylvie Ducournau in the current ISTA Rules are still accurate for thestill a work in progress to add at least 20 newfor her unwavering support over her many years seed that is being produced in commerce today. Aflower species information pages. Two haveof being on the FSC, and for her activities as few Committee members have looked at this andbeen completed with only tetrazolium testingthe ISTA Executive Committee (ECOM) liaison have done some preliminary counts from seedinformation missing; we are working withofficer over the last three years, during my first they obtain in their laboratories. Some membersthe ISTA Tetrazolium Committee to get thisterm of being FSC Chair. I really appreciate you do thousand-seed weights (TSW) on all speciesinformation. Discussions were made with theanswering all my questions and helping to get they test, so we will use that information in anyChair of the ISTA Seed Health Committee on theprojects started. I welcome Claid Mujaju and way we can to improve the ISTA Rules, if needed,gap we have on seed-borne disease informationDidier Demilly as our new ECOM liaison officers or to prove that the weights should stay the same.for flower seeds. This is an area that needs somefor FSC and I look forward to working together for We will continue to work on this over the comingwork and we welcome colleagues to please sharethe 20252028 triennium.year to determine if any weights need to beany information they can on flower species and amended in Table 2C for the minimum workingtheir seed-borne diseases.30 SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL www.seedtest.org'