b'ASSOCIATION NEWS Moisture CommitteeAxel Goeritz (Chair), Daniela Villa (Vice-Chair) and Fiona Haywww.seedtest.org/en/technical-committees/moisture-committee.htmlTHE MOISTURE TEST IS USED DURINGrelative humidity (water activity) for testing thespecies to the record in Table 9A, to set the need ALL STEPS OF THE SEED PRODUCTIONmoisture status of seeds, a survey and a ring-testof coarse grinding for this species. The changes PROCESS, to predict harvest time in the field,have been conducted. There were more thanwere approved by Moisture Committee and the to monitor seed drying, during processing30 responders to the survey, of which about avoting delegates during the 2024 ISTA Annual to prevent mechanical damage and duringthird are already using water activity metersMeeting in Cambridge.storage for longevity. The test is necessary forand would like to see the method added to the routine purposes and in research, as well asInternational Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules).Questions to the Moisture Committeefor seed certification. To ensure uniformity inOf those who are not using water activity metersThe questions received by the Moisture moisture determination, precise rules, methodcurrently, many wanted to know more about theCommittee each year are a very good tool for the descriptions and a high level of quality assurancebasis of the measurement. The ring-test involvedCommittee to improve the ISTA Rules and for the tasks are very important. six laboratories who each tested the water activitywork within the Committee. Most of the MOIs of samples of seeds of three different species,ISTA Rules proposals in recent years have been in Highlights of the Yearequilibrated to different moisture levels. Theresponse to such questions, and they are greatly (January 2024 to present) data have been analysed and a full report willappreciated by our Committee.Calibration of Moisture Meters be provided in a future issue of Seed Testing The Moisture Meters project was establishedInternational. Moisture Committee Noticesin August 2023 with six Moisture CommitteeThe Committee currently consists of 14 members members. Following the collected responsesISTA Rules Changes from 13 countries spread over four continents. from a questionnaire, the next steps have beenThe Committee proposed two changes in theOur new Executive Committee Liaison Officers planned to overcome the obstacles of calibration.ISTA Rules for 2025, one to add a record forare Keshavulu Kunusoth and Craig McGill.Carica papaya in Table 9A, which had previously Equilibrium Relative Humidity been omitted from a merging of the two parts For the ISTA Special Project with the Seedof Table 9 proposed in 2023. In another change, Storage Committee on the use of equilibriumthe Committee proposed to add some Lupinus Nomenclature CommitteeMelanie Schori (Chair)www.seedtest.org/en/technical-committees/nomenclature-committee.htmlTHE ISTA NOMENCLATURE COMMITTEEtimes to discuss additions, pros and cons ofdate of 1 January 2026. A document outlining IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVALUATING ANDdifferent classifications, and other changes.the changes in the 8th edition is temporarily APPROVING UPDATES AND CHANGESAfter multiple votes, the Chair prepared a draftavailable on the ISTA website (go to www.TO THE ISTA LIST OF STABILISED PLANTthat was submitted for review by ISTA Technicalseedtest.org/api/rm/8F9ZY6SA958E2E4/NAMES. The Stabilised List provides acceptedCommittees and planned for approval at thechanges-to-the-8th-edition-of-the-ista-list-of-scientific names and synonyms for commercial2025 ISTA Annual Meeting. Lack of coordinationsta.pdf).seed taxa. The Committee is most active duringwith proposed updates to the International the year preceding the release of a new edition ofRules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules) was identified the Stabilised List. as a problem, although the simultaneous modifications of the ISTA Rules and the Highlights of the YearStabilised List do pose a challenge.(January 2024 to present)The Nomenclature Committee had a very busyNomenclature Committee year that focused on evaluating proposedNoticeschanges for the 8th edition of the ISTA List ofAfter harmonisation, the 8th edition of the Stabilised Plant Names. Members met severalStabilised List is anticipated to have a start SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2025 35'