b'ASSOCIATION NEWS Purity CommitteeRuojing Wang (Chair, 20192025) and Andrea Jonitz (Chair, 20252028)www.seedtest.org/en/technical-committees/purity-committee.htmlSEED PHYSICAL PURITY REPRESENTS THE QUALITY OF A SEED LOT FOR ITS PLANTING VALUE AND PLANT HEALTH RISKS (e.g. noxious weeds and live insects) brought to the fields, environment and seed storage. The ISTA Purity Committee is one of the core Technical Committees (TCOM) of ISTA, playing an essential role in achieving the ISTA mission for seed quality assurance in seed testing rules, laboratory accreditation, analyst skill training and certification. The Committee is responsible for purity analysis, other seed determination, determination of thousand-seed weight, testing coated seeds, X-ray testing, and more in the International Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules).Purity analysis and tests are the essential components of seed certification, with a long history from the first approval of the ISTA Rules in 1931, to the purity test according to the quicker method in 1950, to the first pure seed descriptions in 1976 (Hans Arne Jensen, 1998), to the current ISTA Rules. As advanced technologies are becoming more available and accessible, the Committee actively facilitates their application to advance strategies and collaborations. The Committee promotes method development andMembers of the Purity Committee at the 34th ISTA Congress in Christchurch, New Zealandtechnology applications in purity tests and seed identification, as well as rule improvements and analyst training. The Committee led and participated in a workingare published at seedidguide.idseed.org/group to publish the Guideline for Advancedfact_sheets/, and soon will be linked to the ISTA The goal of the Purity Committee is to develop,Technology Applications for Seed Testing (seewebsite.adopt and propose science- and evidence-basedwww.seedtest.org/api/rm/9B78H3976PGV99K/testing rules and methodologies to ensure puritytcom-p-12-advanced-technology-guide- A survey was carried out on the use of calibration testing uniformity in seed certification and trade. computer-visio.pdf) in collaboration with thesamples and an anemometer, in the context of Advanced Technology, Germination, Vigour andthe use of a blower, to get an overview about the Highlights of the YearProficiency Test Committees, as well as the ISTApractice. Data were evaluated and presented (January 2024 to present) Accreditation and Technical Department. Theat the ISTA Congress in Christchurch. Next The Purity Committee is responsible forPurity Committee also developed three ISTAsteps will be to find the best ways for blower delivering a training exercise using a seedRules change proposals regarding gaps identifiedcalibration.mixture. The exercise is delivered along withby ISTA members or other TCOMs. These an annual Proficiency Test panel. The exerciseproposals are to address and fulfil the membersPurity Committee Noticessample consists of seeds of multiple speciesneeds for seed testing. As the Committee is responsible for many prepared by a host laboratory, on whichchapters in the ISTA Rules, we have a heavy participants can practice seed separation andThe Purity Committee answered 23 inquiriesworkload. We are looking for working group identification. The seed mixture round 13, within 2024 that came from auditors, accreditedmembers for Purity Committee working the participation of over 200 laboratories, waslaboratories, and other TCOMs regarding ruleprogrammes, such as the revision of the delivered in PT24-1 Triticum aestivum subsp.clarification, seed identification and technicalISTA Handbook on Pure Seed Definitions. For aestivum in 2024, prepared by Dr Andrea Jonitzassistance. The inquiries or assistance requestsmore detail about our working programmes, (Landwirtschaftliches Technologie Zentrumcame from accredited laboratories in differentplease visit: www.seedtest.org/en/technical-Augustenberg, Germany). countries around the world. committees/purity-committee.html.The Purity Committee also delivered a purityThe Committee completed the ISTA SpecialIf you are interested in joining the working workshop to 30 participants in Montevideo,Project 20-2, the Development of digitalgroups of the Purity Committee programmes, Uruguay from 24 July 2025. Read the report inreference matrices for the ISTA Universal List.please contact the Committee Chair.this issue of Seed Testing International on p.80. The species fact sheets and diagnostic images 36 SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL www.seedtest.org'