b'ASSOCIATION NEWS ISTA Rules CommitteeJodi Keeling (Chair) and Janek Bartel (Vice-Chair)www.seedtest.org/en/technical-committees/rules-committee.htmlTHE ISTA RULES COMMITTEE ISFor details on how to download the electronictime as the proposals, but no later thanCOMPOSED OF ALL THE CHAIRPERSONSversion, see the Publications section of the30 November 2025.OF THE TECHNICAL COMMITTEESISTA website (go to www.seedtest.org/en/(TCOM), THE CHIEF EDITOR OF SEEDpublications/international-rules-seed-testing/ We are excited to announce that the Rules SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND THEhow-use-ista-rules.html) or contact theCommittee has a new Vice-Chair, Janek Bartel AOSA RULES COMMITTEE CHAIR. As partSecretariat. The ISTA Rules are still printable(Canada). We greatly appreciate the hard work of joint initiatives with the Association of Officialfrom the electronic files which include theand dedication from Sue Alvarez over the years. Seed Analysts (AOSA), the AOSA Rules Chair is anEnglish, French, German and Spanish versions.She will be missed!ex officio member with voting privileges withinIt is worth remembering that if there is any doubt the ISTA Rules Committee, and the ISTA Rulesabout the interpretation of the ISTA Rules, the Chair is an ex officio member of the AOSA RulesEnglish version is the official reference version.Committee. The Chair and Vice-Chair of the ISTA Rules Committee are appointed by the ISTAHighlights of the Year Executive Committee (ECOM). (January 2024 to present)Virtual Rules Committee MeetingThe Rules Committee is responsible for reviewingEvery year, the Rules Committee hosts an online the annual change proposals for the Internationalrules session that allows ISTA stakeholders from Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules) and foraround the world to discuss proposals that will ensuring that the proposals are technicallybe voted on at the Ordinary General Meeting. consistent between the different chapters. RulesThe purpose of the session is to allow TCOMs proposals can come from anyone but are usuallyan opportunity to respond to comments and made by one of the TCOMs and/or the ISTAquestions from ISTA stakeholders. In addition, Accreditation and Technical Department. Thethis session provides member governments with procedures for submitting proposals and addingthe information they need to make informed new species to the ISTA Rules are outlined invoting choices. Finally, the session allows for the Introduction to the Rules. The Rules Chairsubmitted changes to be thoroughly evaluated is responsible for editing and presenting theprior to publication. This year, TCOMs submitted proposals and editorial changes for vote at theone new species, eight editorial corrections and Ordinary General Meeting, on behalf of the13 rule change proposals for consideration. The ECOM and the Rules Committee. 8th Edition of the ISTA List of Stabilised Plant Names was also submitted, and a separate virtual Staff at the ISTA Secretariat assists the RulesRules Committee meeting was held to review the Committee by collecting the rules proposalsproposed changes. and validation studies and then coordinatingISTA Rules Session at Ordinary the translation and production of the revisedGeneral Meeting in ChristchurchISTA Rules. Following the results of voting atChanges for the 2026 Edition of the ISTA Rules, the Annual Meeting, the amended ISTA Rulesand the ISTA List of Stabilised Plant Names, 8th are edited, translated and distributed to theEdition, were approved at the Ordinary General membership. The revised electronic versionMeeting in May 2025. These can be found on of the ISTA Rules (2025 Edition) was availablethe ISTA website at: www.seedtest.org/api/to download in early December 2024. Thisrm/9F7NCT88958V44Y/2025-rules-proposals-was achieved due to the teamwork of the ISTA5-9-25-final.pdf. The supporting validation Rules Committee and the ISTA Secretariat.reports are published at: www.seedtest.org/api/Translations of the changes are provided byrm/7K335892XX86P9S/ogm25-06-ista-method-French, German and Spanish laboratories, andvalidation-reports.pdf. The 8th Edition of the desktop publishing for all language versionsISTA List of Stabilised Plant Names (see www.is conducted in Adobe InDesign by Vanessaseedtest.org/api/rm/QJ75VN6N466K3B4/ogm25-Sutcliffe of HeartWood Editorial (www. 09-ista-list-of-stabilised-plant-names-8th-e-2.heartwoodeditorial.co.uk). Providing the 2025pdf) becomes valid on 1 January 2026.Edition approximately one month before the effective from date of 1 January 2025, shouldISTA Rules Committee Notices have allowed laboratories sufficient time toChange proposals for the 2027 ISTA Rules are due amend any QA procedures, especially since theto the ISTA Rules Chair no later than 1 November approved proposals were available in English on2025. Accompanying validation reports the ISTA website from May 2024. supporting the proposals are due at the same SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2025 37'