b'ASSOCIATION NEWS Detection of Alternaria linicola, Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum lini in Linum usitatissimum (flax, linseed) seed. This update will add Fusarium spp. and Boeremia exigua var. linicola. As the existing method lacks proper validation data, all five pathogens will be included in the new validation effort.After years of research, a finalised protocol for the detection of Tilletia spp. in wheat seed has been defined, with a validation plan currently under development. Additionally, the company of a SHC member is working on a new project, currently in its discovery phase, that aims to differentiate five Fusarium species affecting cereal seed, using barcode amplicon sequencing. The SHC remains active in education, promoting awareness of seed health across multiple platforms. In 2024, it organised a workshop titled Validation, Quality Assurance and Accreditation of Seed Health Methods, including seed background selection and statistical analysis. A follow-up webinar titled Overview of Useful Tools for Seed Health Protocol Development and Data Analysis, was co-hosted with the International Seed Federation (ISF) and the Statistics Committee. With over 100 attendees,Figure 2. Hemp flower with typical mould symptoms caused by Botrytis cinerea infectionFigure 3. Hemp seeds incubated on blotter paper to detect presence of Botrytis cinereaSEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL OCTOBER 2025 39'