b'ASSOCIATION NEWS Vigour CommitteeHulya Ilbi (Chair), Mohammad Khajeh-Hosseini (Vice-Chair), Marie-Hlne Wagner (Vice-Chair) and Alison Powell (former Chair)www.seedtest.org/en/technical-committees/vigour-committee.htmlTHE AIM OF THE ISTA VIGOUR COMMITTEE IS TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE VIGOUR TESTS for introduction to the International Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA Rules) and to add new species to the validated tests. All vigour tests developed by the Committee have a sound scientific basis that has been established through research over many years.Highlights of the Year (January 2024 to present)Introduction of New MethodsThe cold test for maize is probably the most used vigour test worldwide but with several different in-house methods. A request from the seedDr Stan Matthews,presenting at the ISTA-APSA workshop in Thailand in 2023industry led to trials being carried out over three years to standardise a method for Zea mays. Comparative tests using one cold method (7 d at 10 C) with two substrates have been done by seven laboratories worldwide in 2024 (Fig. 1).Field emergence trials were carried out in four locations: three with half of the seed lots and one with the six seed lots. Ranking was similar between field and laboratory. A validation report has been produced and is under review.Addition of Species to Validated TestsWe continue to add species to the existing ISTA Rules for the application of the radicle emergence (RE) test and to develop other methods for species where RE is not relevant in assessing seed vigour.Radicle Emergence TestA validation report for Allium cepa has been completed and approved, despite several shipping issues leading to different seed lots being dispatched to different world regions(Fig. 2). This has been accepted for an ISTA Rules proposal this year.Some progress has been made on Hordeum vulgare with two series of field trials in 2024. The best correlations for six winter barley were obtained with a RE assessment after 48 h at 15 C using germination sensu stricto (Fig. 3), rather than more developed radicles (at least 2 mm).Controlled Deterioration TestAs rapid tests (electrical conductivity, EC, or RE test) for tomato are dependent on the genetic background of seeds, a controlled deterioration (CD) test was investigated in 2024. Seed moistureFigure 1. Mean cold test results per laboratory for six maize seed lots; note that laboratories 1 and 3 content (20, 25 and 30%), temperature (47 C and used only one substrate (between paper and sand, respectively) leading to a total of six laboratories 50 C), and incubation time (24, 48, 72 and 96 hours)by substrate50 SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL www.seedtest.org'