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SEED TESTING INTERNATIONAL   www.seedtest.org
ASSOCIATION NEWS 
Tool Development and 
Collaboration
The project represented 3 years of effort by 
authors Jennifer Neudorf, Angela Salzl, Janessa 
Emerson and Taran Meyer from the Canadian 
Food Inspection Agency; Deborah Meyer, 
retired seed botanist from the California 
Department of Food and Agriculture, USA; 
and Sumaia Mahmuda from LAL TEER Seed, 
Bangladesh. Three sessions of author training 
were conducted for the project, with discussion 
on seed description standardisation, feature 
measurement methodology and data protocol, 
which ensured product quality and format 
uniformity. Following peer review, the developed 
species fact sheets and images were published 
and incorporated into existing data matrices 
in collaboration with the International Seed 
Morphology Association (ISMA)  
(see www.idseed.org). Incorporation and 
enrichment of the data matrices provide 
valuable references and training resources for 
seed testing laboratories on seed identification. 
The collaborative efforts of ISTA, ISMA and the 
project authors brought together the funding and 
specialised expertise to present the UL in a more 
beneficial format for seed analysts to use in their 
daily work.
Through this project, ISTA has encouraged more 
collaboration among subject matter experts 
in this field. Beyond Special Project 20-2, the 
revised and verified data protocol will hopefully 
encourage more authors to share their expertise 
and knowledge, contributing to this valuable 
seed identification reference.
Outcomes of the Project
The project developed fact sheets and associated 
images for 136 taxa on the UL and a few similar 
species. These developed images and fact 
sheets are published in the associated ISMA 
Seed Identification Guide® (SIG) database (see 
www.seedidguide.idseed.org). Each species 
of UL is also linked to the ISTA website (go to 
www.seedtest.org/en/services-header/tools/
purity-committee/universal-list-species.html), 
providing quick access to users.
The digital reference of UL species includes fact 
sheet descriptions, such as nomenclature of the 
species; species distribution or cultivation areas; 
identification features of each type of dry fruit, 
seed and embryo; with diagnostic images of 
morphological features. The fact sheets also have 
the comparisons to similar species, providing 
helpful information for analysts to confirm the 
accuracy of their identifications in seed testing. 
The developed resources from Special Project 
20-2 have enriched both the ISTA and the ISMA 
websites. The link between these two websites 
also provides further useful seed identification 
training materials for ISTA members, such as 
seed identification quizzes (see www.idseed.
org/pages/training_resources.html); recorded 
tutorial webinars (go to www.idseed.org/pages/
recorded_webinars.html); an illustrated glossary 
of botanical terms related to seed identification; 
an expanded gallery of seed images; and 
many other features designed to assist in 
morphological identification of seeds and seed-
like dispersal units.
Erodium cicutarium
Purity analysis
Stellaria media
Pennisetum glaucum
Amaranthus palmeri
Rumex acetosa

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