b"Through the use of these methodscal results, these technologies should beSeed companies are in the business of and our expertise we strive to assist seedused as a pre-screen and in combinationcreating healthy seed and initiatives sup-companies in their risk management,with other assays, including a direct test,port that goal. Best practices used during advocate for the seed industry on seedClaessens says. crop production are designed to protect health related issues and facilitate theseed from exposure to pests and dis-international movement of seeds, saysSuccess Stories eases, and have the potential to manage Frank Claessens, chairperson of ISFs SeedWith seed health organizations andand significantly reduce overall pest risk.Health Group Board and board memberteams working around the world toIf seed contains unwanted pests of BASFs vegetable seed business.create healthy seed, challenges are metincluding weeds or other foreign germ-Ideally, the test should distinguishwith dedication and passion. plasm, seed quality is compromised, between the presence of viable and non- We can't underestimate the impor- Souza-Richards says. viable organisms, he says. tance of healthy plants relative to sustain- Not only does this hurt the customers, While indirect testing methods suchable agriculture. Everything starts withbut ultimately food security.as PCR and High Throughput Sequencingthe seed, with high rates of germination,With seed as one of the most critical or Next Generation Sequencing provideproductivity, resistance to pests andinputs to agricultural production, farmers, a faster and relatively inexpensive way todiseases, as well as plants that require thegovernments, researchers and the seed signal the presence of a pathogen, theyfewest amounts of inputs, Dunkle says. sector are similarly seeking solutions to are not sufficient to prove pathogenicity. In Europe, the banning of Methylthe agricultural and ecological challenges ISF maintains these results can beBromide allowed a nematode Ditylenchusfacing our world. It is only through our viewed as a pre-screening, whereas adipsaci to resurge, and it became a re- collective and conscious efforts that we negative result in an indirect test requiresemerging pest.will make a difference.SWno additional testing to confirm that theCombining validation of a harmonized seed lot in question is healthy.detection method (ISTA-7-031) and using ON THE WEBTo ensure a correct assessment ofit to validate seed physical disinfectionWHERE the health status of a seed lot and avoidmethods, combined with a certification unwarranted phytosanitary regulationsscheme, now allows the distribution ofThis piece has been condensed for print. To see the full version of based solely on molecular or serologi- healthy seeds, Jones says. this piece, please visit: SeedWorld.comRestoration & ReclamationSustainable LandscapesPollinator HabitatConservationBiomassernstseed.comsales@ernstseed.com800-873-332122/ SEEDWORLD.COMJUNE 2021"