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Crawford Street Clay Center, Kansas USA 67432 TF 800.523.6993 | P 785.632.2161 | F 785.632.5964 hutchinson-mayrath.com H-235.indd 1 6/22/17 4:35 PM factors. As scientists we have to work on new tests to determine what’s needed in the near future” Grass says this information can then be used to rank seed lots based on germination. For example, if the germination rate is low, there’s no need to test it for vigor. With a focus on vigor, Powell and the ISTA Vigor Committee constantly think about the development of new tests and the potential for automation, which can dramatically speed the test results. For example, Powell says the radicle emergence test depends on the physical counting of emerged radicles, but the use of image analysis can drastically speed the process. Just as scientific advancements are made in plant breeding, so too are they in the seed testing sector. But are the rules and standards set forth keeping up with these new breakthroughs? In 2009, Joost Van der Burg, a member of ISTA’s Advanced Technologies Committee representing the Netherlands at the time, inventoried the most promising technologies that were either in the pipeline or had emerged and were available for use. The technologies, he says, usually involve some investment and they sometimes take a decade or more to mature, so it’s under- standable that some secrecy surrounds them. Powell acknowledges there are new technologies, developed by equipment companies, which are beginning to come into the market. The challenge, she says, with many of the tempting new technologies is that they’ve only been tested using select mate- rial, not commercial material. Powell explains that ISTA’s Seed Science and Advisory Group can evaluate the efficacy of equip- ment that is marketed as a means of testing seed. “We get as much information as possible from the company and published research, and then evaluate the evidence that the equipment is effective and publish the results,” she says. “The results of the seed tests need to be comparable everywhere because that is the basis of international trade.” However, having worked with students from Nepal, Bangladesh and Kenya, Powell says she’s particularly aware that not all countries have modern laboratories and equipment. “That’s why it’s necessary for the association to recognize a wide range of tests,” she points out. Tested and Trusted “Our vision within the International Seed Testing Association is ‘uniformity in seed testing,’” Powell says. “We’ve worked hard to get the rules and testing standards we have today in place. “The tests that exist now are the ones that have been and can be replicated around the world in any laboratory, and that give people in the seed industry a great deal of confidence. They are also the basis for international trade.” In some cases, the different types of tests to evaluate one characteristic of seeds reflect the changes in approach to test- ing. “When I think about a variety test, there are many different types of tests that can be used to verify the variety,” Powell says. “These range from traditional methods that evaluate if features of the seed are ‘characteristic of the variety’ to extraction of proteins or DNA techniques, followed by electrophoresis or PCR [polymerase chain reaction].” Foster, who is also an ISTA auditor, which means she helps to audit government laboratories and is committed to promoting the seed industry says “yes, ISTA is current with the times and keeps working toward introducing new rules.” There’s a great deal of work going on internationally, Foster says, and ISTA’s focus remains strong to incorporate new standards. Powell explains that the test methods approved by ISTA today underwent rigorous research and numerous studies to ensure accuracy and the ability to replicate. The characteristics tested for today are the ones that indus- try has found to influence seed performance. If you want good emergence, then the seed needs to have a high germination rate and good vigor, Powell emphasizes. If you need seed of a certain variety, then you want excellent purity, she adds. Alison Powell is an international seed testing expert. Sarah Foster is president of 20/20 Seed Labs.