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Introduction
The aims of the Vigour Committee are (1) to develop and validate vigour tests for introduction to the ISTA Rules, (2) to encourage the use of vigour tests and (3) to ensure that these are carried out to achieve repeatability between and reproducibility within laboratories.
Since the introduction of the Vigour chapter (Chapter 15) to the ISTA Rules in 2001, two new vigour tests have been added to those already validated in 2001 (accelerated ageing test and conductivity test) and species to which the conductivity test can be applied have been added.
The two new tests added to the ISTA Rules are the Controlled Deterioration (CD) test for Brassica species (added to the Rules in 2010) and the Radicle Emergence test for Zea mays, which was accepted at the 2011 Ordinary Meeting for introduction to the ISTA Rules in 2012. Background to the development and validation of the CD test can be found in Seed Testing International. We hope to add further species to which the test can be applied as we are able to complete comparative tests.
The Radicle Emergence (RE) test has been introduced for Zea mays, but research within the committee has provided evidence that it provides an assessment of rate of germination and vigour for a range of species (maize, canola, cotton, pepper, watermelon, cucumber, melon, Viola sp). Details of this research can be found in the references in the Vigour Committee Activity report 2010 and STI 142, 44-48. We are currently completing comparative tests on oilseed rape, as an example of the Brassica species to which the test could be applied, and comparative tests on cotton, as a tropical field crop, and onion, as an example of a vegetable species are planned in the near future. This test will provide an opportunity for the development of an automated vigour test, as described in the above article (STI 142) and in the article by Wagner et al. in STI 142.
New species have also been added to the well known and established conductivity test, which can now be applied to Glycine max and Phaseolus vulgaris. The conductivity test is based on the leakage of solutes from the seed into water and the physiological basis of this leakage test is described in STI 131, 32-35. The fundamental basis of the test is the changes that occur during the ageing of grain legumes and hence the test could be expected to apply to all such species. Indeed conductivity has been related to vigour in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and cowpea (Vigna unguiculata subsp unguiculata), legumes of major significance in many, particularly developing, countries. Comparative tests aimed to introduce these as species to which the conductivity test can be applied are being planned.
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Latest issue of Seed Testing International
STI 145 April 2013
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30th ISTA Congress 2013 - Register today!
30th ISTA Congress 2013
Antalya, Turkey
June 12-18, 2013
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Reports available from the ISTA Annual Meeting 2012
ISTA Annual Meeting 2012
June 11-14, 2012
Venlo, The Netherlands
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ISTA / ISF Experiment on Herbage Seed Lot Size
Technical Protocol and participating companies
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Outcome on the
World food security: urgent measures on seed needed
Second World Seed Conference 2009
held September 8-10,
in Rome, Italy
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ISTA Seed Mixture Experiment
to collect information that may be used to determine the reliability of seed mixture test results and establish tolerances.
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Universal List of Species
ISTA list of 130 plant species that accredited laboratories may wish to include in their seed collections
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Position Paper on
ISTA's view regarding the units for the reporting of quantitative results on presence of seeds with specified traits in conventional seed lots
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Accreditation Documents for the Testing of Specified Traits
Related Documents for download
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ISTA's Memorandum of Understanding with FAO
Read the full Press Release
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