ISTA - International Seed Testing Association

📢Webinar alert! 🌱How can seed health testing help protect global plant health? 📅Don’t miss out - 09 December, 15:00 CET! 💡Explore key developments, detection methods and international initiatives supporting safer seed movement and pest detection. ✅Open to members & non-members! 🔗Register now: attendee.gotowebinar.com/reg… #seedquality #seedtesting #ISTAwebinar #SeedHealth

📖Have you read it yet? 🌟The October STI issue features two extraordinary members of the @ISTAseedtesting Family! Dive into their stories ➡️ seedworld.com/cdn/flipbooks/… #seedquality #seedtesting #SeasonedISTA #YoungISTA

🥔 How much of Europe's seed-potato crop will actually reach growers as certified seed? 📊 In 2026, multiplication area across six major European production regions fell by 1.6%, while four leading French-fry varieties saw their combined area decline by 8.4%. 🧪 Field inspections, disease, tuber size and storage conditions all influence how much seed ultimately meets market requirements. @ISTAseedtesting reads more: potatonewstoday.com/2026/09/… #seedquality #seedtesting

💧 Storing Northern wild rice seeds underwater creates a unique microbial environment. 🌱 Research published in #SST explored how antimicrobial treatments changed seed-associated fungi and bacteria, providing a first look at the seed microbiome during submerged storage. Read more: ingentaconnect.com/contenton… #seedquality #seedtesting

🌧️ Too much rain at the wrong time can compromise soybean seed quality. 🧪 Excess moisture late in the season can favour fungal diseases such as purple seed stain and Diaporthe seed decay, as well as premature sprouting in pods. 🔬 These problems can reduce germination and seed vigour, making seed testing important when assessing lots intended for planting. @ISTAseedtesting learns more: agweek.com/crops/soybeans/so… #seedquality #seedtesting

🧡Thank you to the fantastic @Seed_Testing team for your continued support of ISTA and the entire global seed testing community. 👏The success of this year’s @ISTAseedtesting meeting would not have been possible without such dedicated partners like you! 🤩Read the full article⬇️

☕ What you plant may not be what you bought. 🧬 Researchers at @utpl found that only two of four morphotypes of coffee plants analysed matched their expected commercial identity. 🌱 Some plants grown from seeds sold as Sidra showed a genetic profile consistent with Batian, while plants sold as Gesha differed from the reference accession examined. @ISTAseedtesting reads more: eurekalert.org/news-releases… #ssedquality #seedtesting

📖New fast track articles from the third issue of Seed Science and Technology (SST), Volume 54, are now released and accessible for free: ingentaconnect.com/content/i… ✍️For detailed information on the journal, its scope, how to be featured and more, please visit SST's webpag: seedtest.org/en/publications… #seedquality #seedtesting @ISTAseedtesting

🌱Thank you to everyone who took part in our survey on launching an #ISTAseedtesting Instagram account. The results are in: #ISTAFamily is coming to Instagram! 👥Meet the people behind the science! We’ll share personal stories, experiences and everyday moments that bring the ISTA community to life. 🧡Celebrating our people, our stories and the spirit of #ISTAFamily! #seedquality #ISTAonINSTA #OurPeopleOurCommunity #ComingSoon

🫘 Why did domesticated beans stop scattering their seeds? 🔬 @ucdavis researchers identified mutations in the PvMYB26 gene that reduce pod shattering, allowing beans to retain their seeds instead of dispersing them at maturity. 📊 Studying 327 wild and domesticated bean samples also revealed how this trait emerged independently in different bean populations. @ISTAseedtesting reads more: plantsciences.ucdavis.edu/ne… #seedquality #seedtesting

🌱 Does cold soil affect how seeds absorb water? 🌽 A study in #SST found that low temperatures slowed water uptake in soybean seeds, while temperature had no significant effect on water uptake rates in maize. Read more: ingentaconnect.com/contenton… #seedquality #seedtesting

🌱We’re developing the @ISTAseedtesting Seed Health Toolbox Webpage, expanding the existing ISTA Seed Health Test Image Database into a comprehensive online platform for the seed health community. 🤝A key feature will be a networking space for experts, analysts, pathologists and other stakeholders to connect, exchange knowledge and share experiences. 📝Help us shape the platform! Take our short survey and tell us which tools, resources and networking opportunities would be most valuable to you. 🔗Have your say: : forms.cloud.microsoft/pages/… #seedquality #seedtesting #TechnicalCommittees #SeedHealth

🚀 What happens to seeds after a trip to the edge of space? 🧪 @pnTORAF is studying seeds exposed to suborbital flight by comparing them with control samples kept on Earth under identical laboratory conditions. 📊 The experiment measures germination percentage, time to germination and embryo growth to assess whether the flight affected seed performance. @ISTAseedtesting learns more: toraf.pl/blog/toraf-seed-rap… #seedquality #seedtesting

🥕 One seed, one carrot 🔬 @VilmorinMikado's Vilrob technology uses carefully selected carrot seed lots and mini-pelleting to improve sowing precision and crop uniformity. 📊 The approach combines seed calibration, germination and vigour with more precise placement in the soil. 🌾 Better establishment can help create more uniform roots and improve the proportion of marketable carrots. @ISTAseedtesting reads more: vilmorinmikado.es/news/vilro… #seedquality #seedtesting

🚀Join our upcoming #ISTA Webinar on X-ray testing in forest seeds, organised by the Forest Tree and Shrub Seed Committee! 📅16 November 2026 | 🕒 15:00–16:00 CET 🌲 Explore X-ray testing methods, pros and cons, US and Polish lab experiences, client applications and Chapter 14 of the ISTA Rules. 🎤Hear from experts Magdalena Beza (Poland) and Victor Vankus (USA), followed by an interactive Q&A. 🌍Open to members and non-members. All participants receive a Certificate of Attendance. 🔗Register now: attendee.gotowebinar.com/reg… #seedtesting #seedquality #ISTAwebinar #ForestSeeds

📚@ISTAseedtesting Committees are creating open-access reading lists on Zotero to support #seedtesting professionals and the ISTA community! 🔬X-ray in Seed Testing: zotero.org/groups/5080258/is… 🧬Seed ID Resources:zotero.org/groups/5989889/is… Feedback is welcome 📧 [email protected] #seedquality #seedtesting

Tomorrow is #WorldFoodDay Every food system begins with a seed. @ISTAseedtesting reaffirms its commitment to seed quality, safety, and innovation. Together, we nurture: 🌾 Better Production 🍎 Better Nutrition 🌿 Better Environment 🌍 Better Life #seedquality #seedtesting @FAO

🌱 How do temperature and water stress shape seed germination? 🌡️ A study in #SST reviews 624 publications on population-based threshold models, exploring their growing role in predicting germination and seedling emergence under changing environmental conditions. Read more: ingentaconnect.com/contenton… #seedquality #seedtesting

📖New fast track article from the third issue of Seed Science and Technology (SST), Volume 54, is nows released and accessible for free: ingentaconnect.com/content/i… ✍️For detailed information on the journal, its scope, how to be featured and more, please visit SST's webpag: seedtest.org/en/publications… #seedquality #seedtesting @ISTAseedtesting

📊 Good science starts with good data, but good data need good statistics. 🔬 From experimental design and replication to analysing variation and avoiding misleading conclusions, statistics is essential for reliable plant research. 📈 In seed testing and research, robust data analysis helps turn measurements into evidence that can be interpreted and reproduced. @ISTAseedtesting learns more: plantae.org/power-of-statist… #seedquality #seedtesting