International Seed Testing Association

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INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA)

The International Seed Testing Association was founded in 1924 during the 4^th International Seed Testing Congress held in Cambridge, United Kingdom, with the aim to develop and publish standard procedures in the field of seed testing.

ISTA is inextricably linked with the history of seed testing and has member laboratories in over 70 countries world wide. It is independent and acts free from economic interest and political influence. 

Under the ISTA Constitution, the objectives of the Association are:

a) to develop, adopt and publish standard procedures for sampling and testing seeds, and to promote uniform application of these procedures for evaluation of seeds moving in international trade, and
 
(b) to promote research in all areas of seed science and technology, including sampling, testing, storing, processing, and distributing seeds, to encourage variety (cultivar) certification, to participate in conferences and training courses aimed at furthering these objectives, and to establish and maintain liaison with other organisations having common or related interests in seed.

 What ISTA does

The Association produces internationally agreed rules for seed sampling and testing, accredits laboratories, promotes research, provides international seed analysis certificates and training and disseminates knowledge in seed science and technology, to facilitate seed trading nationally and internationally.

ISTA membership and management

ISTA membership is comprised of member laboratories (both accredited and non-accredited), personal members and associate members. The members include seed scientists and seed analysts from universities, research centres and governmental, private and company seed testing laboratories around the world.  The Association is managed by an Executive Committee comprising a President, Vice President and nine Members-at-large. The members of the Executive Committee are elected by the ISTA members.

The headquarters of the Association is located in Switzerland and managed by the Secretary General. Staff of the Secretariat handles day-to-day finance, administration and other duties in supporting the Association's programmes.

ISTA has established 15 Technical Committees which are responsible for the development of new or improved testing methodology. The current Technical Committees include Bulking and Sampling, Flower Seed Testing, Forest Tree and Shrub Seed, Germination, GMO, Moisture, Nomenclature, Seed Health, Purity, Rules, Statistics, Seed Storage, Tetrazolium, Variety, Vigour.

Contact details for ISTA are:

Source:            ISTA Online:    www.seedtest.org