INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION

(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

The International Seed

Testing
Association
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Goal of the presentation

• The membership
• The organisation of the association
• The vision of ISTA
• The tools that ISTA are using to reach
the vision
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

ISTA
is an international, non-profit association
of public and private seed testing
laboratories and persons under the
governance of the governments of
member countries and distinct economies
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

ISTA was founded in 1924

26 countries were
represented
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

ISTA Association Development

Member Member
Countries Laboratories

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Member Laboratories 178 182 195 201 210 216

100

Number of countries with a minimum of

thereof accredited 103 106 114 120 123 124
one ISTA accredited laboratory: 59
(58 in 2011; 56 in 2010; 57
54 in 2009)
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

ISTA Association Development

Countries with ISTA member laboratories
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Ordinary Meeting
Voting delegates from 71 Member Governments

Executive Committee
11 Members from all
continents nominated by
Governments

Secretariat
11 professional employees

18 Technical Committees and

Boards
Over 200 experts from all over the world working voluntarily in the
Technical Committees
Experts are from the public and the private sector, from member laboratories
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

ISTA Association Development

Member
Countries

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Countries with voting 72 73 73 71 71 71

rights

Voting principle within ISTA: one country or distinct economy, one

vote
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

ISTA Association Development

Countries with voting rights

Albania Egypt Mexico Sri Lanka

Argentina Estonia Moldova Sweden
Australia Finland Nepal Switzerland
Austria France Netherlands Syrian Arab
Bangladesh Germany New Zealand Republic
Belgium Greece Norway Tanzania
Bolivia Hungary Pakistan Thailand
Bosnia & India Iran Philippines Tunisia
Herzegovina Ireland Poland Turkey
Botswana Israel Portugal Uganda
Brazil Italy Romania Ukraine
Bulgaria Japan Russia United Kingdom
Canada Kenya Separate United States
Chile Korea, Republic of Customs Uruguay
China Kyrgyzstan Territory Zambia
Colombia Latvia of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu Zimbabwe
Croatia Lithuania Serbia
Cyprus Luxemburg Slovakian
Czech Republic Malawi Republic
Denmark Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

• ISTA Executive Committee 2010-2013:

Presiden Joël Léchappé, France

t Officer Francisco Krzyzanowski,

9 Members-at- Brazil
Large Mary Chipili, Zambia
Steve Jones, Canada
Alexander Malko, Russia
Craig McGill, New Zealand
Alison Powell, United Kingdom
Masatoshi Sato, Japan
Grethe Tarp, Denmark
Kamil Yilmaz, Turkey
Rita Zecchinelli, Italy
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

ISTA Technical Committees and boards with Chairpersons 2010-

2013
• ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES Bert van Duijn, Netherlands
• COMMITTEE BULKING AND SAMPLING Leena Pietilä, Finland
• COMMITTEE FLOWER SEED COMMITTEE Rita Zecchinelli, Italy
• FOREST TREE AND SHRUB SEED COMMITTEE Fabio Gorian, Italy
• GERMINATION COMMITTEE Sylvie Ducournau, France
• GMO COMMITTEE Cheryl Dollard, Canada
• MOISTURE COMMITTEE Craig McGill, New Zealand
• NOMENCLATURE COMMITTEE John Wiersema, United States of
• PROFICIENCY TEST COMMITTEE America Günter Müller, Germany
• PURITY COMMITTEE Adriel Garay, United States of
• RULES COMMITTEE America Steve Jones, Canada
• SEED HEALTH COMMITTEE Theresa Aveling, South Africa
• STATISTICS COMMITTEE Jean-Louis Laffont, France
• SEED STORAGE Hugh Pritchard, United
• COMMITTEE TETRAZOLIUM Kingdom Stefanie Krämer,
• COMMITTEE VARIETY Germany
• COMMITTEE VIGOUR Berta Killermann, Germany
• COMMITTEE EDITORIAL Alison Powell, United Kingdom
BOARD (SST) Fiona Hay, Philippines
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

What is the International

Seed Testing Association
doing ?
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

The International Seed Testing Association

(ISTA)
Uniformity in seed quality
evaluation worldwide
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

International
standardization
of reporting
results

International International
exchange of standardization
scientific results of methodologies

International
standardization of
laboratory
performance
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Since 1933, ISTA publishes international rules

for seed testing
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

The ISTA Rules can be modified

and amended annually

Proposals to modify or amend the current ISTA

International Rules for Seed Testing can be made
by members or non-members, public or private
laboratories or persons working in the area of seed
science and technology.
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

How to modify the ISTA International Rules for Seed

Testing
Method proposal Species proposal
Submission and Information to ISTA
Technical Committee
Method Validation Study
Evaluation and Approval by ISTA Technical Committee

ISTA Rules
proposal
Approval by ISTA Executive Committee

Approval by ISTA Ordinary Meeting

New ISTA Rule

 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

International Standardization of Laboratory Performance

To achieve reproducibility of seed quality determination, the

standarization of the laboratory performance is highly
important, through:
1. The continuous monitoring of the performance of the laboratories
through proficiency tests.
2. The development of a quality assurance system according to
one international standard within the laboratory.
3. The regular auditing of the laboratories through an independent
body.
4. The further training and education of seed analysts in
international training and education workshops.
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

The ISTA Accreditation

Programme

ISTA Membership

ISTA Rules Seed

Testing
ISTA Accreditation Programme
ISTA Laboratory
Q-Audit Proficiency
Certificate
Testing
 Quality assurance  120 participating
system according to laboratories world
the ISTA Accreditation wide
Standard  The laboratory‘s
 ISTA audit every performance is directly
three years linked to its
 Audit by two ISTA accreditation status
auditors  Three test rounds per
year
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

The ISTA Accreditation Programme:

-is open for Seed Testing Laboratories from

the public and the private sector.

-the official language is English.

- all relevant documents can be downloaded

from the ISTA website at www.seedtest.org
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Monitoring of laboratory performance:

ISTA Proficiency Test Programme 2010 -
2013:
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Monitoring of laboratory
performance:

The ISTA Audit Programme

Within the ISTA Accreditation
Programme Laboratories need to
establish a quality assurance system
following the requirements of the
ISTA Accreditation Standard.
The standard can be downloaded free of charge
from the ISTA webpage www.seedtest.org
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Monitoring of laboratory performance:

The ISTA Audit Programme

- small audit team guarantees uniformity of the audit
process worldwide

- outstanding experience of ISTA technical auditors guarantees

the high quality level of ISTA audits

- ISTA Accreditation and Audit programme is globally accepted

and used worldwide
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Facilitation of International Seed Trade – The ISTA

Certificates
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Only ISTA accredited laboratories are

entitled to issue ISTA Certificates
• ISTA Certificates can be issued by private
and public laboratories.
• ISTA Certificates are accepted by all
countries in the world.
• ISTA Certificates are mandatory for seed imports in a number of
countries.

http://www.agri.state.id.us/Categories/Laboratories/Seed/indexSeedLabHome.php http://www.qaseeds.com.au/qas_quality.php
INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

Issuance of ISTA
Certificates • ISTA Certificates are
• ISTA Certificates are recommended under the
recommended under the Organization for Economic Co-
International Seed operation and Development
Federation trade rules. Seed Schemes.
 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION
(ISTA)
www.seedtest.org

In conclusion:
With that

-ISTA is offering unique tools to achieve a uniform and reliable

seed quality determination on a high level.
- ISTA is making it possible to evaluate and compare the
performance of the seed production internationally on
a company level and country level.
- ISTA is facilitating the international trade of seed.