ISTA 2022 Congress: “Advanced Technologies” seminar, vote on the 2023 rules and new Executive Committee
The ISTA Congress, which was originally scheduled to be held in New Zealand, was held in Cairo for its General Assembly. The Symposium, which is held every three years in conjunction with the General Assembly, will take place in Athens from 2 to 4 November 2022.
During the General Assembly, the first day was dedicated to a Seminar on “Advancements and innovation in seed testing: from science to robust test”. Technologies based on X-ray, multispectral imaging, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared thermography, or physiological processes based on seed cell respiration were presented in relation to their potential for seed quality testing. Ongoing projects funded by ISTA were also presented.
Two days were devoted to the activity reports of the 20 ISTA technical committees. Questions from members regarding proposals for the evolution of ISTA methods were raised and discussed. The last day allowed the host country to present the seed and variety control activity in Egypt, followed by a report from the the ISTA Secretariat and the Executive Committee on their activities. The ISTA method changes were voted on with a postponement for the proposal to remove the restriction of issuing only dust type species analysis results on an International Blue Bulletin.
Finally, ISTA elected for the next three years a new Vice-President Ernest Allen (USA) and the members of the Executive Committee, including Sylvie Ducournau, Head of the GEVES germination laboratory. The President of ISTA is now Keshavulu Kunusoth (India).
The presentations made during the General Assembly as well as the preparatory documents are available here on the ISTA website.
More than 10 GEVES agents are involved in ISTA in different capacities: member of the executive committee, chair of technical committees, member of technical committees or working groups, with the aim of working on methodological development to facilitate the international seed trade.
