Bangkok workshop raises the bar for Seed Vigour Testing

In the latest stride to elevate international seed testing competency and capacities in the Asia-Pacific region was the APSAISTA Seed Vigour Testing Workshop held recently in Bangkok.

Jointly organized from 26-28 September by APSA and ISTA in partnership with the Department of DoA Thailand, Kasetsart University, and prominent Thailand-based international seed companies Chia Tai Seeds and East-West Seed, the workshop was held at Vajiranusorn Building, Kasetsat University, Bangkok, Thailand. Attending were a total of 51 participants representing government agencies and APSA member companies hailing from Thailand, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Vietnam came together for this event.

The primary focus of the workshop revolved around species of interest to APSA members, with an emphasis on in-house development of vigour tests and the application of cutting-edge technologies. This endeavor was led by several distinguished ISTA lecturers:

Dr. Alison Powell (Chair, ISTA Vigour Committee, Aberdeen University, UK)

Dr. Hulya Ilbi (Vice-Chair, ISTA Vigour Committee, Ege University, Turkey)

Dr. Stan Matthews (Vigour Committee Member, Aberdeen University, UK)

Marie-Helene Wagner (Vigour Committee Member, GEVES, France)

During the workshop, participants delved into four validated vigour tests: Electrical Conductivity (EC),

Accelerated Ageing (AA), Controlled Deterioration (CD), and Radicle Emergence (RE). They were thoroughly briefed on the current validated test methods and the procedures used to establish the testing conditions.

Participants actively engaged in handson exercises, applying the validated test methods to species of particular interest to APSA members. These test conditions were selected from research papers where the validated tests had been applied to sweetcorn and species from the Solanaceae and Cucurbitaceae families. The results obtained were used to illustrate the process of determining appropriate test conditions. Additionally, other crucial aspects of test development, such as field and greenhouse trials, were extensively discussed. The participants were also introduced to the practical applications of image analysis in vigour testing.

This workshop marked the third collaborative effort between APSA and ISTA since their formal collaboration began in 2020. In February 2020, the two organizations, along with Thailand’s Department of Agriculture, jointly organized a Seed Quality Management Seminar, which brought together around 100 quality assurance personnel representing both seed companies and government agencies from across the region. Following this successful seminar, the organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding in October 2020, with the aim of facilitating collaborative projects to strengthen seed research, training initiatives, and the promotion of seed testing programs and the ISTA accreditation system in the Asia Pacific region.

Continuing their collaborative efforts, APSA and ISTA, in partnership with the Department of Agriculture, Thailand (DoA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organized a "Workshop on Quality Assurance and ISTA Accreditation for Beginners" in Thailand from November 21st to 23rd. This workshop saw the participation of 26 individuals from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand.

APSA and ISTA are set to renew their aforementioned Memorandum of Understanding for an additional three years, with the signing ceremony slated to take place during the upcoming Asian Seed Congress this November in Christchurch. Watch this space.