Source: International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) newsletter

During the Ordinary Meeting 2005 in Bangkok, Thailand, the proposed new version of the ISTA Rules Chapter 8, which includes also the testing for specified traits was adopted by the ISTA voting delegates during the Ordinary Meeting. The new version of Chapter 8 of the ISTA Rules including the testing for specified traits, and the relevant accreditation documents to become ISTA accredited for the testing of specified traits under the performance based approach, came into force on February 1, 2006.

Now the ISTA Executive Committee with support of the ISTA GMO Task Force enhanced the relevant accreditation documents. The requirements of the enhanced documents will come into force on April 1, 2006, and will be published on the ISTA Website for free download.

The enhanced accreditation documents are:

- Principles and Conditions for Laboratory Accreditation under the performance based approach (Version 2.0)

- Performance data evaluation for the presence of seeds with specified traits in seed lots (Version 2.0)


The enhancements made to the already existing documents aim at reducing the workload and the costs for laboratories to become ISTA accredited for the testing of specified traits, without reducing the reliability of the system.

Furthermore, the range of the ISTA performance data, being a prerequisite for a successful accreditation, has been extended to the generation of performance data for trait purity of seed lots.
The relevant accreditation document has the title:

- Performance Data Evaluation for Trait Purity (Version 1.0)

The newly established document for the generation of performance data for the testing of the trait purity will come into force on April 1, 2006.

Please visit the ISTA Website to download the relevant documents.
https://www.seedtest.org/stream/nl-l---1--%400dfbc7321031--44.html

Kind regards,

Dr. Michael Muschick
ISTA Secretary General
E-mail: ista.office@ista.ch
www.seedtest.org