International Seed Testing Association | 29 Jun 2019

The 32nd International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) Congress is taking place in Hyderabad from 26th June to 3rd July, 2019. This is the first congress that is being held in Asia.

  • ITSA was founded in the year 1924 with the aim to develop and publish standard procedures in the field of seed testing.
  • It 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.
  • ISTA members are over 85 countries/distinct economies worldwide and they work together to achieve their vision of 'Uniformity in seed quality evaluation worldwide'. This facilitates seed trading nationally and internationally, and also contributes to food security.
  • The headquarters of the Association is located in Switzerland.

Note

  • National Seed Research and Training Centre (NSRTC), Varanasi is the apex centre in India to maintain uniformity in seed testing results at national level.
  • The Central Seed Testing Laboratory (CSTL), under the centre, is a member laboratory of International Seed Testing Association (ISTA).