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Introduction
The current active working groups within the Purity Committee include the following:
Pure Seed Definitions
Leader: Steve Jones (UK)
Participants: Ken Allison (CA), Fabio Ferrari (IT), Zita Ripka (HU), Corinne Sahuguède (FR), Jane Taylor (UK), Bettina Kalert (ISTA)
2004-2007 programme: new edition of handbook with illustrations.
For the future, the working group will be involved on the tasks of redoing the Pure Seed Definitions handbook. It will be arranged in a new format (loose leaf) on PSD basis with a preface and introduction, typical examples, images (photos and drawings) and glossary.
Seed identification
Leader: M.R. Mannino (FR)
Participants: Ken Allison (CA), Liciniu Dragos (FR), Fabio Ferrari (IT), Axel Goeritz (DE), Monica Moreno (AR), Andreas Ratzenboeck (AT), Zita Ripka (HU)
2004-2007 programme: finalize Universal List; bibliography for seed identification; list of seed specialists; list of botanical gardens; seed descriptions for UL species with glossary and images.
The Universal List of 130 species (crops and weeds), was drawn up by the Committee and is currently under discussion within ISTA. Different applications will be possible: the ISTA Proficiency Test Committee and test leaders could use this list for referees; audit teams could expect all accredited laboratories to have the listed species as a minimum requirement in their reference collections. The Purity Committee plans to finalise the list and to organise a referee to familiarise laboratories with the species. Another important task will be to find sources of seeds for distribution to laboratories to add to their reference collections.
Blowing
Leader: Gerarda de Boer (NL)
Participants: Corinne Sahuguède (FR), Deborah Meyer (US), Jette Nydam (DK), Jane Taylor (UK), Dorothy van Horsen (CA)
2004-2007 programme: blowing split samples of Poa spp. and Dactylis glomerata; blowing of mixtures; compare the ISTA and AOSA calibration sample.
For the future, after an evaluation of practices in use at present, the working group will be involved on the task of studying procedures that can be suggested for blowing split samples or if blowing is suitable when Poa spp. and Dactylis glomerata occur as mixture constituents .
Tropical and sub- tropical species
Leader: Monica Moreno (AR)
Participants : S.C. Aswathanarayana (IN), P. Balamurugan (IN), Rosilma Peloni (BR), Pamela Strauss (ZA), Izelle Allison (ZA)
2004-2007 programme : find samples of different varieties of Chloris gayana to be tested to improve current rules; find adapted PSD Tropical and sub- tropical species and study other purity analysis problems related ; liaison with task force.
The group also participates to the revision of the PSD handbook by finding images and seeds of Tropical and sub-tropical species to be included in the new version.
Workshop development and organisation
Leader: Ken Allison (CA)
Participants: Maria Rosaria Mannino (FR), Zita Ripka (HU)
2004-2007 programme: basic outline for workshop organisation; workshop organisation in 2005, 2006, and 2007
In 2004 the ISTA Purity Committee organised a workshop which was held at the National Institute for Agricultural Quality Control in Budapest. The workshop was a part of pre-congress ISTA activities. 33 participants were present coming from 22 different countries.
During the workshop different items were discussed: purity committee work and organisation, improvement of current purity rules, the Universal List of 130 species (crops and weeds), the use of PSDs, the analysis of seed mixtures, the blowing of Poaceae seeds and the difficulties of seed identification (Medicago spp., Cucurbitaceae, Bromus spp and Triticum spp.).
During the Congress, the Purity Committee planned to organise three purity workshops: in 2005 (Asia), 2006 (Europe) and 2007 (America). Contacts are in progress to find the countries and establish the dates.
Rules Development
Leader: M.R. Mannino (FR)
Participants (Purity Committee Members): Jane Taylor (UK), Ken Allison (CA), S.C. Aswathanarayana (IN), Gerarda de Boer (NL), Fabio Ferrari (IT), Axel Goeritz (DE), Steve Jones (GB), Monica Moreno (AR), Deborah Meyer (US), Andreas Ratzenboeck (AT), Zita Ripka (HU)
2004-2007 programme: purity rules improvement. The aim is to clarify the purity rules, to harmonise different paragraphs of chapter 3, 4 and annexe and to improve the current Pure Seed Definitions.
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