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Introduction
The Vigour Committee has for many years conducted international collaborative research into the development of vigour tests. However, in 2001, the ISTA membership voted to accept Seed Vigour as a chapter in the ISTA Rules, with the inclusion of two validated vigour tests, the Accelerated Ageing test for Glycine max and the Conductivity test for Pisum sativum. The Vigour Committee therefore now has two foci for their work, namely the current validated tests and the development of new vigour tests.
The committee has two aims associated with the Accelerated Ageing and Conductivity tests. The first of these is to promote the accurate implementation of these tests. We are doing this though ISTA workshops, with two completed (USA, Austria) and two planned for 2006 (France) and 2007 (Brazil). In addition a proficiency test for the Conductivity test was completed in 2003 and a second will take place in October 2005. We are also considering the possibility of a proficiency test for Accelerated Ageing. Our second aim is to increase the species base for the validated tests. To this end we plan to complete comparative tests in 2004-2007 for the application of the Conductivity test to Glycine max, Phaseolus vulgaris and Brassica napus and the Accelerated ageing test to maize and wheat.
The main focus for the development of new vigour tests is the Controlled Deterioration test for small seeded vegetable species. This test has been the subject of comparative tests within the Vigour Committee in 1995–1998, 1998–2001 and 2001-2004 and the results have shown a high degree of repeatability and reproducibility. As a result we plan to submit this test to the ISTA Validation Programme in 2004 –2007. In addition to this, a working group will initiate a comparative test to examine the application of different assessments of the rate of germination to reveal vigour differences in rice and onion.
The introduction of Seed Vigour into the ISTA Rules has changed the status of vigour testing and hence it is appropriate that the committee will revise the current Handbook of Seed Vigour Tests, to reflect these changes. In addition it has given a stimulus to vigour evaluation and both ISTA members and non-members have shown great interest in the ISTA Seed Vigour workshops, the proficiency tests and in participation in the working groups of the Vigour Committee.
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