Seed Group of the Association of German Agricultural Investigation and Research Centers (VDLUFA)
ISTA seed testing laboratories in Germany
In the Federal Republic of Germany, seed testing for certification purposes is in the responsibility of the States (Bundesländer). Consequently, there is not a German Federal Seed Laboratory, but 11 official seed testing laboratories in the major seed producing states. Ten of them are ISTA Members and ISTA accredited. In addition, two private seed testing laboratories are involved in seed testing for certification purposes, of which one is also ISTA accredited.
All these laboratories, as well as other private and company seed laboratories, interested laboratories of neighboring countries and seed science divisions of Universities are member of the Association of German Agricultural Testing and Research Stations (VDLUFA, www.vdlufa.de) and its Seed Group. This group is lead by a board with a chair and a vice-chair and is organizing two regular meetings per year, one working meeting including a seed testing workshop in spring and one meeting during the congress of the Association in autumn including a seminar with scientific presentations. There are usually about 50 participants in the regular meetings of the Seed Group. In addition, members organize small workshops on special topics, training courses and further on e.g. exchange critical samples.
As a service for its members and other interested laboratories, the members of the seed group are organizing two proficiency tests per year on species and tests relevant for the German seed market and a varying number of ring tests as part of method development and validation. New methods, which might be of international interest are the forwarded to the ISTA Technical Committees. Methods of only national importance, modifications of ISTA methods as well as e.g. detailed interpretation of German seed regulations are collected in the document "Collection of decisions of the Seed Group of VDLUFA", which is updated regularly after the group meetings.
