ISTA Laboratory Kassel

The seed testing station of the LHL (Landesbetrieb Hessisches Landeslabor) was established in 1876. Originally, it was part of the Hessian Agricultural Testing and Research Agency (LUFA) and was moved to a new building in 1995.

The LHL carries out examinations in the farming and food sector on a large scale, including veterinary inspections at the Rhein-Main airport.

All staff members of the seed testing station have many years of experience in the handling of seeds. The new laboratory meets modern requirements and is accredited by ISTA. 

Its main tasks include quality tests for seed approval, seed marketing controls, special tests (e.g. cold tests and brand spore testing) for organic farms and the testing of private samples. Most samples come from the farming sector. The most commonly tested species are wheat (Triticum aestivum), barley (Hordeum vulgare), rape (Brassica napus), triticale (Triticosecale), oat (Avena sativa), rye (Secale cereale), some leguminosea, vegetables and ornamental plants.

ISTA certificates are mainly applied for with regard to sugar beet seeds large amounts of which are processed in Hessen and sold on the global market.

More information

Landesbetrieb Hessisches Landeslabor (LHL) (only available in German)