The International Seed Health Initiative for Vegetables (ISHI-Veg) is an initiative of the vegetable seed industry in France, Japan, The Netherlands and United States in close cooperation with the FIS Vegetable Seed Section. Its activities are directed towards internationally accepted test methods and thresholds for the detection of seed-borne pathogens. The purpose is to secure the delivery of healthy seed to customers worldwide.
        In January 2001, ISHI-Veg published a 'Seed Health Testing Methods Reference Manual' on the FIS website. The technical members of ISHI-Veg compiled the manual after an inventory of existing test methods and developing new ones. Methods for 21 host-pathogens have been selected based on wide use and research in public and private institutions. Several methods are now in the process of comparative testing.
        The present manual serves as a guide for the development of ISHI-Veg reference methods, which consistently provide reliable and repeatable detection of each seed-borne pathogen at a specified threshold level. Experience in comparative tests has shown that the use of one method by many seed health laboratories does not necessarily always give the best results. Assuring that results are consistent among testing facilities is the most important in seed health testing. Thus the
annual may describe more than one method.
        The published methods are at different stages of adoption by the ISHI-Veg group. Most reference methods will go through a validation process that includes extensive comparative testing of the protocols. The aim of the group is to get international acceptance of these methods by official organizations of the international seed community.
        Seed health testing is dynamic and requires new methods, thresholds and applications. The manual and the seed health testing methods will be expanded and updated continuously. Comments on these methods and suggestions are welcomed. More information can be obtained from the FIS Secretariat. Patrick Heffer, Chemin du Reposoir 7, 1260 Nyon, Switzerland; Fax: ++41-22-3654421; E-mail: p.heffer@worldseed.org