Network Publications

The revision of three Network publications namely; WANA Variety Catalogue, WANA Field and Seed Standards Catalogue and WANA Seed Directory is now completed and expected to be published in 2002.

The WANA catalogue of standards includes field and seed standards which are used for certification of most important agricultural and horticultural crops in member countries. The document now includes standards for cereals, legumes, oilseeds, industrial crops (cotton, sugar beet), forage crops and some horticultural crops (beans, cabbage, carrot, cucumber, egg plant, onion, potato, pepper, tomato, water melon). An AOSCA scheme used for varietal certification in Canada and USA and a proposal developed by FAO for Quality Declared Seed are included for selected crops to enable comparisons among different systems.

The WANA Catalogue of Crop Varieties compiles information on crop varieties (and their synonyms) as well as breeders/maintainers of varieties grown in the WANA region. This document is a revised version of 1998 and covers varieties of cereals, legumes, oilseeds and forage crops currently released and under commercial seed production.

The WANA Seed Directory lists public and private organizations involved in the seed sector of the member countries as a source of reference and to facilitate communication. The present document includes lists of public and private institutions as well as managers and specialists in the seed sector from 15 countries.

Change of Network Representative

Mr Yasir Momany from the National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT), Ministry of Agriculture has replaced Mr Hussein Saleh who served as the Country Representative of Jordan to the WANA Seed Network since 1995. We would like to thank Mr Saleh for his valuable contribution to the Network during his term as representative of Jordan. We also would like to welcome Mr Momany as a new Country Representative and look forward to his contribution to the objectives of the Network. His contact address is: Mr Yasir Momany, National Center for Agricultural Research and Technology Transfer (NCARTT), P.O Box 639, Baqa' 19381, Jordan; Tel: ++962-6-4725411, 4725461; Fax: ++962-6-4726099; Website: http://www.ncartt.gov .jo

New E-mail Address for GOSM

The Syria Country Representative to the WANA Seed Network has informed us that the General Organization for Seed Multiplication (GOSM) has an e-mail address which we believe will facilitate easier communication among Network members and observers. Syria is responsible for preparing the WANA Catalogue of Field and Seed Standards, which is being completed. The full contact address is: General Organization for Seed Multiplication, P.O. Box 5857, Aleppo, Syria. Tel: ++963-21-4644902; Fax: ++963-21-4644901; E-mail: gosm@ mail.sy

Change at the Network Secretariat
Dr A.J. G. van Gastel joined ICARDA from March 2002 as the Head of the Seed Unit after six years leading the IITA/GTZ Seed Production and Marketing Project based in Ghana. Dr Michael Turner left ICARDA in 2002 and is currently working as Visiting Professor at the Seed Science Center of Iowa University starting from May 2002.