INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA) Secretariat, Zürichstrasse 50, 8303 Bassersdorf, CH-Switzerland Phone: +41-44-838 60 00, Fax: +41-44-838 60 01, Email: [email protected], http://www.seedtest.org ACCREDITATION ISTA Accreditation Scope: Revision of the Crop Groups Rita Zecchinelli, Florina Palada THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE (ECOM) ACCREDITATION WORKING GROUP (AWG) formed by Steve Jones (ISTA President), Rita Zecchinelli (Chair), Berta Killermann, Valerie Cockerell, Sylvie Ducournau, Andreas Wais and Florina Palada, has worked to revise and improve the table of crop groups that serves as a reference in the framework of ISTA accreditation. The crop groups represent an important criterion for defining the scope of accreditation for laboratories. The revision required the following activities: - Table 2C Parts 1, 2 and 3 of the ISTA Rules were carefully checked versus the crop groups table. - A few missing species were added in the crop groups table (the Bulking and Sampling, Purity, Germination and the Forest Tree and Shrub Seed TCOM chairs were consulted). - The scientific names of the genera were aligned to the revised ISTA List of Stabilised Plant Names, 7th edition. - All genera were listed in groups 7 (forest species) and 8 (flower species). (In the previous version of the table there was just a reference to the ISTA Rules Table 2C, Part 2 or 3.) - In some cases, a genus was added in more than one crop group (e.g. genera with species that can be cultivated for different purposes). - The subgroups within the groups were removed, as the ISTA accreditation is granted for each crop group and not for subgroups. Below you will find four tables: 1. the ‘old’ crop groups table (as it was in the application for re-accreditation); 2. the ‘new’ table, clean and with the genera in alphabetical order (as approved by the ECOM in June 2020); 3. the ‘new’ crop groups table with colours (used to highlight the changes); 4. the crop groups for viability tests using the tetrazolium method, with the scientific name aligned with the revision of the ISTA List of Stabilised Plant Names, 7th edition We would like to give some examples of the changes and the rationale behind these changes. Brassica was under group 5 only and it was added to group 6 as well, as several brassicas are in fact vegetable species. Salvia was initially listed only in group 8 (flower species), but now we have it in crop group 6 (vegetable species) and group 5 as well (other agricultural species), due to the new addition to the ISTA Rules of Salvia hyspanica (chia). It is to be noted that for the ISTA Rules 2022, a proposal is prepared by the Bulking and Sampling Committee to add Salvia hyspanica, in Table 2C Part 1, as it is considered a ‘food’ crop in several countries, especially popular in South America. 1 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA) Secretariat, Zürichstrasse 50, 8303 Bassersdorf, CH-Switzerland Phone: +41-44-838 60 00, Fax: +41-44-838 60 01, Email: [email protected], http://www.seedtest.org Levisticum was initially introduced in crop group 8, because the leaves can be used as an aromatic herb, but the seeds can be considered a spice and the root consumed as a vegetable. For these reasons, in the revision it is also listed in group 6. For some ISTA laboratories, a possible consequence of the approved changes is a reduction of their accreditation scope (e.g. several laboratories are accredited for group 5 because they test Brassica vegetable species; or a laboratory interested in testing Salvia hyspanica will not be obliged to extend the accreditation scope to the flower species group thanks to the changes). We hope that this simplification will lead to better administration of the audit time and more appropriate participation in the ISTA Proficiency Test programme. Table 1. Crop groups for purity, other seed determination and germination tests before the table revision Crop group Size Species belonging to the following genera 1 (grasses) A Poa pratensis, Poa trivialis, Dactylis B Agrostis, Anthoxanthum, Cynodon, Cynosurus, Deschampsia, Eragrostis, Holcus, Phleum, Poa, Schizachyrium C Agropyron, Alopecurus, Arrhenatherum, Beckmannia, Bromus, Ehrharta, Elymus, Elytrigia, Festuca, xFestulolium, Koeleria, Lolium, Pascopyrum, Phalaris, Piptatherum, Psathyrostachys, Pseudoroegneria, Trisetum, Zoysia D Andropogon, Astrebla, Bothriochloa, Bouteloua, Cenchrus, Chloris, Dichanthium, Pennisetum, Sorghastrum E Axonopus, Brachiaria, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Eleusine, Melinis, Panicum, Paspalum, Pennisetum glaucum, Setaria, Urochloa 2 (cereals) A Avena, Hordeum, Secale, xTriticosecale, Triticum B Oryza, Sorghum, Zea 3 (small A Aeschynomene, Alysicarpus, Anthyllis, Astragalus, Centrosema, legumes) Chamaecrista, Securigera, Crotalaria, Desmodium, Galega, Hedysarum, Kummerowia, Lespedeza, Leucaena, Lotus, Macroptilium, Macrotyloma, Medicago, Melilotus, Onobrychis, Ornithopus, Securigera, Trifolium, Trigonella 4 (pulses) A Vicia (small) B Cajanus, Cicer, Lathyrus, Lens, Mucuna, Phaseolus coccineus, Pisum, Psophocarpus, Vicia (large) 2 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA) Secretariat, Zürichstrasse 50, 8303 Bassersdorf, CH-Switzerland Phone: +41-44-838 60 00, Fax: +41-44-838 60 01, Email: [email protected], http://www.seedtest.org C Arachis, Cyamopsis, Glycine, Lablab, Lupinus, Phaseolus, Pueraria, Vigna 5 (other A Beta, Brassica, Crambe, Dichondra, Hibiscus, Linum, Plantago, agricultural Sinapis, Spergula, Raphanus species) B Cannabis, Carthamus, Fagopyrum, Helianthus 6 (vegetables, A Achillea, Anethum, Anthriscus, Apium, Arctium, Atriplex, Atropa, including fruits, Camelina, Campanula, Carum, Chrysanthemum, Glebionis, Cichorium, spices and Claytonia, Cuminum, Daucus, Eruca, Fragaria, Lactuca, Lepidium, condiments) Solanum, Solanum hybrids, Marrubium, Matricaria, Melissa, Mentha, Nasturtium, Nicotiana, Ocimum, Oenothera, Origanum, Papaver, Petroselinum, Phacelia, Physalis, Pimpinella, Portulaca, Rheum, Rosmarinus, Rumex, Satureja, Sesamum, Stylosanthes, Taraxacum, Thymus, Valerianella B Allium, Asparagus, Capsicum, Corchorus, Coriandrum, Cynara, Foeniculum, Pastinaca, Raphanus, Sanguisorba, Scorzonera, Solanum, Spinacia, Tragopogon C Abelmoschus, Borago, Cucumis, Cucurbita, Cucurbita hybrids, Citrullus, Gossypium, Ipomoea, Lagenaria, Luffa, Momordica, Ricinus, Tetragonia 7 (forest See Table 2C Part 2 of the ISTA Rules species) 8 (flower See Table 2C Part 3 of the ISTA Rules species) Table 2. Crop groups for purity, other seed determination and germination tests, revised – groups 1 to 8 cover species/genera of Table 2C Parts 1, 2 and 3 after the table revision Crop group Species belonging to the following genera 1 (grasses) Agrostis, Anthoxanthum, Agropyron, Alopecurus, Arrhenatherum, Andropogon, Astrebla, Avenella, Axonopus, Beckmannia, Bothriochloa, Bouteloua, Bromus, Cenchrus, Chloris, Cynodon, Cynosurus, Dactylis, Deschampsia, Dichanthium, Digitaria, Echinochloa, Ehrharta, Eleusine, Elymus, Eragrostis, Festuca, xFestulolium, Holcus, Koeleria, Lolium, Megathyrsus, Melinis, Oloptum, Panicum, Pascopyrum, Paspalum, Pennisetum, Phalaris, Phleum, Poa, Psathyrostachys, Pseudoroegneria, Schizachyrium, Setaria, Sorghastrum, Thinopyrum, Trisetum, Urochloa, Zoysia 2 (cereals) Avena, Hordeum, Oryza, Secale, Sorghum, Triticum, xTriticosecale, Zea 3 INTERNATIONAL SEED TESTING ASSOCIATION (ISTA) Secretariat, Zürichstrasse 50, 8303 Bassersdorf, CH-Switzerland Phone: +41-44-838 60 00, Fax: +41-44-838 60 01, Email: [email protected], http://www.seedtest.org 3 (small Aeschynomene, Alysicarpus, Anthyllis, Astragalus, Calopogonium, Centrosema, legumes) Chamaecrista, Crotalaria, Desmodium, Galega, Hedysarum, Kummerowia, Lespedeza, Leucaena, Listia, Lotus, Macroptilium, Macrotyloma, Medicago, Melilotus, Onobrychis, Ornithopus, Securigera, Trifolium, Trigonella 4 (pulses) Arachis, Cajanus, Cicer, Cyamopsis, Glycine, Lablab, Lathyrus, Lens, Lupinus, Mucuna, Neonotonia, Neustanthus, Phaseolus, Pisum, Psophocarpus, Pueraria, Vicia, Vigna 5 (other Beta, Brassica, Cannabis, Carthamus, Crambe, Dichondra, Fagopyrum, Helianthus, agricultural Hibiscus, Linum, Nicotiana, Plantago, Phacelia, Raphanus, Salvia, Sinapis, Spergula species) 6 (vegetables, Abelmoschus, Achillea, Allium, Anethum, Anthriscus, Apium, Arctium, Asparagus, spices, herbs, Atriplex, Atropa, Beta, Borago, Brassica, Camelina, Campanula, Cannabis, Capsicum, and medicinal Carum, Chrysanthemum, Cichorium, Citrullus, Claytonia, Corchorus, Coriandrum, species) Cucumis, Cucurbita, Cuminum, Cynara, Datura, Daucus, Eruca, Fragaria, Foeniculum, Gossypium, Glebionis, Ipomoea, Lactuca, Lagenaria, Lepidium, Levisticum, Luffa, Marrubium, Matricaria, Melissa, Mentha, Momordica, Nasturtium, Nicotiana, Ocimum, Oenothera, Origanum, Papaver, Pastinaca, Petroselinum, Phacelia, Physalis, Pimpinella, Portulaca, Raphanus, Rheum, Ricinus, Rosmarinus, Rumex, Salvia, Sanguisorba, Satureja, Scorzonera, Sesamum, Silybum, Solanum, Spinacia, Stylosanthes, Taraxacum, Tetragonia, Thymus, Tragopogon, Valerianella, Valeriana, Verbena 7 (forest Abies, Acacia, Acer, Aesculus, Ailanthus, Alnus, Amorpha, Berberis, Betula, Calocedrus, species) Caragana, Carica, Carpinus, Castanea, Catalpa, Cedrela, Cedrus, Chamaecyparis, Cornus, Corylus, Corymbia, Cotoneaster, Crataegus, Cryptomeria, Cupressus, Cydonia, Cytisus, Elaeagnus, Eucalyptus, Euonymus, Fagus, Fraxinus, Ginkgo, Gleditsia, Ilex, Juniperus, Koelreuteria, Laburnum, Larix, Ligustrum, Liquidambar, Liriodendron, Malus, Morus, Nothofagus, Picea, Pinus, Platanus, Platycladus, Populus, Prunus,