ISTA workshop in Budapest: international standards for seed sampling in practice

The four-day program, organized by the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA), the National Food Chain Safety Office (Nébih), and Alisca-Mag Kft. in Budapest and Sárbogárd, provided a comprehensive overview of the theoretical foundations and practical implementation of seed sampling, led by international trainers. At the end of the training, the participants took an exam and received a certificate confirming their acquired knowledge.

The aim of the workshop, organized with a total of 33 participants from 18 countries, was to provide participants with a uniform interpretation of the sampling requirements of the ISTA regulations, to be able to apply the regulations in practice, and to receive answers to their questions directly from the organization’s trainers, thereby deepening their existing professional knowledge.

Gábor Kokavecz, Head of the Seed Inspection Department of Nébih, emphasized that seed sampling is one of the most critical steps in the entire seed quality control system. Sampling determines whether the laboratory test result reflects the entire batch, thus giving both the buyer and the authority a true picture of the quality. If sampling is incorrect, the test results are distorted and the reliability of the seed trade is damaged. Sampling is therefore a key link between the seed producer, the laboratory and the authority. The aim of the ISTA regulations is to ensure that sampling carried out anywhere in the world is uniform and comparable.

The workshop was organized by ISTA, but the key player in the Hungarian implementation was Nébih. The successful implementation of the event was the result of a complex cooperation between an international organization (ISTA), an authority (Nébih), and industry players.

Péter Varga, representative of the Seed Association, laboratory manager of Alisca-Mag Kft., said: the professional program of the workshop provided a comprehensive picture of the entire process of seed sampling: the participants were introduced to the ISTA regulations, the different sampling methods, the sample distribution procedures, as well as quality assurance and audit processes. An important element of the training was a practical day in Sárbogárd, where they worked on several workstations and in real conditions with different types of seeds – including oil radish, meadowsweet, rye, grass seed mixture, vegetable seeds and coated alfalfa. The participants not only tried out the sampling techniques, but also presented their own practices and compared the applied methods, thereby strengthening the development of a common professional approach.

The most important result of the workshop was that the participants gained a more uniform interpretation of the ISTA sampling rules, their practical knowledge was significantly expanded and their international professional contacts were strengthened.