Diliman, Quezon City, the Philippines - International Seed Testing ...

Diliman, Quezon City, the Philippines
National Seed Quality Control Services, Bureau of Plant Industry
Department of Agriculture
September 12-16, 2006
By: Maribel M. Querijero, Senior Agriculturist
NSQCS, Bureau of Plant Industry
In September 12-16, 2005 the Training Course in Seed Testing was hosted by the National Seed
Quality Control Services (NSQCS), Bureau of Plant Industry, Quezon City, Philippines, through the
initiative and support of the International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) and the Asia & Pacific
Seed Association (APSA). The National Seed Quality Control Services, Bureau of Plant Industry is
ISTA member laboratory involved in seed testing and certification and one of the participants in the
ISTA Proficiency Test programme.

Topic of the Training Course was Sampling, Purity, Germination, Tetrazolium, Seed Health testing
and ISTA Accreditation. There were 20 participants from nine countries in the Asia Pacific region
namely, China (1), Hongkong (1), India (3), Japan (2), Korea (1), Philippines (7), Taiwan (1),
Thailand (3) and Vietnam (1) from both government and private seed companies and institutions
engaged in seed production, trade and seed quality control.
The International Seed Testing Association had an invaluable contribution in supporting
the training course through the expertise of ISTA lecturers, Prof. Dr. Norbert Leist and Ms. Andrea,
coming from the LUFA, Augustenberg, Germany, Department of Agrobiology, Seed Testing and
Applied Botany.
The opening ceremony was held at the Sulo Hotel in Quezon City, Philippines. Mr. Lealyn
A. Ramos and Mr. Dante V. Fidel, directors of The Bureau of Plant Industry, Mr. Henry T. Carpiso,
NSQCS chief, Dr. Francisco Malabanan, GMA Rice Program director and Mr. Willy, APSA Co-
President greeted participants at the oppening ceremony.
The lectures and practicals were conducted at the NSQCS laboratory. Mr. Henry Carpiso
and his staff were able to prepare interesting seed samples that opened ground for discussion and
exchange of ideas and experience from respective laboratories. The technical knowledge and wide
experience of the ISTA experts encouraged participants to learn more of the evaluation procedures
following the ISTA rules and standards. Prof. Dr. Leist emphasized the importance of uniformity in
seed testing and the establishment of standards as well as ensuring the qualified implementation of
procedures that are comparable worldwide.
Participants had the chance to increase their knowledge:
- of the seed sampling, as the most important step in the laboratory for obtaining
the representative sample of the entire seedlot
- of the significance of the purity test prior any further test shall be conducted
- that the germination test has to be conducted with the appropriate media,
temperature and light requirement for each seed type
- of the ISTA accreditation and the significance of the quality management in seed
testing laboratories.

Participants also had the chance to visit the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Los
Banos, Laguna, which was very informative and enabled participants to see the IRRI genebank
and seed testing facilities as well as have a glimpse of the Philippines rice farming area.
The five day training was not only work. Even with the very intensive schedule and interesting
practicals and lectures, the participants were given the chance to explore the city life in the
Philippines, to taste some Filipino food and to experience some of the Philippine culture.
The most important major output of the training course is the new knowledge and skills gained from
the ISTA experts as well as the experience exchange with other colleagues, which is all brought
back in respective countries. With this kind of capacity building trainings, the seed industry can
become more productive and successful in the trade of the quality planting materials, particularly
the SEED.
normal and abnormal seedlings
Participants
conducting
germination test
using the sand
method

Ms.Jonitz &
participants inside
the IRRI gene
bank
Purity testing . is a very interesting subject
Participants looking at the samples of other Participants enthusiastic to know how to identify other
seeds and weed seeds during the practicum on species during purity testing lecture by Prof. Dr. Leist.
Participants looking at the samples of other seeds and weed seeds during the practicum on purity testing.
purity testing.
Prof. Dr. Leist imparted to all the participants,
”All the flowers of today are the seeds of
tommorow”. ”We shall work in many aspects of
seeds and seed life and the knowledge shall
increase like the seeds grow.”