The International Seed Testing Association (ISTA) was established in 1924 with the idea of standardization in seed testing worldwide. The first international rules for seed testing (ISTA Rules) were published in 1931. The development of ISTA Rules is constant. ISTA members are involved in the ongoing process of developing methods for seed sampling and testing. The methods are validated to ensure that test procedures provide reliable and reproducible results. Since 2001, ISTA Rules have been issued annually. ISTA accredited laboratories have to work according to valid ISTA Rules. In this paper, ISTA Rules changes in seed germination testing since 2001 were presented. Changes in testing methods, criteria for seedling evaluation, procedure of calculation and reporting of results are presented in detail. It can be concluded that the amendments to the ISTA Rules are necessary in order to harmonize seed testing and modern trends in seed trade.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of the year of cultivation, seed population and mycorrhizal seed treatment on two most important indicators of the pepper seed quality, namely germination energy and total germination. The pepper seed quality parameters, i.e. the first count and the total germination rate, were examined in the period 2017-2018. The results obtained show significant differences (p < 0.01) between the parameter values under consideration relative to the year of cultivation (Factor A), seed population (Factor B) and mycorrhizal sees treatment (Factor C). In the first experimental year, there was an increase in the first count and total germination of 4 to 6 % compared to the control when pepper seeds were treated with the mycorrhizal formulation. In the second experimental year, an increase in the first count was in the range of 3 to 16 %, whereas an increase in the total germination was 3 to 4 %, compared to the control. The effect of mycorrhizal pepper seed treatment proved beneficial especially to aged seeds that were slow to germinate.

Information regarding the adaptation of maize (Zea mays L .) inbred lines to various field conditions and seed longevity is essential for seed companies. The objective of this work was to evaluate different vigour tests for detecting differences among naturally aged seeds and to assess the relationship between seed quality parameters and pedigree data of maize inbred lines. A seed of 15 maize inbred lines, selected at Maize Research Institute Zemun Polje, belonging to different heterotic groups was produced during 2011. Seed quality was assessed in 2015 by standard germination , radical emergence, accelerated ageing, and cold test. Root length of 4-day old seedlings was measured in all applied tests. Analysis of variance showed that genotype and storage conditions had a significant effect on all seed quality parameters. Large variation among inbred lines was detected in seed vigour determined by three tests, in particular by the accelerated ageing test. Cold test results showed very good chilling tolerance of tested genotypes, except two inbred lines with Lancaster background. The correlation between the cold test and the accelerated ageing test was significant, while the radical emergence test had a poor correlation with them. Obtained results indicate that the application of either cold test or accelerated ageing test is reliable for screening seed vigour of maize inbred lines.

An effective strategy to address the impacts of climate change on maize involves early planting, which mitigates drought stress during critical growth phases, preventing yield reductions. The research assessed two maize inbred lines (sensitive and tolerant to low temperature) under conditions of waterlogging stress. This is crucial since early sowing often faces both low temperatures and heavy rain. Morphological, biochemical, and molecular responses were recorded after 24 h, 72 h, and 7 days of stress during the growth stage of 5-day-old seedlings. The findings indicated a more pronounced decline in all morphological characteristics in the sensitive line. Both genotypes displayed an increased root-to-shoot ratio, suggesting that the shoots deteriorate more rapidly than the roots. Physiological evaluations demonstrated that the tolerant line was more effective in managing ROS levels compared to the sensitive line. The involvement of H₂O₂ in aerenchyma formation implies that the decreased POD activity and elevated MDA levels observed after seven days may be associated with aerenchyma development in the tolerant line. Genes essential for PSII function revealed that waterlogging adversely affected photosynthesis in the sensitive genotype. In summary, the low-temperature tolerant genotype exhibited significant resilience to waterlogging, indicating potential interaction between the pathways governing these two abiotic stressors.

Accuracy and random selection of seeds when testing the 1000 seeds weight in the laboratory is of great importance in order to ensure the representativeness of the sample and precise information for further packaging process. The aim of this research was to check whether the laboratory seed counter selects seeds by shape and size and whether there is a trend during operation at maximum and reduced speed. Ten species of different seed sizes were used. Ten replicates of 100 seeds were counted by counter, the number of seeds was manually checked and the weight measured. The analysis of the obtained results showed that the counter is precise, but weight results showed selection of smaller seeds (Capsicum annuum and Glycine max) at maximum counting speed. Trend of larger seed selection was observed in Medicago sativa and pelleted Beta vulgaris. Slower counting (50% of the maximum speed), is ensured precise counting without trends.

Standard laboratory germination seed test provides information on seed performance under defined environmental conditions aiming to estimate field planting value. Purpose of this study was to compare results from the standard germination test with seedling emergence in different outside temperature conditions. Sowing was done in three periods during spring, in trays exposed to outside conditions. Data obtained showed that differences in the germination, detected in the standard laboratory test, were also confirmed in field conditions. Expression of these differences, however, was dependent on temperature conditions during different sowing periods. Low temperatures during the early sowing were more discriminative than later temperature increase which completely reduced differences detected in the standard germination test.