Front Range Seed Analysts Meeting Minutes
July 1, 1999
Submitted by Mike Bricker, FRSA Secretary, USDA-REE-ARS, National Seed Storage Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colorado
The July 1, 1999 FRSA meeting was held at Precision Seed Testing, Applewood Seed Company, in Arvada, Colorado.
Prior to the business meeting and the Seed Analysts Forum, there was a guided tour of the trial gardens at Applewood. Diane Wilson, Applewood’s horticulturists provided the tour. Our thanks to Diane for the trial gardens tour and to Jane Hall, RST at Precision Seed Testing, Applewood Seed Company for hosting the meeting.
Individuals present at the meeting were Barbara Atkins, Carri-Ann Bard, Mike Bricker, James R. Bruce, Irene B. Cardona, Mike Dideriksen, Kristina Guydosh, Jane Hall, Arnold L. Larsen, Billie Lundberg, Marilyn Milhous, Annette Miller, Mary McMahon, and Loren Wiesner. Guests at the meeting were Julie Laufmann from the National Seed Storage Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colorado; and Regina Madsen from Precision Seed Testing, Applewood Seed Company, Arvada, Colorado.
The meeting was called to order by President Annette Miller at 1:52 PM MDT. The minutes of the April 8, 1999 meeting were approved as presented on the FRSA web site. Mike Bricker, FRSA Secretary asked the members present if anyone had accessed the FRSA web site and read the minutes from the April 8 meeting. Some of the members indicated they had done so. Mike commented that if any of the members wanted a hard copy of the minutes he would be happy to provide a copy. Mike reported on the 1999 FRSA membership/sponsorship with 38 members/sponsors as of June 30. Mike announced Susan Maxon is the 1999 Anna Lute Award recipient. Susan in employed at the Seed Regulatory and Testing Branch, LS, AMS, USDA in Beltsville, Maryland. With the absence of Patricia Conine, FRSA Treasurer, Mike Bricker presented the Treasurer’s report. The Treasurer’s report was found to be in good standing. A Financial Records Audit Committee of Annette Miller and Gil Waibel found the 1998 FRSA financial records to be correct and in order. Annette and Gil commended Patricia on her accurate and organized record keeping. Annette Miller presented a Web Page Administrator’s report. Annette indicated that Stephanie Townsend at the National Seed Storage Laboratory would assist Annette with the web site and Stephanie may become the Web Page Administrator in the near future. Annette indicated that the near future plans for the web site are the addition of photographs and line drawings, and the redesign of the home page for the web site. Stephanie has experience with creating web sites and will be welcomed assistance to Annette on monitoring the web site.
The business meeting was interrupted to allow Arnold Larsen to
give his presentation and provide discussion on a Seed Analysts Forum topic,
covering “The Length of Quackgrass Caryopsis, in Determination as Seed
or Inert Matter for the Purpose of Reporting on a Noxious Weed Test”.
Arnold provided a photograph of two quackgrass seeds, one having little
to no developed caryopsis (an inert), the other seed having a caryopsis
close to 1/3 the length of the palea of the seed. A list of questions
were provided to answer relating to the fact that the seed with a caryopsis
1/3 the length of the palea would be a countable ‘weed seed’ because the
seed did not meet the criteria of ‘inert matter’ as described under AOSA
Rule 2.10,b,(2),(d). The palea did show some abrasions and there
was a question to the actual length of the palea.
Arnold’s argument was: Is this seed viable (per a germination test)
with a caryopsis of this length? Annette Miller provided copies of
two research papers on quackgrass germination studies (1.) The Germination
of Seeds of Agropyron repens, R.C. Dahlber, Minnesota, dated 1916, pub.
v.9, p. 21-24 of the Proceedings of the Association of Official Seed Analysts,
demonstated that quackgrass seeds harvested 8 days after flowering had
some germination viability, and (2.) The Germination of Mature and
Immature Seeds of Quackgrass (Agropyron repens), L.E. Everson, Iowa State
College, Ames, Iowa, dated 1954, pub. v.44 of the Proceedings of the Association
of Official Seed Analysts, demonstrated that quackgrass seeds with caryopsis
from 1/3 to ½ the length of the palea had some germination
viability. Arnold noted that these studies were on freshly harvested
seeds, and that perhaps quackgrass seed(s) with a caryopsis 1/3 the
length of the palea found in a noxious weed test would not be considered
fresh seed, the seed having set in storage, and desiccation taking place
of the seed(s) in question. Would a desiccated quackgrass seed with
a caryopsis 1/3 the length of the palea actually germinate, and if it did,
would it become a seed producing plant? Discussion led to a consensus
of the members present agreeing they would request an additional sample
and perform a second noxious weed test to determine if there were other
quackgrass seed in the lot. If no quackgrass present in the
second test, a benefit-of-the-doubt would be given to the test that the
seed lot was free of quackgrass contamination.
With the completion of Arnold’s presentation the meeting returned to the business at hand. Members who attended the AOSA/SCST Annual Meeting in Omaho, Nebraska, reported on items of interest. Barbara Atkins will provide Annette with a list of the upcoming Referees sponsored by AOSA. Annette will place the list on the FRSA web site. Barbara presented information about receiving RST points for continuing education courses, noting that SCST has approved points for the Colorado State University’s Distance Education Seed Analysts courses. Barbara indicated that SCST would consider granting points for workshops that seed analysts organizations (such as FRSA) create for the organization’s membership. However, SCST is requiring preapproval of the workshop itinerary. Barbara suggested a committee be formed to develop a format by which an organization can submit to SCST a workshop itinerary for points approval. A two person committee of Carri-Ann Bard of Novartis Seed Co./ Hilleshog, and Jane Hall of Precision Seed Testing, Applewood Seed Co., was created and will be so known as the Continuing Education Points Application Form Committee. Annette reported that assistance is requested by the AOSA Flower Seed Committee, chaired by Ellen Chirco, on purity weights on a list of seed species. If you can provide assistance, contact Ellen Chirco at the New York State Seed Laboratory. All the 1999 AOSA Proposed Rules passed. The comments made by FRSA regarding the rules were given consideration at the meetings and some wording was changed on Proposal #1 and Proposal #8 to reflect comments from the FRSA rule proposals review. Jane Hall reported that SCST would like to take an active part in revising and publishing the AOSA Seed Analyst Training Manual should AOSA not wish to do the revision. Jane also indicated that SCST members would like AOSA to grant SCST members the right to vote on the annual proposed rules changes. Both the Training Manual revision and publication, and the SCST voting rights are being reviewed by AOSA. Barbara noted that at the 2000 meetings there will be a vigor workshop, and the date of the RST exams will be changed to accommodate the vigor workshop.
New Business
Annette Miller reported that the ISTA Flower Seed Committee has developed
a location on the ISTA web site for flower seed photographs. The
web site address for the photographs is
www.seedtest.org/fsc/evaluation.htm.
Annette would like to create a similar presentation for the FRSA web site
for seed photographs.
There being no additional business, the business meeting adjoined at 3:07 PM MDT. Immediately following were the presentations for the Seed Analysts Forum.
Seed Analysts Forum Presentations
Mike Dideriksen of Novartis Seeds presented a sugarbeet germination
test (10 days germination) of Tachigaren treated pelleted seeds which displayed
substrate dependent damage due to the Tachigaren treatment used in the
pelleting process. Mike had germination tests for the same lot of
Tachigaren treated pelleted seeds on three germination substrates
(blotters, pleated paper, and sand/soil). The blotter substrate germination
test indicated a predominately shortened root growth on the majority of
seedlings, and a viable germination in the mid-70% range, with a moderate
number on non-germinated seeds showing the pellet cracked or beginning
to crack. The pleated paper test had a germination of 69% with the
same seedling characteristics as the blotter germination test. The
sand/soil test (using a germination soil mix) had a vigorous seedling growth
with the cotyledons fully formed, with epicotyl visible, and a well developed
root system for a 92% viability. The blotter and pleated paper germination
tests hold the chemical close to the developing seedlings, leading to toxicity
damage. Mike has the option of having greenhouse space for sand/soil testing,
and uses the sand/soil test to substantiate the germination tests.
Mike indicated that the concern lies with the laboratories testing Tachigaren
treated pelleted sugarbeet seed, or any seed that may be chemical-treatment
pelleted, be made aware of what chemical treatment was used and what germination
conditions to watch for and evaluate accordingly.
Billy Lundberg presented information and a demonstration of Tetrazolium Testing of sagebrush species and purity problems of sagebrush. Billie attended the Native Range Species TZ Workshop held in May of 1999 in Boise, Idaho and reported on some of the topics and issues discussed. Many of the range species native to the western states do not currently have set AOSA rules and/or testing standards. Therefore, laboratories involved in native range species purity and germination tests have developed testing procedures unique to their own individual laboratories. This being the case, a question arises as to the ability to duplicate test results (purity, germination, and/or TZ) between separate labs. No definitive answer to the question came out of the workshop. Copies of information received from the Boise workshop, including protocols for testing native seeds without rules developed by Nancy Vivrette of Ransom Seed Laboratory were shared with FRSA members present. The protocols combine traditional dormancy breaking methods commonly used by testing labs throughout the seed industry with the use of gibberellic acid (GA3) to break the deep dormancy of many native seeds. Vivrette reported that the use of the GA3 treatment produces rapid and reliable test results and improves the assessment of potential seed viability in seeds showing deeper dormancy.
Loren Wiesner and Julie Laufmann presented a demonstration on germination
evaluation of corn in regards to split coleoptile and split leaf development.
Presently, AOSA and ISTA are collaborating on a research project to develop
a protocol for evaluation of corn with regards to determining the definition
of a normal seedling by relating to the level of damage to the coleoptile
and the primary leaves during germination. ISTA has a split coleoptile
rule stating that if the coleoptile is split 1/3 of the length of the coleoptile
the seedling is abnormal, whereas AOSA rules do not make this distinction
and considers the seedling to be normal. Degrees of leaf damage also
are being questioned for there is a difference of opinion between the two
organizations regarding leaf damage as well. The purpose of the split
coleoptile demonstration was to show the members the variation within the
evaluation of a 50-seed replicate by evaluation
with AOSA germination test rules, and evaluation by re-examining the
normal seedlings and removing seedlings with a split coleoptile of
1/3 the length of the coleoptile and any leaf damage (ISTA germination
rules). Loren used two of the seedlings considered abnormal under
ISTA rules to lead a discussion as to whether the members thought the seedlings
to be normal or abnormal. One seedling was well developed with the
plumule well out of the coleoptile and the coleoptile split more than 1/3
the length of the coleoptile and minor tip damage to the first leaf.
Members agreed this seedling was a normal seedling and would evaluate it
as normal. Loren pointed out that ISTA considers the seedling to
be abnormal due to the 1/3 split coleoptile rule and the damage to the
first leaf. The second seedling had the plumule still encased in
the coleoptile, however the plumule had split the coleoptile and was perturding
through the split. Members were divided as to whether the seedling
was an abnormal or normal seedling. Under ISTA rules, it is considered
an abnormal seedling. This is the problem posed for reaching a protocol
between the two organizations for evaluation of corn with regards to split
coleoptile and leaf damage. There are to be workshops conducted before
the next ISTA meetings to develop a working protocol that both organizations
can find satisfactory and will provide a workable procedure for evaluation
of corn with regards to the splitting of the coleoptile and the severity
of leaf damage.
With the hour growing late, the Identification of Non-Identified Seed Species was postponed till a later date.
The Seed Analysts Forum adjourned at 4:45 PM MDT.
The next meeting will be held on October 14, 1999 at STA Laboratories, Inc., 630 South Sunset, Longmont, Colorado. The meeting will be a business meeting beginning at 1:00 PM MDT, with a workshop following on “Interpretation Problems with Pelleted Linaria species” presented by Barbara Atkins. Barbara Atkins will be the host for the meeting. Barbara can be reached at (303)651-6417 should additional information be needed.
Note of Interest: FRSA has been linked to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower
Center web site at http://www.wildflower.org
.
To access the FRSA link on www.wildflower.org:
Scroll and click on ‘Links to other native plant organizations and
gardens with displays of regional native plants’
Scroll and click on ‘Other Useful Native Plant Links’
Scroll down (listing is alphabetical) till locate ‘Front Range Seed
Analysts’ and click