SEED and SEEDLING VIABILITY

Statement of Voluntary Collaboration

1. It is recognised that UK growers need information that is over and above the current statutory requirements concerning the germination potential and quality of seed for the successful production and marketing of commercial field vegetable crops.
2. Members of the UK's commercial Vegetable Seed Companies, the Plant Propagators Association and leading commercial growers agree to exchange information that should enhance the consistency of plant propagation and subsequent field establishment.
3. Growers and Plant Propagators may request information from the Seed Companies in relation to the interim and final counts of ISTA (International Seed Testing Association) germination tests, and the results from growing tests for a specified seed lot, after seed - treatment.
4. Growers and Seed Companies may request from Plant Propagators information describing the environmental conditions under which specified seed lots have been propagated.
5. This voluntary collaboration aims to improve the consistency of the prediction of the numbers of commercially acceptable plants that are likely to be obtained from a specified seed lot.

Drafted by Professor G R Dixon, independent Chairman of the ad hoc Working Group established by HorTIPS to promote enhanced seed and seedling viability for the field vegetable industry following discussions held at NIAB, Cambridge on 6th June 2002.

Those present were: Neil Hutchinson and Roger White (Plant Propagators Association), Jane Rose (Germains Ltd), Tony Hewitt (Elsoms Seeds), Steve Jones (NIAB), Geoff Dixon (HorTIPS).

17 June, 2002