Telangana’s Seed Testing Authority spreads wings across 80 countries

Telangana is producing standard seeds and supplying it to farmers in as many as 12 states in India. TISTA is playing a key role in catering to farmers need of standard seed, said Dr Keshavulu, Director, Telangana Seed Certification Authority

Hyderabad: The Telangana International Seed Testing Authority (TISTA), the first entity of its kind in the entire Asian region is now fully engaged in exporting high quality seeds, that too, to as many as 80 countries including Egypt, Sudan, Russia, Tanzania, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Algeria.

“Telangana is producing standard seeds and supplying it to farmers in as many as 12 states in India. TISTA is playing a key role in catering to farmers need of standard seed,” said Dr Keshavulu, Director, Telangana Seed Certification Authority.

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The TISTA laboratory has already got all relevant permissions from the International Seed Testing Authority (ISTA) for research and testing of seeds.

“With the establishment of the new laboratory, we can test around 3,000 samples every day and declare results. Results of the sample tests cover germination, purity seed vigour and humidity,” said Keshavulu, who is also president for ISTA.

As per ISTA standards, seed DNA tests were also conducted and results are declared within a span of three to 15 days. Officials said this used to take longer earlier. But after the establishment of TISTA, the waiting period had come down drastically.

“It is playing a key role in improving the productivity of various crops. TISTA is also helping in curbing the supply of spurious and inferior quality seed,“Keshavulu said.
“Export of seed from Telangana is now a reality and it has helped in building the seed bowl of the country,” he said.