As the National Seed Health System (NSHS) prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary this month (August 2026), the Iowa State University Seed Science Center has reached another important milestone in protecting U.S. agriculture with the relaunch of the NSHS website on July 31. Included in the website relaunch was a redesign for the Seed Health Dashboard (Seed HD) that went live on July 20.
The updated NSHS website, available at seedhealth.org, includes a completely redesigned website, offering improved functionality, compliance, navigation, and compatibility to better serve seed industry stakeholders.
The newly updated Seed HD, available at dashboard.seedhealth.org, provides a modernized platform for the seed industry to voluntarily track cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) in imported seed through seed health testing. The update comes after the previous Seed HD website began experiencing compatibility issues in late 2025, prompting a complete redevelopment in partnership with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) IT Web Team.
Originally launched in 2016 as the National Seed Health Accreditation Pilot Program (NSHAPP), the initiative was created to establish a voluntary system for screening imported seed for pathogens of phytosanitary concern. Developed through a partnership between USDA-APHIS and the seed industry, the program helps reduce the risk of introducing seed-transmitted diseases into the United States through imported seed.
CGMMV, a highly contagious virus affecting cucurbit crops such as cucumber, melon, and watermelon, became the first pathogen monitored through the program. Imported seed of these crops is voluntarily tested, providing an additional layer of protection for U.S. agriculture.
Source : iastate.edu