High seed viability recorded in an endangered endemic species, 'Isoplexis isabelliana' (Scrophulariaceae), after more than 30 years of storage in a conservation seed bank

Conservation seed banks are essential for ex-situ conservation of genetic biodiversity. These institutions are especially relevant for threatened species and play a vital role in their conservation by preserving genetic material. However, samples deposited in the seed banks must germinate when necessary to use them (i.e., recovery plans, etc.). This study uses four accessions of the endemic endangered species from Gran Canaria Island (Canary Islands), Isoplexis isabelliana (Webb & Berthel.) Masf. (Scrophulariaceae). Germination tests were carried out to measure seed viability through time and the possible impact of seed storage on their viability. These accessions have been kept in the seed bank for four months to thirty years under different storage conditions. Germination results differed for seeds after 45 days of exposition using 16 hours light and 8 hours darkness at 17 °C. Accessions kept in the seed bank, independently of storage, showed a high germination percentage (89%). Whereas the accessions with rough storage conditions showed a 0% germination rate. The results highlighted the good state of conservation of the material deposited in the Seed Bank of the Botanical Garden "Viera y Clavijo" and the reliability of the temperature and humidity conditions in which the seeds of I. isabelliana have been stored. We consider these results as momentous since several natural populations of I. isabelliana has been affected by the last forest fire on the island.

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One-step fitting of seed viability constants for two Australian plant species, Eucalyptus erythrocorys (Myrtaceae) and Xanthorrhoea preissii (Xanthorrhoeacea)

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt12171 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 1 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. D. Crawford ◽

F. R. Hay ◽

J. A. Plummer ◽

R. J. Probert ◽

K. J. Steadman

Keyword(s):

Survival Data ◽

Seed Viability ◽

Seed Storage ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Gene Bank ◽

Seed Longevity ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Australian Species ◽

One Step

Long-term ex-situ seed storage under controlled conditions in gene banks has become an important tool for conserving threatened Australian plants; however, there is scant information about the seed longevity of most species. The aim of the present study was to determine whether the seed longevity of two contrasting Australian species could be modelled using the seed viability equation, and whether the universal temperature constants are applicable to these species. Seeds of Eucalyptus erythrocorys F.Muell. (Myrtaceae) and Xanthorrhoea preissii Endl. (Xanthorrhoeaceae) were aged at moisture contents ranging from 3.9 to 15.7% and temperatures between –20 and 60°C. Survival data were fitted to the seed viability equation in one step and the species constants for each species determined. Both E. erythrocorys and X. preissii seeds exhibited orthodox seed storage behaviour whose longevity could be modelled using the seed viability equation. The viability constants were KE = 8.81, CW = 4.97, CH = 0.0412 and CQ = 0.000379 for E. erythrocorys and KE = 8.77, CW = 5.29, CH = 0.0382 and CQ = 0.000473 for X. preissii. The universal temperature constants could not be used without a significant increase in error. The storage behaviour of these two Australian species is in keeping with that of orthodox species from around the world. Predictions are that E. erythrocorys will be long-lived under gene bank conditions, whereas X. preissii would be moderately long-lived. Current long-term gene bank storage conditions appear suitable for storage of these species; however, recommendations for short-term storage need to be re-evaluated.

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Materials used for seed storage containers: response to Gómez-Campo [Seed Science Research16, 291–294 (2006)]

Seed Science Research ◽

10.1017/s0960258507832673 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (4) ◽

pp. 233-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Christina Walters

Keyword(s):

Seed Bank ◽

Material Properties ◽

Crop Improvement ◽

Seed Storage ◽

Seed Banks ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Costs And Benefits ◽

Vapour Permeability ◽

Diffusion Rates ◽

Materials Used

AbstractEfficient seed storage is a shared concern among the growing number of seed banks established for crop improvement or ex situ conservation. Container properties greatly affect seed interactions with the environment and the overall cost and success of seed banking operations. Several material properties contribute to their suitability as seed containers. This paper provides a consolidated list of water vapour permeability properties of thermal plastics commonly used for packaging. Composite packages with layers of film with different properties provide distinct advantages to seed banks. Different seed banks must rank the importance of the various factors depending on their mission and resources. Once the risks, costs and benefits are weighed, an appropriate strategy can be developed that addresses a seed bank's specific needs. Because there are many problems and several solutions, it is likely that strategies will vary among seed banks. This response details variables to consider when selecting seed storage packages, and focuses on water diffusion rates of packages with different compositions. A ‘moisture audit’ will help seed bank operators make informed decisions about packaging.

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Collect, Save, Adapt: Making and Unmaking Ex Situ Worlds

Cultural Studies Review ◽

10.5130/csr.v25i1.6380 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 65-84

Author(s):

Anna-Katharina Laboissière

Keyword(s):

Genetic Information ◽

Restoration Ecology ◽

Genetic Material ◽

Botanical Garden ◽

Seed Banks ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Arnold Arboretum ◽

Evolutionary Potential ◽

Missouri Botanical ◽

The Right

‘Putting the right species back in the right place’: expressed in the words of Bruce Pavlik, the Head of Restoration Ecology at the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Gardens in a fundraising clip for the Breathing Planet Campaign, the work of biodiversity repositories seems straightforward. A simple matter of renewing the colonial and capitalistic capture of nature by exhausting its diversity in collecting, and then of reinserting species, suspended in the form of genetic information, into the neat spaces their disappearance or almost-dispappearance has left in their original ecosystems, the redemptive value of biodiversity repositories seems unquestionable. ‘There is no technological reason why any species should go extinct’, the clip goes on.The cryopreservation of genetic material in seed banks and ‘frozen zoos’ is often and justifiably understood as genetic-fetishistic suspension, several times removed from animal lives in actual habitats; I propose however to read them as world-making devices in their own right too, more entangled and entangling than they might present themselves to be. Collecting and saving are two mandates that have effects both on the species whose genetic information is banked and on the natures that are made possible or impossible through the projects delineated by biodiversity repositories; but they have also been implicated in a third such mandate, the assisted adaptation of species to anthropogenic climate change (be it the plan for ‘chaperoned assisted relocation’ proposed by the Missouri Botanical Garden or the ‘cultivation of marginally hardy taxa’ proposed at the Arnold Arboretum). How are biodiversity repositories an active intervention into the shaping of natures both inside and outside, and what are the consequences of what happens within the apparatus of these repositories for wider understandings of landscapes and species under threat? How linked is the suspension of metabolic processes and evolutionary potential and the understanding of Earth as manageable, perhaps even terraformable? What do they contribute to conservation biology’s biopolitical and cultural shaping of individuals, species, ecosystems suspended and remade through the different uses for which biodiversity repositories can be put to work?

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Prolonging the longevity of ex situ conserved seeds by storage under anoxia

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

10.1017/s1479262114000586 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 18-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Steven P. C. Groot ◽

Liesbeth de Groot ◽

Jan Kodde ◽

Rob van Treuren

Keyword(s):

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

Seed Viability ◽

Seed Storage ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Point Of View ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Anoxic Conditions ◽

Seed Deterioration ◽

Seed Harvest ◽

Oxidative Processes

Plant genetic resources are conserved by genebanks mainly in the form of seeds. In most of the cases, the dried seeds can be stored for a considerable period of time, but eventually seed deterioration results in the inability to generate healthy seedlings. Prolonging seed longevity during storage reduces the frequency of regeneration, which is beneficial from a genetic as well as a management point of view. To reduce the rate of deterioration, cool and dry storage conditions are usually practised for long-term seed storage. In spite of the growing body of evidence that seed deterioration is predominantly caused by oxidative processes, the importance of seed storage under anoxic conditions has received little attention from the genebank community. Herein, we report on the effects of anoxia on seed viability, the oxygen uptake by dry seeds in closed containers and the permeability for oxygen of various seed storage containers. Our results confirm that the ageing of dry seeds is accelerated by the presence of oxygen in the storage environment. Therefore, we recommend that genebanks store dry seeds under anoxic conditions to prolong their longevity during ex situ conservation. To reduce the initial rate of viability loss, we further recommend that the period of temporary storage after seed harvest be minimized and also that the seeds are kept during this period under controlled conditions, including anoxia.

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The significance of ex situ seed conservation to reintroduction of threatened plants

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt06173 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 55 (3) ◽

pp. 356 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

J. A. Cochrane ◽

A. D. Crawford ◽

L. T. Monks

Keyword(s):

Genetic Material ◽

Seed Storage ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Conservation Strategies ◽

Degree Of Protection ◽

Seed Conservation ◽

Term Insurance ◽

In The Wild

Ex situ seed conservation aims to support species survival in the wild. This can be achieved by contributing genetic material for reintroduction. The goals of reintroduction are to increase both plant and population numbers, create self-sustaining populations and ultimately remove a species from its threatened listing. Quality seed collections with a broad genetic base are required to achieve this goal. Storage conditions that minimise deterioration of seeds will maximise the quality of seeds available for future use. Additionally, ex situ seed conservation provides long-term insurance against species or genotype loss until actual or potential threats can be removed. As threats to biodiversity escalate the most judicious conservation strategies will be ones that combine available resources to provide the highest possible degree of protection. Banked seeds are available irrespective of season and periods of low fecundity. Forward planning of reintroduction projects can be achieved with knowledge of the quantity and quality of banked seed. This paper discusses the challenges facing ex situ seed conservation while highlighting the benefits of integrating ex situ seed storage and plant reintroduction to help provide for better conservation outcomes.

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Seed storage and germination studies of Garcinia talbotii Raizada ex Santapau seeds - an endemic tree from Western Ghats of India

Journal of Non Timber Forest Products ◽

10.54207/bsmps2000-2016-d2y6m3 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 73-78

Author(s):

T. Sabu ◽

P.S. Shameer ◽

Chitra Rajeswary ◽

N. Mohanan ◽

C. Anilkumar

Keyword(s):

Ex Situ Conservation ◽

Storage Temperature ◽

Seed Viability ◽

Seed Storage ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Hermetic Storage ◽

Western Ghats Of India ◽

Relationship Of ◽

The Relationship ◽

And Storage

Seeds of Garcinia talbotii remained viable hardly for two weeks in open room conditions. As part of ex-situ conservation of Garcinia talbotii, seeds longevity was studied since seeds are the main propagule. For this, the relationship of seed viability with respect to different moisture content and storage temperature were analyzed. Seed storage behaviour is also investigated. Being recalcitrant, seeds are desiccation sensitive as well as chilling sensitive. During hermetic storage of seeds at 300C /70 % RH seeds retained viability about 6 months.

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Optimal long-term seed storage conditions for the endangered seagrass Zostera japonica: implications for habitat conservation and restoration

Plant Methods ◽

10.1186/s13007-019-0541-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Shidong Yue ◽

Yu Zhang ◽

Yi Zhou ◽

Shaochun Xu ◽

Shuai Xu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seed Storage ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

Seed Vigor ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Zostera Japonica ◽

Storage Method ◽

Seagrass Meadows ◽

Long Term Storage ◽

Term Storage

Abstract Background Seagrass meadows are recognized as critical and among the most vulnerable habitats on the planet. The alarming rates of decline in seagrass meadows have attracted the attention globally. There is an urgent need to develop techniques to restore and preserve these vital coastal ecosystems. So far little work has been done to develop effective long-term storage method for seagrass seeds. The seagrass Zostera japonica Asch. & Graebn is an endangered species in its native range. Here we utilized combinations of different storage times, salinities, and temperature to determine the most appropriate conditions for optimal seed storage. Results Zostera japonica seeds were strongly desiccation sensitive, with a complete loss of viability after 24 h of desiccation. Therefore, long periods of exposure to air should be avoided to minimize seed mortality. In addition, Z. japonica seeds could not endure freezing conditions such as – 5 °C. However, our results indicated that reduced storage temperature to 0 °C could effectively prolong the duration of dormancy of Z. japonica seeds. Seeds stored at 0 °C under a salinity of 40–60 psu showed relatively low seed loss, high seed vigor and fast seed germination, suggesting these to be optimal seed storage conditions. For example, after storage for 540 days (ca. 600 days since the seed collection from reproductive shoots in early October, 2016) at 0 °C under a salinity of 50 psu, seeds still had a considerable vigor, i.e. 57.8 ± 16.8%. Conclusion Our experiments demonstrated that seeds stored at 0 °C under a salinity of 40–60 psu could effectively prolong the duration of dormancy of Z. japonica seeds. The proposed technique is a simple and effective long-term storage method for Z. japonica seeds, which can then be used to aid future conservation, restoration and management of these sensitive and ecologically important habitat formers. The findings may also serve as useful reference for seed storage of other threatened seagrass species and facilitate their ex situ conservation and habitat restoration.

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Analysis of seed-bank data confirms suitability of international seed-storage standards for the Australian flora

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt06038 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 18 ◽

Cited By ~ 30

Author(s):

Andrew D. Crawford ◽

Kathryn J. Steadman ◽

Julie A. Plummer ◽

Anne Cochrane ◽

Robin J. Probert

Keyword(s):

Western Australia ◽

Seed Bank ◽

Seed Storage ◽

Storage Conditions ◽

International Standards ◽

Australian Flora ◽

Western Australian

The suitability of applying international standards for long-term seed storage to the Australian flora was examined by reviewing seed-storage data from the Western Australian Threatened Flora Seed Centre. The 375 collections examined represented 176 taxa from 44 genera and 16 families. A high proportion of collections, representative of some of the most common genera in Australia, maintained viability in the short (<5 years) and medium (5–12 years) term. Declines in germination were evident for a small number of collections, representing 10 taxa, stored for 5–12 years. However, many of the declines were collection-specific and other collections of the same taxon did not decline. Five taxa showing germination declines were represented by a single collection so it was not possible to determine whether the germination decline was directly related to the taxa, storage conditions or to other factors. Only the closely related Stylidium coroniforme and S. amabile exhibited germination declines in all collections, but cut tests of seeds remaining from germination testing indicated that viability of the collections had not declined, just the proportion to germinate; for these species a change in germination conditions is a more likely explanation for the reduction in germination. The results illustrate the successful application of these seed-storage standards to threatened flora in Western Australia and highlight their suitability for the Australian flora.

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Safeguarding Wild Plant Genetic Resources of Georgia within the Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

European Journal of Sustainable Development ◽

10.14207/ejsd.2019.v8n4p37 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (4) ◽

pp. 37

Author(s):

Tsira Mikatadze-Panstulaia ◽

Sandro Kolbaia ◽

Ana Gogoladze

Keyword(s):

Genetic Resources ◽

Plant Species ◽

Seed Bank ◽

Plant Genetic Resources ◽

Botanical Garden ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Botanic Gardens ◽

Seed Collection ◽

Royal Botanic Gardens

Working group of the Department of Plant Conservation of the National Botanical Garden of Georgia (NBGG) have been participating in the global Millennium Seed Bank Partnership, led by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew since 2005. During the 2005-2018 period, within the scope of MSB-1 and MSB-2, seeds and herbarium samples of more than 1750 plant species and interspecific taxa, belonging to 107 families and 483 genera (more than 41% of Georgia’s flora) – 348 endemics of Caucasus and 151 endemics of Georgia, have been secured in the National Seed Bank of Georgia (NSB). Seed Bank data are managed in BRAHMS (Department of Plant Sciences of Oxford University). The collection of wild plant species is accompanied by the comprehensive database of geographical, botanical and habitat information. Later phase involves laboratory treatment and germination/viability testing (at least 500 seeds per species) and the long-term deposition and storage (under -20◦C temperature) at the National Seed Bank of Georgia. The duplicates of seed collection and herbarium vouchers are stored at the Millennium Seed Bank of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK. Germination capacity and viability of collections in NSB is determined before cold storage of seeds, while at the MSB already banked seeds are tested.Keywords: Seed bank; Ex-situ conservation; Plant diversity; Botanical garden; Genetic resources

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Plant Diversity Conservation Challenges and Prospects—The Perspective of Botanic Gardens and the Millennium Seed Bank

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10112371 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2371

Author(s):

Elinor Breman ◽

Daniel Ballesteros ◽

Elena Castillo-Lorenzo ◽

Christopher Cockel ◽

John Dickie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Diversity ◽

Seed Bank ◽

Plant Material ◽

Sustainable Use ◽

Plant Conservation ◽

Seed Banks ◽

Ex Situ ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Botanic Gardens ◽

Integrated Conservation

There is a pressing need to conserve plant diversity to prevent extinctions and to enable sustainable use of plant material by current and future generations. Here, we review the contribution that living collections and seed banks based in botanic gardens around the world make to wild plant conservation and to tackling global challenges. We focus in particular on the work of Botanic Gardens Conservation International and the Millennium Seed Bank of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, with its associated global Partnership. The advantages and limitations of conservation of plant diversity as both living material and seed collections are reviewed, and the need for additional research and conservation measures, such as cryopreservation, to enable the long-term conservation of ‘exceptional species’ is discussed. We highlight the importance of networks and sharing access to data and plant material. The skill sets found within botanic gardens and seed banks complement each other and enable the development of integrated conservation (linking in situ and ex situ efforts). Using a number of case studies we demonstrate how botanic gardens and seed banks support integrated conservation and research for agriculture and food security, restoration and reforestation, as well as supporting local livelihoods.

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