DiscoverScroll article

A seed bank (also seed banks, seeds bank or seed vault) stores seeds to preserve genetic diversity; hence it is a type of gene bank.

One is to preserve the genes that plant breeders need to increase yield, disease resistance, drought tolerance, nutritional quality, taste, etc. of crops. Another is to forestall loss of genetic diversity in rare or imperiled plant species in an effort to conserve biodiversity ex situ. Many plants that were used centuries ago by humans are used less frequently now; seed banks offer a way to preserve that historical and cultural value. Collections of seeds stored at constant low temperature and low moisture are guarded against loss of genetic resources that are otherwise maintained in situ or in field collections. Seed banks are considered seed libraries, containing valuable information about evolved strategies to combat plant stress, and can be used to create genetically modified versions of existing seeds. The work of seed banks often span decades and even centuries. Most seed banks are publicly funded and seeds are usually available for research that benefits the public.

Understanding the effect of water content and temperature on seed longevity, the Food and Agriculture division of the United Nations and a consultancy group called Bioversity International developed a set of standards for international seed banks to preserve seed longevity.

Detailed information on the role of such "soil seed banks" in northern Ontario, however, is extremely limited, and research is required to determine the species and abundance of seeds in the soil across a range of forest types, as well as to determine the function of the seed bank in post-disturbance vegetation dynamics. This review includes detailed discussions of: (1) seed bank dynamics, (2) physiology of seeds in a seed bank, (3) boreal and deciduous forest seed banks, (4) seed bank dynamics and succession, and (5) recommendations for initiating a seed bank study in northern Ontario.

The oldest carbon-14-dated seed that has grown into a viable plant was a Judean date palm seed about 2,000 years old, recovered from excavations at the palace of Herod the Great in Israel.

Established in 1996, it is the largest seed bank in the world (and will longterm be at least 100 times bigger than Svalbard Global Seed Vault), providing space for the storage of billions of seed samples in a nuclear bomb proof multi-story underground vault. It is part of the Millennium Seed Bank Project in London and incorporates the former NSW Seedbank, established in 1986 to preserve native Australian flora, especially NSW threatened species. The Genebank is in a collaboration with the Australian Seed Bank Partnership on an Australian Crop Wild Relatives project. Indian Seed Vault is a secure seed bank located in a high-altitude mountain pass on the Chang La in Ladakh, India. The National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, in Fort Collins, Colorado, is the largest seed bank in the United States. The DELEP seed bank currently has over 3,600 seed collections representing nearly 1,400 species of arid land legumes originating in 65 countries on six continents. It is backed up (at least in part) in National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, and in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. The DELEP seed bank is an accredited collection of the North American Plant Conservation Consortium.

In practice, many seed banks have a combination of these three main types, and they may have different priorities depending on the context and goals of the seed bank. Assistentialist seed banks: These seed banks primarily aim to support the needs of local communities and small-scale farmers. Productivist seed banks: These seed banks primarily aim to support large-scale agricultural production and commercial farming. Preservationist seed banks: These seed banks primarily aim to conserve the genetic diversity of wild and domesticated plant species.

Quick Facts

• Seed banks are considered seed libraries, containing valuable information about evolved strategies to combat plant stress, and can be used to create genetically modified versions of existing seeds.
• Preservationist seed banks: These seed banks primarily aim to conserve the genetic diversity of wild and domesticated plant species.
• Most seed banks are publicly funded and seeds are usually available for research that benefits the public.
• Many plants that were used centuries ago by humans are used less frequently now; seed banks offer a way to preserve that historical and cultural value.
• Understanding the effect of water content and temperature on seed longevity, the Food and Agriculture division of the United Nations and a consultancy group called Bioversity International developed a set of standards for international seed banks to preserve seed longevity.

Source material: Wikipedia - "Seed bank". Adapted and summarized for DiscoverScroll. Original contributors are credited through the linked Wikipedia article. Read original on Wikipedia. CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes were made from the original.