Seed Banks: A Home for Seeds
- Kate Dirga
- Nov 5, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 26, 2022
If we can have a bank to save money, why can’t we have a bank to save seeds? Seeds are as precious as money can ever be, because it’s the key to develop precious plants. Deforestation, climate change, pollution and other human activities can contribute to the extinction of trees. So how can we preserve these precious seeds? We already have an answer for that - Seed Banks!
What is a Seed Bank?
A seed bank is a sealed place where seeds are stored. Each variety of seeds is labelled and sealed in an air-tight jar. Oftentimes, the seeds that are stored belong to rare plants that are at the brink of extinction. More than 10, 000 types of seeds can be protected in these seed banks, which gives more than 2 million seeds stored in total. These seed banks are a type of insurance that will help us save as many plant species for our future generation. Many experts and volunteers all over the world are out in the field, carefully collecting seeds for the banks. High criterias ensure only the best seeds are collected and stored. Each seed chosen by the experts must be made sure to live, to prevent any extinction in the future. These seeds can last for hundreds or even thousands of years, depending on their species.
What are the conditions needed for a Seed Bank?
The seed banks are located above the surface of the soil, depth of 2-5 cm from the ground level. The seeds are usually stored at a temperature of -20°C, at a low humidity and cold conditions to prevent fungi and bacterial growth, which helps to preserve the seeds. The seeds banks are usually flood, bomb and radiation-proof vaults holding jars of seeds from different plant species, and they are kept under security to ensure that the seeds are not destroyed. The most widely used and convenient method used to store the seeds is ex situ conservation. Requirements to fulfil this includes adequate drying (seed moisture contents as low as 3% for oily seeds and 5% or more for starchy seeds); appropriate storage temperature (-18°C is recommended for long-term storage); and careful production of quality seed to ensure the greatest longevity (storing them in air-tight containers or jars).
Why do we need Seed Banks?
Around the world, more than 40% of plant species are thought to be in danger of going extinct. There are more than a thousand seed banks of various types, sizes, and focus. The Millennium Seed Bank in Sussex, which is run and supervised by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is the largest seed bank in the entire globe. It was established in 2000 and now houses seeds from around 40,000 different species, almost all of which are indigenous to the UK. Plants are threatened by a variety of circumstances, such as habitat loss, pollutants from climate change, pests, and illnesses. There is an ever-increasing risk of an incremental and catastrophic loss due to the rate at which they are having an impact. We're losing plants more rapidly than we're growing them. Our planet is at stake, and we must act now. If each of us gives little effort, we can all contribute to achieve big results.
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