Hello! Good night from Spain!
All the seeds in the banks are sold for collecting and conservation, however, almost none of them say how to preserve them or even come in containers that are not appropriate for conservation. some very expensive, voluminous and even luxurious but they do not fulfill their function of conservation.
When I started in this world I informed myself a lot, hundreds of hours reading in forums and talking to others.
I began to be interested in local varieties from different countries and, let's say, rare or exotic varieties.
Then I saw a problem, in their countries they were losing money for different reasons and then the banks that were also selling it soon stopped selling it or closed.
So if I saw a variety that I thought was valuable I went for it. I saw that if I didn't get it I would lose it! I saw each variety as a train that only passes once! I bought as many packages as I could at that time!
I have regretted not having bought a variety, but never having bought it haha
Seed packets, many packets, many varieties, then a problem arose. I had too many and I had to find a method to preserve them so they wouldn't die...
I researched for hours and looked at how gene banks, like Svalbard, did it.
Freezing was my salvation!
So I did the same as them.
Clean the seeds well.
Put them in a heated cutting box. controlled temperature at 24ºC-75.2ºF and below 10% humidity for 15 days. I use high-quality German Fischer meters and to lower the humidity, I use a lot of silica gel, I use the orange one, which is not toxic.
Then, depending on the amount of seeds, I vacuum pack them or pack them the same as the germplasm banks.
I use high quality Eppendorf tubes and package them the same.
Then I store them in the refrigerator at 4ºC-39.2ºF up to 5 years or if more years in the freezer at -18ºC-0.4ºF. Germplasm banks are stored at -18ºC-0.4ºF.
If the seeds are not dried properly when frozen, they run the risk of dying. Moisture expands when it freezes and breaks its cells.
This is my experience.... How do you do it?
I hope it helps you and keeps it for the future!
They are all my photos except the ones that say germplasm bank.
All the seeds in the banks are sold for collecting and conservation, however, almost none of them say how to preserve them or even come in containers that are not appropriate for conservation. some very expensive, voluminous and even luxurious but they do not fulfill their function of conservation.
When I started in this world I informed myself a lot, hundreds of hours reading in forums and talking to others.
I began to be interested in local varieties from different countries and, let's say, rare or exotic varieties.
Then I saw a problem, in their countries they were losing money for different reasons and then the banks that were also selling it soon stopped selling it or closed.
So if I saw a variety that I thought was valuable I went for it. I saw that if I didn't get it I would lose it! I saw each variety as a train that only passes once! I bought as many packages as I could at that time!
I have regretted not having bought a variety, but never having bought it haha
Seed packets, many packets, many varieties, then a problem arose. I had too many and I had to find a method to preserve them so they wouldn't die...
I researched for hours and looked at how gene banks, like Svalbard, did it.
Freezing was my salvation!
So I did the same as them.
Clean the seeds well.
Put them in a heated cutting box. controlled temperature at 24ºC-75.2ºF and below 10% humidity for 15 days. I use high-quality German Fischer meters and to lower the humidity, I use a lot of silica gel, I use the orange one, which is not toxic.
Then, depending on the amount of seeds, I vacuum pack them or pack them the same as the germplasm banks.
I use high quality Eppendorf tubes and package them the same.
Then I store them in the refrigerator at 4ºC-39.2ºF up to 5 years or if more years in the freezer at -18ºC-0.4ºF. Germplasm banks are stored at -18ºC-0.4ºF.
If the seeds are not dried properly when frozen, they run the risk of dying. Moisture expands when it freezes and breaks its cells.
This is my experience.... How do you do it?
I hope it helps you and keeps it for the future!
They are all my photos except the ones that say germplasm bank.
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