[SOS-PCA] QUESTION: Seed Storage (fwd)

[Olivia Kwong]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 10:57:47 -0800
From: Ed Guerrant <ed.guerrant at berrybot.org>
To: 'Olivia Kwong' <plant at plantconservation.org>
Subject: RE: [SOS-PCA] QUESTION: Seed Storage (fwd)

Melissa, and others interested in this topic:

 	Unfortunately, I don't think there is a single, one-size-fits-all
answer to the question of collecting (or storing) seeds in plastic bags.
There is a great resource available over the web in the book Seed
Conservation:Turning Science into Practice (2003, edited by Smith, Dickie,
Linington, Pritchard and Probert, all of RBG Kew's Wakehurst Place
Millennium Seed Bank).  All of the chapters are available as pdfs on the
Millennium Seed Bank Project's web page (get their directly or through Kew's
web page).  If you haven't seen it, I'd suggest you start with Michael Way's
chapter ((): collecting Seed from Non-domesticated Plants for Long Term
Conservation.  It covers a lot of ground, including collection bags.

 	Collecting into involves plastic bags, especially sealable bags like
zip-loc bags, entails accepting at least two risks that are likely to be
reduced or eliminated by the use of paper or cloth bags.  First any moisture
on or in the seeds will be trapped in the bag, and that will likely increase
the relative humidity in the bag relative to ambient conditions.  This will
create an environment where fungi and other micro-organisms are more likely
to thrive, which can adversely affect the collection.  Another potential
problem is that the a sealed plastic bag acts like a little greenhouse,
should the sun shine on plastic bags even for short time the temperature may
increase dramatically, again potentially adversely affecting the collection.

 	As a general rule, I'd recommend you NOT use plastic bags, UNLESS
there is some case-specific reason to do so.  For example, if you want to
slow down the drying rate (seeds not quite ripe, etc), plastic bags might be
preferable to something that breathes.  See the chapter in Seed Conservation
by Hay and Smith (chapter 6) Seed Maturity: When to collect seeds from wild
plants, for more information on this.

Good luck,

Ed

Ed Guerrant PhD, Conservation Director, Berry Botanic Garden
11505 SW Summerville Avenue,Portland, OR 97219 
ph 503 636-4112 ext. 103, fax 503 636-7496, www.berrybot.org


-----Original Message-----
From: sos-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org
[mailto:sos-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] On Behalf Of Olivia Kwong
Sent: Thursday, November 06, 2008 8:05 AM
To: sos at lists.plantconservation.org
Subject: Re: [SOS-PCA] QUESTION: Seed Storage (fwd)

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 08:53:39 -0700
From: Susan_Filkins at blm.gov
To: Olivia Kwong <plant at plantconservation.org>
Subject: Re: [SOS-PCA] QUESTION: Seed Storage

Melissa,
storing seeds short term (two weeks) in plastic bag is fine, any  time
longer and they need to be stored in cool, dry, cloth or paper bags.  I
have some regular cloth bags that can be purchased for seeds specifically
but I also go to the thrift store and buy pillow cases and thread a piece
of yarn through the top and use them as storage bags.  I've also had some
volunteers make some cloth bags out of inexpensive material.

Regards, S


Susan Filkins
Bureau of Land Management
Science and Resources
1387 S. Vinnell Way
Boise, ID 83709
(208) 373-3815



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