People
Butler, Laura H.
| Job Title | PhD Student |
|---|---|
| Department | Seed Conservation |
| Section | PhD |
| Science Teams | |
| Joined Kew | 2003 |
| Foreign Language(s) | French, German (basic), Spanish (basic) |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Biology, Univ. Durham, 2001
MSc, Conservation & Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources, Univ. Birmingham, 2003
Role
Seed development and maturity; how to make high quality, uniform collections and improve the quality of immature collections
Seed development studies (development of the ability to germinate, the ability to tolerate desiccation and seed longevity), working with Trifolium ambiguum, both at the population and individual seed level, to determine sources of variation in seed development, and whether these can be minimised. Post-harvest maturation studies with Digitalis purpurea, particularly focusing on the effect of drying rate and drying environment on seed quality. The effect of drying followed by re-hydration on seed maturation processes. Differences in response to re-hydration (or priming) in maturing and fully mature, dry seed. Maintenance of seed viability at very high moisture content, and implications of this for developing seeds.