People
Probert, Robin
| Job Title | Head of Technology & Training Section |
|---|---|
| Department | Seed Conservation |
| Section | Technology & Training |
| Science Teams |
Millennium Seed Bank Project Large-Scale Syntheses |
| Joined Kew | 1976 |
| Foreign Language(s) |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), CNAA, 1976
PhD, CNAA, 1983.
Editorial Board, Seed Science Research
Trustee, International Society for Seed Science.
Role
Management of Technology & Training Section; collection-based, mainly applied, research into seed quality and development of improved seed conservation technology.
Understanding the relative timing of the acquisition of seed quality traits across species to aid the development of post-harvest handling techniques that maximise the value of seed conservation collections. Collection-based comparative studies of seed longevity to inform the management of conservation collections and improve understanding of the underlying causes of species differences in seed longevity. Developing new and improved methodologies for overcoming seed dormancy to facilitate improved monitoring and use of conservation collections. Research and development of cost-effective, low technology solutions for seed processing and storage for the MSBP’s developing-country partners.
Projects
Comparative Longevity (Orthodox Seeds)
Development of Predictive Tool of Germination Requirements for MSB Collections
Legume Seed Collection for the Millennium Seed Bank
Maternal Environment and Provenance Effects on Seed Longevity (Project completed)
Maximising Seed Quality: Maturity and Post-harvest Studies
Millennium Seed Bank Project in the Northern Territory of Australia
Moisture Relations of Seed Longevity (and their Limits; Orthodox Seeds) (Project completed)
Review and Improvement of Farm-Based Post-Harvest Handling and Seed Storage Technologies
Role of ‘Underdeveloped’ Embryos in Germination/ Dormancy Problems
Screening for Physical Dormancy (MSBP Collections) (Project completed)
Solving Seed Germination Problems in Conservation Collections
Theme: Climate and Reproductive Biology
Theme: Diagnosis of Viability and Germination
Theme: Ecophysiology and Morphology
Theme: Post-Harvest Technology
Theme: Preservation Technology
Selected Recent Publications
Probert, R.J., Daws, M.I. & Hay, F.R. (2009). Ecological correlates of ex situ seed longevity: a comparative study on 195 species. Annals of Botany 104 (1): 57–69.
Mondoni, A., Probert, R., Rossi, G., Hay, F. & Bonomi, C. (2008). Habitat-correlated seed germination behaviour in populations of wood anemone (Anemone nemorosa L.) from Northern Italy. Seed Science Research 18 (4): 213-222.
Probert, R., Adams, J., Coneybeer, J., Crawford, A. & Hay, F. (2007). Seed quality for conservation is critically affected by pre-storage factors. Australian Journal of Botany 55: 326-335.
Crawford, A.D., Steadman, K.J., Plummer, J.A., Cochrane, A. & Probert, R.J. (2007). Analysis of seed bank data confirms suitability of international seed storage standards for the Australian flora. Australian Journal of Botany 55: 18-29.
Cochrane, A. & Probert, R.J. (2006). Temperature and dormancy breaking treatments: effects on the germination of endemic and geographically restricted herbaceous perennials from south-west Western Australia. Australian Journal of Botany 54: 349-356.
Selected Earlier Publications
Probert, R.J., & Hay, F.R. (2000). Keeping Seeds Alive. In Black, M. & Bewley, J.D. (eds). Seed Technology and its Biological Basis. Sheffield Academic Press. 375-410.
Probert, R.J. (2000). The role of temperature in the regulation of seed dormancy and germination. In Fenner, M. (ed). Seeds: The Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities, 2nd edition. CAB International. 261-292.
Probert, R.J. & Brenchley, J.L. (1999). The effect of environmental factors on field and laboratory germination in a population of Zostera marina L. from southern England. Seeds Science Research 9: 331-339.
Hay, F.R., Probert, R.J. & Coomber, S.A. (1997). Development of desiccation tolerance and longevity in seeds from detached capsules of foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.). Annals of Botany 79: 419-427.
Hay, F.R. & Probert, R.J. (1995). The effect of different drying conditions and maturity on desiccation tolerance and seed longevity in Digitalis purpurea L. Annals of Botany 76: 639-647.
