Millennium Seed Bank Project
Future Plans
Collections (2006 onwards)
We will: maintain efforts to achieve full representation of the bankable elements of the UK and UKOTS Floras by seeking collections of UK and UKOT native species not yet represented in the Millennium Seed Bank and recollecting any species represented only by batches with low seed number/viability; add 16,000 species to the Millennium Seed Bank, mainly from partner countries in the drylands, of which at least 25% are endangered, endemic or of economic value; continue to service requests for seed from bona fide researchers; maintain and enhance RBG Kew’s seed reference collection; add c. 20,000 herbarium specimens and associated data to RBG Kew’s collections; continue to develop collecting-based collaborations with other non-ABSA countries including Georgia, Bulgaria, Canada, Italy, New Zealand, Mauritius and UKOTs; develop alternative seed intake strategies including the back-up of existing collections from botanic gardens and wild plant nurseries; and continue with seed exchange programmes.
Baseline Plant Diversity Research (2006 onwards)
We will continue to produce targeted collection guides for key taxonomic groups and biodiversity hotspots, incorporating locality, phenology and description data, for partner institutions to use in their seed collection programmes.
Comparative Plant Biology (2006 onwards)
We will: continue to develop predictive tools for seed behaviour based on comparative studies of seed traits; develop innovative ex situ conservation methods of preserving recalcitrant (desiccation sensitive) and other problematic seeds; continue to handle at least 200 seed related scientific and technical enquiries per year, with a maximum 20 day turn around; produce a series of technical data sheets detailing appropriate seed conservation methodologies in an accessible and flexible format.
Sustainable Utilisation of Plant Resources (2006 onwards)
We will: work with MSBP partners to produce propagation protocols for at least 50 plant species identified as important to rural communities in Botswana and Kenya; continue to develop morphological, physiological, molecular, biophysical, biochemical and genetic markers for seed quality for species from a diverse range of plant families, including the Arecaceae; Brassicaceae; Amaryllidaceae; continue development of a germination decision support tool and carry out c. 40,000 germination tests on wild plant species (10,000 tests per annum).
Conservation and Environmental Monitoring (2006 onwards)
We will: bank the seed of at least 40% of the threatened species in Botswana, Malawi, South Africa, Chile and Australia (GSPC Target 8); complete the databasing of specimens of priority species from selected partner countries and production of targeted-collection guides; continue to back-up strategically, in the Millennium Seed Bank, taxa from RBG Kew’s living collections that are of high conservation importance; continue to contribute to restoration and reintroduction programmes in Madagascar, southern Africa, Australia and the USA; continue to assess MSBP partner constraints in seed conservation technology and design/source, supply and commission appropriate equipment and facilities; continue to assess the seed conservation training needs of MSBP partners and other international collaborators (e.g. FAO), and co-ordinate, deliver and evaluate appropriate training, including post-graduate supervision; continue to convert science and technology studies into new or improved seed conservation methods, validated and adopted by MSBP partners and collaborators.