People
Probert, Robin
| Job Title | Head of Technology & Training Section |
|---|---|
| Department | Seed Conservation |
| Section | Technology & Training |
| Science Teams |
Large-Scale Syntheses Millennium Seed Bank Project |
| 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
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)
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)
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 Publications 2001-2005
Probert, R.J. (2003). Seed viability under ambient conditions and the importance of drying, In Smith, R.D., Dickie, J.D., Linington, S.H., Pritchard, H.W., Probert, R.J. (eds). Seed Conservation: turning science into practice: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 337-365
Probert, R.J., Manger, K.R. & Adams, J. (2003). Non-destructive measurement of seed moisture. In Smith, R.D., Dickie, J.D., Linington, S.H., Pritchard, H.W., & Probert, R.J. (eds). Seed Conservation; turning science into practice. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 367-387.
Muthoka, P.N., Probert, R.J. & Coomber, S.A. (2003). Seed quality studies in the Kenyan shrub millettia leucantha vatke. In Smith, R.D., Dickie, J.D., Linington, S.H., Pritchard, H.W., & Probert, R.J. (eds). Seed Conservation; turning science into practice. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 135-149.
Crawford, A., Cochrane, A., & Probert, R.J. (2003). Acid scarification: An effective method to overcome physical dormancy in five western Australian Acacia (Mimosaceae) species. In Smith, R.D., Dickie, J.D., Linington, S.H., Pritchard, H.W. & Probert, R.J. (eds). Seed Conservation: turning science into practice. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 553-562.
Selected Publications pre-2001
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.