Post-harvest Technology

Ripening Solanum dulcemara friuts

Most seeds acquire the ability to survive drying to a low moisture content towards the end of seed development and maximum storability is reached at the time of natural seed dispersal. However, seed collections often contain significant numbers of unripe seeds because of the logistics of seed collecting expeditions coupled with variation in the timing of flowering and seed development. Simple practical methods for post-harvest ripening that are now being routinely applied throughout the Millennium Seed Bank network have been developed in response to this problem. Strategic studies to better understand variation across species in the development of seed quality in relation to other traits such as fruit type and habitat preference are underway.

Some seeds are particularly short lived or cannot survive drying, even when they are fully mature. It is important that we can identify these so that alternative methods for conservation can be considered. Detailed studies are focused on selected groups of high conservation and/or economic importance, for example, palms and orchids.

Contact: John Adams

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