You are on page 1of 4

Establishment of seed banks - Seed drying and packaging for gene bank storage

Seed drying: Seed is a living hygroscopic material, of which water is a fundamental part. Relative humidity (RH) and temperature of the surrounding air have a direct bearing on the seed moisture content. Whenever the vapour pressure or the relative humidity of the surrounding air is higher than that within the seed, the seed will gain moisture. If the vapour pressure within the seed is greater than that of the surrounding air, vapour will move out of the seed. However when the two vapour pressures are equal, there is no net movement of vapour. At this point. moisture content in the seed is in a state of equilibrium with the surrounding air. Seed drying takes place when there is a net movement of water out of the seed into the surrounding air. The rate of seed drying is influenced by Seed temperature Chemical composition Relative humidity Temperature of drying air Seed coat structure and permeability Initial moisture content Size of seed lot. Importance of seed drying: Drying of seed to safe moisture levels is very important to maintain their vigour and viability for longer periods during storage. Lowering down the seed moisture content to safe moisture limits prevent seed deterioration due to increased microorganism activity, heating and mold/fungal growth etc. It is recommended that, in general for long term storage in the gene banks the orthodax seeds should be dried to 3-7% moisture content except soybean. In soybean like crops where low moisture can adversely effect seed viability the seeds are usually dried to 78% moisture content. The drying process should start as early as possible in order to avoid unnecessary deterioration. Seed with high initial moisture content should not be exposed to extremes of temperatures. Seed drying should not done at high temperatures instead the seed should be dried gradually under low temperature and low humidity. Several methods are available for drying the seed. For genebank samples drying should always be done under low humidity conditions. A relative humidity of 10-15% and a temperature of 15 C are recommended by IBPGR Advisory Committee on Seed Storage. Seed drying can be achieved by the following methods: Sun drying / shade drying Natural air drying Hot air drying Dehumidified air drying Use of seed dryers fitted with a dehumidifier drier is quite satisfactory for drying most of seeds, where in the seeds equilibrate to the desired moisture. Preparation of samples for drying Samples should always be packed in porous containters/ bags such as muslin cloth bags. Samples should be properly labeled, preferably with two labels, on inside and other outside indicating the identity of the material. Overloading the drier should be avoided. A single layer Climate change , Biodiversity and conservation Prof.Joelri Michael Raj.L

will help in uniform and rapid drying. After a fixed interval depending upon the initial moisture content of seed, seed quantity and nature of seed, a small quantity of seed should be taken out to ascertain the moisture level. Samples which have reached the desired level of moisture, should be packed immediately in a room having very low humidity and low temperature. To prevent, reabsorption of moisture from the atmosphere, the dried seeds are packed in moisture vapour proof containers such as glass bottles, gasketted containers, tin boxex or tri-layered aluminium foil pouches. Moisture testing: Seed moisture content is the amount of water in the seed and is usually expressed as percentage of weight of the original sample. It can be expressed on either fresh weight basis or dry weight basis. Methods of moisture determination: Moisture determination involving the removal of water from seeds can be considered as the basic method of moisture determination. Lyophilization (Freeze-drying): In this method seeds are frozen and the water is removed by sublimation (solid state to gas form) in a vacuum. Chemical desiccation: The seeds are dried in a vacuum (without heating) over a desiccant such as phosphorus pentaoxide. Karl Rschers Titration method: In this method the water is extracted from finely ground seed with methyl alcohol. The water is then determined by titration with a special reagent. This is considered to be the most accurate method available but is very cumbersome and time consuming. Air-oven method: This is the most practical and widely adopted method of moisture determination and is included in the International Rules for Seed Testing (ISTA). According to the ISTA rules two replications of 4-5 g of seed are used for moisture determination. However, under genebank conditions depending upon the size of the sample and value of the germplasm even 0.5 g of seed per replicate can be used for determining the moisture content of an accession. The lower the weight of the seed used, the more accuracy is required to achieve the true result. Small samples should be weighed to 4 decimal places using an analytical balance. Care is necessary to keep minimum exposure of samples to the air. Some species require grinding before drying. For cereals and cotton seeds fine grinding is necessary and for legumes and tree species coarse grinding is done. Pre-drying: If the seeds are very moist, pre drying may be necessary. According to ISTA rules if the species is one for which grinding is necessary and its moisture content is more than 17% (10% in case of soybean and 13 % for rice) pre drying is obligatory. Seed deterioration: The principal factors determining the storage life of a seed lot are seed moisture and temperature. The higher both these factors are the more rapidly the seeds deteriorate. The effect of these factors are roughly summarized in the two rules proposed by Harrington (1972). (1) For decrease of 1% in moisture and (2) for each decrease of 5 C in temperature, the storage life of seed is double. The first rule applies well between 14 to 5 per cent seed moisture. Above 14% the growth of fungus/insects destroys the seed and reduces the germination. Below 5% physico chemical Climate change , Biodiversity and conservation Prof.Joelri Michael Raj.L

reactions which may occur speed up the rate of deterioration. Like wise the temperature rule is applicable between 122 F and 32F. Seed deterioration may be defined as falling from a higher to a lower level in quality, character or viability. Seed deterioration is an irreversible degenerative change in the quality of seed after it has reached its maximum quality level. Seeds may be divided into two major categories with respect to seed deterioration. Orthodox seeds: Includes all those seeds which desiccate naturally on the mother plant eg., all the commonly grown crops as well as many wild species. Seeds of this type can be dried to low moisture contents without harm and the lower the moisture content and temperature the longer they survive. Recalcitrant seeds: Includes seeds which are killed by drying below a relatively higher moisture contents (20-40%) and even under moist conditions, survival is typically limited to a few weeks or months. Eg., large fleshy seeds of woody species eg., cocoa and rubber. No methods are so far available for the medium or long term storage of recalcitrant seeds. In general maximum quality is realized at physiological maturity defined as the stage at which seeds attain maximum dry weight and full germination capacity, however the seed moisture content usually remains high (21-55%). Causes of seed deterioration include: Delayed germination Reduced seedling vigour Decreased ability to germinate under stressful conditions Increase in number of abnormal seedlings Shift in germination temperature requirements Loss of germinability Changes in enzyme activity, storage compounds etc. Decline in membrane permeability. Seed deterioration cannot be stopped altogether even under favourable storage conditions but can be minimized. Principles and functioning of seed dryers: Seed drier is a unit, which maintains the required environment of low humidity and temperature for gradual drying of the seed material without losing its viability. Principle: The dehumidified air picks up moisture as it passes over the seeds. The moisture laden air is again made to pass through the dehumidified to remove the moisture. Monitoring viability of accessions: Germination is the direct indicator of viability. It is the emergence and development of seedlings to a stage where the presence and absence and formation of essential structures can be assessed. When viable non dormant seeds are provided with a wetted substratum, oxygen and suitable temperature, the radical emerges from the seed after a certain period of time. Not all germinable seeds produce normal seedlings, and the germination percentage is expressed on the basis of normal seedlings only.

Climate change , Biodiversity and conservation

Prof.Joelri Michael Raj.L

The substratum used for germination testing is of different kinds, ie. Paper, sand and agar. Paper: The paper should be of good quality and free from toxic substance. It can be used as 1) top of paper 2) between paper, 3) pleated paper. Sand: Sand should be washed to remove the toxic material and sterilized. Seeds are pressed into the sand in boxes or first they are placed on the surface of moisture sand and then covered with 10-20 mm of uncompressed sand. Agar: 0.7 to 1 % agar solution is prepared for which 1 g of agar is dissolved in 1 litre of water with 3 g of thirum. This is boiled, cooled and poured in petridishes with 100 ml of media in each. Once the plates are ready with media the seeds are plated at the rate of 40 seeds in each petridish for conducting the germination test. The advantage of this method is that the seeds can remain fresh for longer duration. Viability testing for long term storage requires 200 seeds ie 50 seeds each in four replication. Monitoring of viability: Seeds samples should be randomly selected and monitored for viability. As per the standards set by IPGRI the proposed intervals for monitoring of viability for accessions in base collection in ten years. In case of medium storage collection, the viability will be tested after every 5 years.

Long term storage methods In this seeds are dried to 5% moisture content and can be packed in sealed containers. Therefore, immediately on receipt of material, the seeds are dried to 5+ 2oC moisture. If drying is necessary, the oven drying method prescribed by ISTA is adopted. The techniques for drying the seeds to 5% moisture should be very simple. Drying room seed dryer provided at the gene bank operate at 15oC and 10-15% RH with good air circulation. This can also be done by using air dehumidifier and prevailing air conditioning. Medium term storage Many active collections are stored at temperature between 0oC to 10oC and classified as medium term stores. The recommended seed moisture content can be controlled either by using water vapour impermeable containers. If the samples are withdrawn more frequently, it may be more convenient to use unsealed containers (Stored under controlled RH of 30-35%). In some gene banks, open containers are used and in that case dehydrants with odour indicator are used. Silica gel with cobalt chloride is the usual indicator. In these stores, material is generally kept for 5-10 years. Containers for germplasm seed conservation The generally accepted containers at gene bank are Glass bottles with rubber caps with hermetic sealing. Glass jars with screw caps those are more convenient but the sealing is not perfect. Aluminium metal cans These are in use at many places. Laminated aluminium foil packets. It consist of inner layer of polythene (250 gauge), middle layer or aluminium foil (12 u) and an outer layer of polyester (12 u) It is convenient for use. Different sizes can be used to meet the needs of gene bank. Advantages : 1. Convenient and less expensive 2. Occupying very little space and can be easily spaced and provide total barrier to moisture. 3. Sealing is also completed and the packets are sealed by sealing machine, which operate on the principle of heat and pressure. 1. 2. 3. 4. Climate change , Biodiversity and conservation Prof.Joelri Michael Raj.L

You might also like