Overview of genebank processes

The image shows the flow diagram of key processes first shown in module 1. In this version of the diagram, the processes of regeneration and drying are highlighted, to reflect the fact that these two processes are the focus of this module.
Figure 1: key genebank processes

The focus of module 4 is drying, as Figure 1 shows. Although seeds start to dry in the field, as far as ambient conditions allow, once they enter a genebank they are dried further, under the controlled conditions in the genebank’s drying rooms. The low moisture content they reach in the drying rooms must be maintained during the time seeds are processed and packed, so that by the time they enter the active or base collections, the seeds meet strict parameters of temperature and humidity.

Genebanks carefully monitor the moisture content of seeds because this tells us a lot about their physiological status – whether their metabolisms are barely ticking over or gearing up for germination, what processes are going on inside their cytoplasm. An important practical application of this measurement is that the moisture content tells the genebank scientists when the seeds are ready to go into storage.

However, conventional methods of measuring moisture content are destructive and wasteful. In this module, we will explore new and cost-effective ways of measuring and controlling the behavior of water in seeds.

Introduction

Some definitions