World’s largest seed bank races to save threatened plant species

Tucked away beneath the English countryside, a vast collection of 40,000 wild plant species from around the globe is carefully preserved in bomb-proof frozen vaults. The Millennium Seed Bank (MSB), the world’s largest seed bank, is located south of London and is racing against time to save these seeds, as two out of five plant species face the threat of extinction, according to scientists.

Esteemed environmental figure David Attenborough has referred to the MSB as “perhaps the most significant conservation initiative ever.” John Dickie, the project’s senior research leader, explained the MSB’s mission as conserving wild species through seeds to prevent their extinction in the long run.

The MSB, which opened in 2000, currently houses 2.5 billion seeds at its Wakehurst location, 35 miles outside London, and at a branch of Kew Gardens botanical gardens in the capital. The seeds represent 40,020 different species originating from 190 countries. Priority is given to plants threatened by climate change and endemic plants found in specific geographical areas. Plants with societal functions, such as medical or economic use, are also preserved reported Bangkok Post.

Dickie highlighted that plant species are endangered primarily due to land use change and increasingly due to climate change. He said, “Some plants will adapt. Others are not adaptable. At least they are here rather than not existing anymore.”

The process of saving seeds at Wakehurst is based on technology already used for crop species. Seeds are dried and frozen, allowing them to be stored for decades, possibly centuries. The seeds are X-rayed for diseases and given their own identity cards before being stored in glass jars. Scientists then take them to the underground vaults, which are built to withstand floods, bombings, and radiation and maintain a temperature of minus 20 degrees Celsius.

The MSB’s largest collection of seeds belongs to the orchid family, but it also houses rare plants such as the world’s smallest water lily and the Deschampsia Antarctica, also known as Antarctic hair grass. Funded by public money and donations, the MSB has partnerships with 90 countries. Some countries, like Indonesia, choose to keep their seeds on their territory and take responsibility for their conservation. However, other countries, like Iran, remain out of reach, which is one of Dickie’s few regrets.