Preserving Global Plant Diversity: Inside Kew's Millennium Seed Bank

The Millennium Seed Bank Collection

• 💡 Kew's Millennium Seed Bank, open for 25 years, houses the world's largest collection of wild plant seeds.
• 🌍 Seeds are gathered from over 100 countries, forming a global effort to protect plants from extinction.

Seed Processing and Preservation

• 🔬 Seeds undergo a slow drying process to remove moisture, significantly increasing their lifespan in storage.
• ⚙️ Cleaning involves both manual and mechanical methods, including sieves and aspirating machines, to remove unwanted debris.
• 🌱 In the germination lab, scientists test seed viability by mimicking natural conditions with moisture and warmth.

Underground Vault Storage

• ❄️ Processed seeds are stored in a massive underground vault in southern England, maintained at -20° C.
• 📊 To date, the project has banked 2.5 billion seeds from approximately 190 countries.
• 🛡️ The vault is engineered to withstand potential disasters such as fire and flooding.

Future Applications and Ecosystem Restoration

• 🌳 A key objective is to return stored seeds to their natural habitats.
• ⚠️ This initiative aims to restore ecosystems threatened by climate change and land loss.