How long can rice seeds stay alive for?

An IRRI Seminar

By ​Fiona Hay
Senior Scientist-Genetic Resource Specialist​
T.T. Chang Genetic Resources Center (TTCGRC​)​

​​​12 November 2015
1:15-2:15 p.m.
Havener Auditorium
IRRI

Abstract:

Seed longevity is an important trait for anyone involved in storing and using seeds: farmers/growers, seed companies, breeders, or genebank managers.

In this seminar, Dr Hay will present some of the theory around seed longevity, how we can make predictions depending on the initial quality of the seeds and the storage environment, and how this might be useful for genebank management.

However, looking at the genebank’s routine viability monitoring data of seed lots of genebank accessions regenerated at IRRI between 1980 and 2002, it appears that the overall storage potential has declined since the early 1990s. The potential causes of this decline, including pre- and postharvest factors, which are known to influence seed quality, will be discussed.