Letter: Taking care of the willow seeds that we collect

From Ian Willey, Fieldwork officer, Royal Botanic Gardens Millennium Seed Bank, Wakehurst, West Sussex, UK

Vijay Koul's experience makes him concerned about the viability of willow seeds (Letters, 13 July). Indeed, they are generally very short-lived in natural situations. For several years, we have been developing a protocol for long-term storage of Salicaceae species at the Millennium Seed Bank. This procedure addresses all stages, from seed collection in “Hundred Acre Wood” in Sussex and elsewhere (25 May, p 13) to storage conditions and monitoring, with the aim of maximising the longevity of the collections.

Importantly, we receive the seeds within three to four days of collection and place them into long-term storage within 14 days of arrival. This ensures the initial viability of the collection is as high as possible at the time of banking.

We also do germination tests on the seeds, both on arrival at the bank and after storage at -20°C and at -186°C. We will monitor the viability of each collection of seeds in the long-term. Our initial results are promising, with successful germination occurring after storage for two to three years.