40,000 Plant Species Save at Kew's Millennium Seed Bank To Address Food Security, Conservation

The latest report showed that Kew's Millennium Seed Bank stored over 40,000 plant species that will save them from threats, extinction and food crisis.

Seed banks are essential to the global population because it banks seeds in the safest places that could become beneficial for food security and conservation.

Seedbanks for conservation and food security

(Photo : by Oli Scarff/Getty Images)
Kew Millennium Seed Bank Project. The alarming threats of climate change could impact plant species. To save from possible decline and extinction, Kew's Millennium Seed Bank stores and conserve over 40,000 plant species. 

The growing concern about climate change showed an alarming impact on plants and biodiversity.

According to a Columbia University report, plant species could suffer from a lack and deficient nutrients due to climate change and rising temperatures.

In addition, the prolonged season, like warmer winters, could also cause more invasive species and pests to damage plants.

The threat of rising temperatures could allow invasive insects to invade new areas and territories that could affect plants.

As a result, seed banks played a crucial role in saving plant species from the worsening problem of climate change.

According to a report published in Phys.org, the Key's Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) is at the forefront of conserving plants and seeds.

Known as the Noah Ark for plants, the report said about 40,020 plant species are stored at the MSB that the Royal Botanic Gardens lead.

The report explained that the area could protect plants, considering it is flood-and-bomb-proof.

• There are about over 98,000 seed collections from nearly 190 countries.
• It is known as the largest collection of seeds and plants that could be helpful during food and biodiversity crises.

Senior Research Leader at MSB, Dr. Elinor Breman, explained that it is vital to store and increase the collections regarding genetic diversity that could address pressing food security concerns and biodiversity loss due to climate change.

According to the report, Dr. Kate Hardwick from MSB said that about two-fifths of plants are estimated to be under threat of extinction.

Climate change, habitat loss and biodiversity loss are the main problems that affect plant species.

Dr. Hardwick, also from Conservation Partnership Coordinator, added that the initiative worked and partnered with about 97 countries.

How seeds can be stored

According to Global Resilience Institute at Northeastern University, seed banks are also helpful for crop and agricultural resilience.

The process of seed conservation is not as easy as you think before it is finally stored in vaults, the report said.

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The report said plants are brought into a dry room area with 15% humidity. The researchers will then examine the plants for possible pests and other concerns.

Once they are done in the X-ray machine, plants are again dried. They don't extract all the water available from plants.

Then, the plants are brought in sealed glass and stored at -20˚C.

The significant role of seeds is crucial because it saves threatened plants and seeds from extinction.

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