Uses of Seeds
Germinating seeds in incubators
MSBP seed collections, and associated data and herbarium vouchers, are held in the country of origin, in our partner seed banks. Duplicate collections are looked after at the MSB in the UK.
The seed, data and herbarium vouchers are available for use in research and conservation - both by the organisations involved in collecting them, and by other organisations.
In the case of the MSB, small sub-samples are made available to other organisations only if we have permission from the countries of origin to do so, and if the collection is big enough and its germination needs have been worked out. Samples are sent out following receipt of a signed, and legally binding, material supply agreement. This agreement states that the material shall only be used for non-commercial scientific purposes and prohibit any commercial use of the material, progeny or derivatives. Samples are only sent out to individuals affiliated with organisations involved in non-commercial research or conservation.
Requests for samples from the MSB can be made by registering for our seeds list.
In 2003 the MSB supplied around 600 samples, each containing 50 seeds. Users from across the globe range from university departments and agricultural institutes to non-governmental organisations.