Abstract
Seed conservation in rural communities of low- and middle-income countries located in tropical areas is particularly problematic, due to high relative humidity that promotes insect and fungal infestations and leads to rapid losses in seed viability. Seed conservation in those areas is affected by unreliable power supplies that do not allow the use of dehumidifying and refrigeration systems recommended for the long-term storage of seeds. We tested the dry chain, i.e., initial seed drying with a reusable desiccant in the form of zeolite beads followed by seed conservation in hermetic containers, in rural communities of Guatemala (Huehuetenango Department). In this region, a network of community seed reserves (CSRs) has been established to provide a safety backup for seed and to conserve local agrobiodiversity. Using a local maize variety in three communities, we compared the dry chain with the seed conservation methodology employed in the CSRs (i.e., undried seeds in hermetic flasks) as well as with seed conservation in open storage, both in the local CSR and in a farmer’s granary. Seed conserved using the dry chain treatment maintained very high seed viability (> 80%) throughout the whole experiment (6 months) and reduced fungal and insect infestations (< 3%). In the other treatments, the viability declined significantly to an average of 52% non-viable and 19% infested seeds after 6 months of storage. The dry chain was demonstrated to be an excellent solution for enhancing seed conservation in biodiversity hotspots of tropical areas as well as for improving seed security for farmers.
Highlights
One of the most effective strategies to ensure the conservation and availability of plant genetic resources (PGR) is through seed storage (Davies and Allender 2017)
We tested the dry chain, i.e., initial seed drying with a reusable desiccant in the form of zeolite beads followed by seed conservation in hermetic containers, in rural communities of Guatemala (Huehuetenango Department)
The aims of the current paper are to: (1) assess the effectiveness of the current methodology of seed conservation that is being employed in the community seed reserves (CSRs) in the Guatemalan highlands; and (2) test the implementation of the dry chain approach in the same region, in particular the use of drying beads to dry seed material coupled with seed conservation in hermetic containers
Summary
One of the most effective strategies to ensure the conservation and availability of plant genetic resources (PGR) is through seed storage (Davies and Allender 2017). Seed conservation shows several advantages as a medium/long-term conservation strategy for plant biodiversity: seed material is relatively easy to collect, can be stored in small spaces, can provide a representative sample of the genetic diversity, and, under the right conditions, remains viable for long periods. Known as community seed reserves (CSRs), are smallscale local organizations that conserve seeds of landraces and wild useful plants on a medium-term basis (2–10 years) and serve the needs of local communities. CSRs, especially when organized in networks, can have important roles in improving seed security (i.e., ‘‘the ready access by rural households to adequate quantities of quality seed of crop varieties, adapted to their agro-ecological conditions and socioeconomic needs’’; FAO 2020) and in the conservation of plant agrobiodiversity, defined as: ‘‘the diversity of crop species used in different agro-ecosystems as well as the genetic diversity within and among crop and crop wild relatives accessions’’ (Last et al 2014; Vernooy et al 2017). Community seed reserves have been established in various countries of the world over the last 30 years (Vernooy et al 2015)
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