Resources
The Millennium Seed Bank (MSB) offers various resources for use by our partners and other parties.
General Resources
Technical Information Sheets
A collection of technical information sheets produced by Millennium Seed Bank staff, covering various aspects of seed conservation practices and facilities. These are aimed at practitioners already working in seed conservation, although they are also used as resource materials in our training courses and provide detailed information for anyone wishing to know more.
- Protocol for comparative seed longevity testing (pdf)
- Assessing a population for seed collection (pdf)
- Seed collecting techniques (pdf)
- Post-harvest handling of seed collections (pdf)
- Measuring seed moisture status using a hygrometer (pdf)
- Selecting containers for long-term seed storage (pdf)
- Low cost monitors of seed moisture status (pdf)
- Small-scale seed drying methods (pdf)
- Equilibrating seeds to specific moisture levels (pdf)
- Identifying desiccation-sensitive seeds (pdf)
- Seed bank design - seed drying rooms (pdf)
- Seed bank design - cold rooms for seed storage (pdf)
- Cleaning seed collections for long-term conservation (pdf)
- Making herbarium specimens (pdf)
- Sending seed collections to the MSB (pdf)
- Seed bank risk management (pdf)
Technical videos
How to clean a seed collection (link to Vimeo). A written transcript of the 'How to clean a seed collection' video is available as a pdf.
Making a herbarium specimen (link to Vimeo). A written transcript of the 'Making a herbarium specimen' video is available as a pdf.
Measuring Seed Moisture with a Hygrometer (link to Vimeo). A written transcript of the 'Measuring seed moisture content with a hygrometer' video is available as a pdf.
Using herbarium collections to produce seed collecting guides (link to Youtube). A written transcript of the 'Using herbarium collections to produce seed collecting guides' video is available as a pdf.
Challenges and solutions for the long-term storage of seeds and spores with short lifespans in traditional seed banks (link to Vimeo).
Seed Information Resources
- The Seed Information Database is a compilation of seed biological trait data from the MSBP's own collections and from other published and unpublished sources.
- The Pence et al., (2022) Global Working List of Exceptional Plants.
Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP) Seed Conservation Standards
Seed Data Resources
- MSBP Seed data template and glossary (.xlsx download)
- MSBP Seed Data USA study (pdf)
- Data Provider Agreement (pdf)
- Registration instructions (pdf)
- MSBP Seed Data overview (pdf)
Kew Science Strategies
Manuals for Seed Collectors
- Field Manual for Seed Collectors - English edition (pdf)
- Field Manual for Seed Collectors - Russian edition (pdf)
- Manual for collection, processing and conservation of seed - Spanish edition (pdf)
- ENSCONET Collecting Manual (pdf)
- ENSCONET Curation Manual (pdf)
- ENSCONET guides are available in other languages from the ENSCONET website.
UK Native Seed Hub Project resources
UK Threatened Flora Project resources
- UK Flora seed collection protocol (pdf)
- UK Flora Data sheet (.docx download)
- UK Landowner consent form (pdf)
UKTFP propagation protocols
- Artemesia campestris (pdf)
- Astragalus danicus (pdf)
- Bupleurum baldense (pdf)
- Clinopodium acinos (pdf)
- Ervum gracile (pdf)
- Genista anglica (pdf)
- Hottonia palustris (pdf)
- Illecebrum verticillatum (pdf)
- Rumex rupestris (pdf)
- Salsola kali (pdf)
- Silene conica (pdf)
- Turritis glabra (pdf)
UK Tree Seed Collecting project resources
- UK Landowner consent form (pdf)
- UK Tree Seed Collecting Manual (pdf)
- UK Tree Seed Field data form (pdf)
