Experiment on long-term storage of vegetable seeds under natural conditions

Preservation of the genetic diversity of crop plants and genetic collections of cultivated plants in a living state is an important state task. Seeds are a convenient form of storing genetic material, as the specimens are small in volume, require relatively little care, and remain viable for a long period. The genetically determined period of seed viability can be signifi cantly extended by creating optimal storage conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to search for or create environmental conditions under which seeds could remain viable for as long as possible. There are modern high-tech seed storage facilities in the world, but in the event of emergency situations, natural storage facilities, one of which is located on the Taymyr Peninsula, will be in a more advantageous position. Since 1974, an experiment has been carried out to study the safety of various products in diff erent types of packaging in permafrost conditions with the participation of a number of research institutions. Employees of the breeding laboratories selected seeds of 27 varieties of seven main types of vegetable crops; the samples were planted in triplicate, in accordance with the planned three extraction dates: in 2022, 2028, and 2034.