Assessment of long-term seed storage capability of rangeland species from different ecological regions of Hamadan province in the Iranian natural resources gene bank of Iran

Document Type : Scientific Letters

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Forest and Rangeland Research Department, Hamedan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Hamedan, Iran

2 Researcher, Forest and Rangeland Research Department, Zanjan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Zanjan, Iran,

3 Associate Professor, Seed and Plant Improvement Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Iran

4 Associate Prof, Rangeland Research Department, Research institute of Forests and Rangelands, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

10.22092/irn.2025.369364.1648

Abstract

Protecting plant biodiversity is an undeniable necessity, particularly in light of crises such as climate change and habitat destruction. In this context, two strategies—in-habitat conservation and out-of-habitat conservation—are employed to preserve plant species. In-habitat conservation maintains species within their natural environments, supporting the continuation of ecological and evolutionary processes, but it remains vulnerable to sudden threats. Conversely, ex-situ conservation involves collecting and storing seeds or seedlings in gene banks or botanical gardens and is vital for the long-term preservation of rare, endemic, or endangered species. A critical factor in the success of seed preservation in gene banks is the type of seed storage behavior, which is directly influenced by the seed’s moisture content at harvest. Therefore, as part of the project titled “Focused Collection of Rangeland and Medicinal Seeds to Supplement the Genetic Diversity in the Natural Resources Gene Bank”, the seed storage behavior and the feasibility of long-term preservation in a gene bank were assessed by evaluating seed characteristics of various rangeland species. These included germination percentage, purity percentage, thousand-seed weight, seed weight, and initial seed moisture. In this study, 255 samples from 42 families and 112 genera were collected from different ecological regions of Hamedan Province between 1995 and 1999. Most species exhibited a germination rate of 100%. The lowest germination rate was observed in Trifolium campestre (40%), and the lowest purity percentage (38%) was recorded for Tanacetum polycephalum. The highest thousand-seed weight (6.55 g) was found in Astragalus saetiger, while the lowest (0.6 g) belonged to Trifolium campestre. In most species, seed moisture content ranged from 3 to 8%. Considering that a moisture content below 7% at harvest is a key indicator for long-term seed storage potential, the majority of seeds displayed orthodox storage behavior and were suitable for conservation under standard gene bank conditions.

Keywords

References

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Iran Nature
Volume 10, Issue 2 - Serial Number 51
July and August 2025
Pages 37-46

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