Will County chokeberry seeds getting their closeup in genetic preservation program

From the vault

Seed vaults play a prominent role in the country and around the world.

“National and global seed vaults are working to protect the planet’s biodiversity by storing seeds in controlled environments,” said Cindy Cain, public information officer of the Forest Preserve District of Will County. “We’re proud to be even a small part of this process.”

Vaults allow scientists to research samples and store seeds and materials in the event of disasters.

“The stored materials, known as ‘germplasm,’ include the seed, pollen, and vegetative tissue,” according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

At the USDA’s National Laboratory for Genetic Resources Preservation in Fort Collins, Colo., there is material from more than 1.1 million plants from across the globe. That includes cultivated, wild and endangered plants. Material from about 170 breeds of livestock also can be found there.

“It is widely considered a necessity because many of those plants and animals are threatened by emerging diseases, invasive pests, habitat loss, climate change, and, in the case of livestock, illnesses and fertility problems,” according to the USDA.

In the vault area, samples are stored in cold or cryogenic systems. The facility also is built to last.

“It is able to withstand possible floods from nearby Horsetooth Reservoir, tornadoes and the dropping of a 2,500-pound object traveling at 125 miles per hour,” according to the USDA.

The North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station was established in 1948 in Ames, Iowa.

“Our mission is to conserve genetically diverse crop germplasm and associated information, conduct germplasm-related research, and encourage the use of germplasm and associated information for research, crop improvement and product development,” according to the USDA.