Sat, Jun 10, 2023 page2

• Doomsday vault housing 75,000 cultivars

  • By Chen Chien-chih and Jonathan Chin / Staff reporter, with staff writer
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  Taiwan has a doomsday vault that houses the genetic samples of 75,000 cultivars of crops, the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute said on Thursday.

  Established in 1993, the National Plant Genetic Resources Information System is the sole national-level seed bank that serves as a genetic repository for grain, vegetables and fruits grown in Taiwan, Plant Germplasm Division Director Chen Shu (陳述) said.

  The purpose of the seed bank is to preserve genetic resources including seeds and other parts of plants that are foundational to agriculture and facilitate research on enhancing crops, he said.

  Designed with temperature and humidity controls, the facility’s vaults ensure the stored plant samples would survive disasters ranging from earthquakes to war, Chen said.

  The system has 100,000 individual samples in short, medium and long-term storage units, with the last being able to preserve materials for 100 years, he said.

  PROTECTION

  The low temperature of the facility necessitates assigned personnel to wear protective suits while working on site, he said, adding that the samples were obtained from government research centers and academic institutions nationwide.

  The facility uses manual inspection to guarantee that every grain of a seed sample is fully mature, and free of damage and disease, Chen said.

  Following selection, the samples undergo dehumidification to reduce the seed moisture content to less than 7 percent, are tested for viability, packaged and put into storage, he said, adding that the typical processing time for a sample varies from one to three months.

  Nearly every plant that conceivably can be found on the dining tables of Taiwanese is in the collection, including some that are unique or proprietary to the nation, he said.

  Heat-resistant rice grown in the southernmost regions of the world, upland rice, millet and djulis that are essential to indigenous culture, and fruits of deciduous trees cultivated specifically to resist climate change are among the genetic resources in the repository, Chen said.

  The collection includes indigenous vegetables and flax developed to become a substitute for artificial polymer fibers, he said.

  DEEP COMPOUND

  The facility has been hardened against military strikes due to the nation being under the menace of war, said Wei Chu-kai (魏趨開), an associate technical specialist at the division.

  The seed bank is in the deepest part of a compound surrounded on all sides by tall office buildings, which would mitigate the damage to the facility if it is targeted by a deliberate attack, he said.

  Meanwhile, the Council of Agriculture announced a three-year strategy budgeted at NT$26.8 billion (US$872 million) to make the agricultural sector more resilient and improve national food security.

  The measures include building infrastructure to improve the supply, management and transportation of water resources, encouraging the application of smart technology in agriculture and a program to reduce food waste, it said.

  The implementation of the policies is to begin on Aug. 1 to coincide with a ceremony marking the council’s upgrade to the Ministry of Agriculture, it said.
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