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.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
UNILATERAL MOVES: Officials have raised concerns that Beijing could try to exert economic control over Kinmen in a key development plan next year The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) yesterday said that China has so far failed to provide any information about a new airport expected to open next year that is less than 10km from a Taiwanese airport, raising flight safety concerns. Xiamen Xiangan International Airport is only about 3km at its closest point from the islands in Kinmen County — the scene of on-off fighting during the Cold War — and construction work can be seen and heard clearly from the Taiwan side. In a written statement sent to Reuters, the CAA said that airports close to each other need detailed advanced
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
RSS