Global Seed Vault Sathish

TamilNadu Agricultural Universtiy

Svalbard Global Seed Vault Doomsday seed vault

SATHISH S, M.Sc (Agri)

2009 Updated: December

2010

CONTENT

Title

Page No.

Introduction

2

Location

2

History

2

Ownership

3

Facilities

3

Advantage of location

7

First anniversary deposity

8

Case study

10

Source of seed samples

15

References

18

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SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULT INTRODUCTION The world's seed collections are vulnerable to a wide range of threats - civil strife, war, natural catastrophes, and more routinely but no less damagingly, poor management, lack of adequate funding, and equipment failures. Unique varieties of our most important crops are lost whenever any such disaster strikes, and therefore securing duplicates of all collections in a global facility provides an insurance policy for the world’s food supply. The global seed vault on permafrost (a layer of soil that is permanently frozen, in very cold regions of the world) is an answer to provide the best possible assurance of safety for the world’s crop diversity, and in fact the idea for such a facility dates back to the 1980s. However, it was only with the coming into force of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, and an agreed international legal framework for conserving and accessing crop diversity, that the seed vault became a practical possibility. LOCATION Svalbard archipelago was located 1000 km away from north pole governed by Norway government.

HISTORY: The history of Svalbard Global Seed Vault starts as early as 1983.The first initiative for the creation of a safety deposit for seeds in permafrost was taken by the Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NBG) as early as the early 80s. Svalbard, along with Greenland and the Jotunheim mountains, was assessed as a possible location at an early date. NBG visited Svalbard in 1983 and it was eventually decided to store seeds 300 metres inside a disused mine, mine 3, near Longyearbyen, where there was a permafrost of minus 3-4 degrees. NBG’s positive experience of Svalbard led to the question of similar safety deposits being taken up by the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) and the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation and a meeting between the board and the Norwegian authorities was arranged. In 1989 IBPGR started surveying the relevant alternative sites in Svalbard. Norway offered to take care of the actual construction of the vault, while FAO and IBPGR would take care of 2

the administrative operating costs through the creation of a fund based on capital from external donors. After the FAO’s International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture came into force in 2004. A group of Nordic and international experts under the direction of Noragric at the Norwegian University of Life Scientists (UMB) were appointed to carry out a preliminary study. In September 2004 the group put forward an unambiguously positive report, which concluded that suitable locations were to be found in Svalbard. In November 2004 the report was presented at FAO’s Commission for Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The Norway government backed the initiative and in 2005 an interdepartmental steering group was set up for the project, consisting of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food (LMD), the Ministry of the Environment (MD), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD), the Ministry of Justice (JD) and the Consumer and Administration Ministry (FAD). Statsbygg, as constructor, also participated on the steering group as an observer. The group is chaired by and has its secretariat in the LMD. Planning commenced in autumn 2005 and building commenced in May 2007. The facility was inaugurated on 26th February 2008.

OWNERSHIP It is Norway which formally owns the seed vault, with Ministry of Agriculture and Food (LMD) as the responsible authority for Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Nordic Genetic Resource Centre is responsible for scientific operation, whilst Statsbygg operates the technical plant. Construction has cost almost NOK 50 million and has been entirely financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD), LMD and the Ministry of the Environment (MD). The Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT) has also been brought in as an active partner and will finance a substantial amount of the annual operating costs of the vault. The other operating costs will be financed by the government, through LMD. GCDT is also helping to secure operations by assisting developing countries in the packing and despatch of seed samples to Svalbard.

FACILITIES Svalbard Global Seed Vault lies about 1 kilometre from Longyearbyen Airport, at about 130 metres above sea level and consists entirely of an underground facility, blasted out 3

of the permafrost (at about minus 3-4 degrees Celsius). The facility is designed to have an almost “endless” lifetime. The location takes into account all known scenarios for rising sea level caused by global climate changes. The facility has also been located so deep inside the mountain that any possible changes to Svalbard’s climate, which we know about today, will not affect the efficacy of the permafrost. This will be a temporary temperature back up in the event of technical failure, such as loss of power supplies for a period.

Underground chambers The facility consists of three separate underground chambers. Each chamber has the capacity to store 1,5 million different seed samples. With the aid of its own electric machinery, powered by electricity from the local power station at Longyearbyen, it will maintain a constant interior temperature of minus 18 degrees Celsius. The chambers will have storage shelving for prepacked samples of food seeds from the depositors (donor countries).

Seed vaults

Office & handling area

Permafrost (-3 to -4°C)

Sleeve to protect tunnel from erosion and climatic changes

Seed Vault Portal

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Portal and Tunnel The storage chambers themselves are reached via an access tunnel about 100 metres long, with an entrance portal on its outside. The entrance portal will be the only visible part of the facility. It is in the form of a long, narrow concrete “fin”, with an entrance of brushed steel. An artistic decoration on the outer roof surface and on the upper part of the front will partly reflect the polar light and partly give off a muted, glowing light. The outer half of the entrance tunnel is constructed as a steel pipe with a diameter of about 5 metres. This will pass through the layer of snow and ice and the loose rocks, into solid Mountain. The innermost part and the storage chambers will be blasted out of the mountain using tunnel drilling and rock blasting techniques. The mountain is secured with bolts and spray concrete. The permafrost will also contribute to stability. The interior floor is of asphalt. There is electric lighting throughout and the facility will be secured against forced entry and will have TV surveillance. Areas for filing and other administrative work of a temporary nature will be located beside the entrance tunnel. These will be heated to normal room temperature while work is going on. The total floor area of the facility is just under 1,000 square metres.

MANAGEMENT AND OPERATIONS Depositor agreement including other regulations and procedures are available through the website (http://www.nordgen.org/ngb/ ) by the Nordic Genebank.

Seed storage The seed samples stored in the Seed Vault are “spare” copies of samples stored in the depositing genebanks. The act of depositing seeds in the Seed Vault does not diminish the samples stored in the genebanks. Ideally each unique seed sample held in genebanks worldwide would have a “spare” copy in another genebank able to conserve and to distribute that sample effectively, as well as a copy in Svalbard. The Vault in the ideal global system acts as a further safety backup for these genebanks. Priority for storage will be given to samples of crops that are important for sustainable agriculture and food security. It receives samples from the international genebanks of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), as well as certain national genebanks. The focus will be on safeguarding as much of the world’s unique genetic 5

material as possible and on avoiding duplication in seed vault. Among the types of seed samples held at Svalbard will be traditional varieties/landraces, modern varieties, and wild species related to crops.

Free of cost The Svalbard Global Seed Vault will provide facilities free of cost for safety deposits under “black box conditions” on request from public or private holders of seeds of distinct genetic resources that are important to humanity. Priority will be given to the safety deposit of plant genetic resources of importance for food security and sustainable agriculture.

Packaging and shipment Seed samples prepared and packaged for storage in the Seed vault must be dried to low moisture content (~5%) and packaged in sealed, airtight aluminum foil pouches. The pouches are stacked in standard sized deposit boxes and accompanied with an electronic inventory with a set of descriptors of each individual sample. When the seed boxes arrive at Svalbard, NordGen staff receives and registers each box in the storage system and updates the database and its public interface at www.nordgen.org/sgsv accordingly. Costs pertaining to the packaging and shipping of the deposited seeds will be borne by the depositors. However, in the case of developing countries and international genebanks, the Global Crop Diversity Trust is funding the costs of preparing, packing and shipping their seeds to Svalbard. The material deposited will be maintained in permafrost conditions supplemented by refrigeration in accordance with internationally agreed standards.

International regulations The depositors who will deposit material will do so consistently with relevant national and international law. The Seed Vault will only agree to receive seeds that are shared under the Multilateral System or under Article 15 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) or seeds that have originated in the country of the depositor. GMO-seeds Import and storage of GMO seeds according to Norwegian legislation will require advance approval. Certain other criteria will apply to "sealed internal use" for research purposes and indoor storage of GMO, for example with regard to the risk of spreading GMO. 6

Norwegian genetechnology legislation was formulated before the Svalbard Global Seed Vault (SGSV) was set up, and therefore fails to take into account the vault's special status, or the low risk related to handling seeds in sealed packaging. Until changes can be made to the rules or exemptions can be provided from them, long-term storage of GMO seeds in the SGSV will not be approved.

Replacement policy The Seed Vault will not have the opportunity to test the viability of the seeds, but will accept new shipments of seeds when the duplicate samples at the depositor’s possession have lost fertility.

Black boxes "Black box arrangements" mean;  that the deposit of the seeds will not affect any property or other rights pertaining to

the material;  that the deposited seeds will remain in sealed envelopes, unless otherwise agreed with

the Depositor;  That the Svalbard Global Seed Vault will take no action to further transfer the

material except back to the original Depositor or the Depositor’s successor in title, or in accordance with the Depositor’s instructions.

ADVANTAGE OF LOCATION

 Spitsbergen was considered ideal due to its lack of tectonic activity and its permafrost, which will aid preservation.  Svalbard is remote and yet accessible. Seeds can easily be transported to and retrieved from Svalbard, and the area has good communications links.  Infrastructure is excellent. Locally mined coal provides power generation. Even if the equipment fails, a considerable time will elapse before the temperature rises to the −3 °C (27 °F) of the surrounding sandstone bedrock.  The location guarantees stable permafrost for the foreseeable future and provides stable storage conditions for seeds.

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 It is high enough above sea level to secure the facility against any rise in sea level as a result of global warming.  The political situation is stable. The local government is highly competent and helpful. The local community also is small and supportive.  Military activity is prohibited in the region under the terms of the Treaty of Svalbard (1920). FIRST ANNIVERSARY DEPOSITS (26 February 2009) As part of the vault's one year anniversary, more than 90,000 food crop seed samples were placed into storage, bringing the total number of seed samples to 400,000. Among the new seeds includes 32 varieties of potatoes from Ireland's national gene banks and 20,000 new samples from the U.S. Agricultural Research Service. Other seed samples came from Canada and Switzerland, as well as international seed researchers from Colombia, Mexico and Syria. This 4-tonne shipment brought the total number of seeds stored in the vault to over 20 million. The vault now contains samples from one-third of the world's most important food crop varieties. Also part of the anniversary, experts on food production and climate change met for a three-day conference in Longyearbyen. Institutions Expected to Deposit Seeds on the Opening Day:  Centres of the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR):  Africa Rice Center (WARDA), Benin  Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical (CIAT), Colombia  Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maiz y Trigo (CIMMYT), Mexico  Centro Internacional de la Papa (CIP), Peru  International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), Syria  International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Nigeria  International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Ethiopia  International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Philippines  World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Kenya  Centre for Genetic Resources (CGN), The Netherlands  Institute of Agri-Biotechnology and Genetic Resources, Pakistan  Institute of Plant Breeding, College of Agriculture, University of  The Philippines Los Baños, Philippines 8

 Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK), Germany  N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, Russia  National Genebank of Kenya, Kenya  Nordic Gene Bank (NGB), Sweden  Plant Gene Resources Canada, Canada  Seed Savers Exchange, USA  United States Department

of Agriculture

–

Agricultural Research Service

(USDA/ARS), National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, USA  World Vegetable Centre (AVRDC), Taiwan List of Crops for Deposit in Svalbard Global Seed Vault (from inventory lists as of 1 February 2008) Alfalfa Amaranth Asparagus Azuki bean Bambara groundn Barley Basil Bean Beet Blackberry Brassica Broccoli Brussel sprouts Cabbage Cajanus Calendula Cantaloupe Caraway Carrot Cauliflower Celery Chickpea Chicory

Chinese cabbage Chinese kale Chives Clover Collards Coriander Cowpea Crambe Cranberry Cress Cucumber Currant Eggplant Endive Faba bean Fenugreek Finger millet Flax Forages Foxtail millet Grasspea (Lathyrus) Groundnut Hops

Jackbean Jerusalem artichoke Kale Leek Lentil Lettuce Leucaena Lima bean Loofah Maize Marrow Melon Mint Mizuna (brassica) Mung bean Mustard Oat Okra Onion Oregano Pak choi (brassica) Parsley Pasture grasses

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Pea Pear Pearl millet Pepper Pigeon pea Potato Proso millet Soybean Spinach Squash Strawberry Sunflower Sweet potato Tomatillo Tomato Tree seed species Trefoil Triticale Turnip Water spinach Watermelon Wheat Wing bean

Case study In order to compare the germinability loss of the Svalbard collection with that of the base collection held at the NGB in Alnarp, a 100-year testing programme was set up (http://www.kew.org/msbp/). The experiment was initiated in 1987 in coal mine situated at Longyearbyn in svalbard. The material consists of a number of cultivars from a range of species presented in Table 1. Each cultivar is represented by 25 sealed glass ampules each containing 1,000 seeds. All 25 ampules originate from the same seed lot. Every 2½ years during the first 15 years and subsequently every fifth year, the viability of the stored seeds is being checked according to the International Seeds Testing Association (ISTA) method using 4 × 100 seed examples. In addition, occurrence of pathogens on the seed surface is being checked during the first 20 years of the experiment. Statens Frökontroll in Norway carry out all analyses. Table 1. Nordic cultivars and their species used at storage experiment in permafrost Plant species Hordeum vulgare Triticum aestivum Secale cereale Lolium perenne Phleum pratense Poa pratensis Trifolium pratense Pisum sativum Beta vulgaris Brassica napus Allium cepa Lactuca sativa Cucumis sativus Daucus carota Brassica oleracea var. botrytis

Nordic cultivar Inga Abed ,Tunga Vakka,Solid Pektus ,Vioma Pippin,Riikka Tammisto,Bodin Annika,Hankkijan Kyosti Jokioinen,Molstad Weitor parti 10468,Hankkijan Hemmo 70500,Hilleshog 81458 Jupiter,Linrama Hamund,Owa Hilro,Attraktion Gigant,Rhensk Nantes Fancy,Regulus Savit,Pari

Results and Discussion The first data on germination of the seed samples is illustrated in Figures 1 to 6. The viability of the different plant species and cultivars under permafrost storage conditions has during the last 12½ years been very close to their initial value although some fluctuation of the germination percentage has occurred. Some genotypes seem to lose their viability 10

relatively fast, such as Secale cereale cv. Vioma in Figure 2. As a consequence, such genotypes should be replaced with a new sample more often in the safety base collection. Some of the samples show an apparent large decrease in viability followed by an increase (Figures 1, 3 and 4). This would appear to be due to the differing interpretation of abnormal/normal germinating seeds over time. As a consequence, these results should be viewed with caution. The permafrost trial will be evaluated in more detail in the future. So far, the results are promising. It should be emphasised that using permafrost storage is a safe and cheap way to maintain plant genetic resources for the future.

Fig 1: The germination percentages for cereal crops at Svalbard in permafrost conditions during 12½ years.

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Fig 2: The germination percentages for grass crops at Svalbard in permafrost conditions during 12½ years.

Fig 3: The germination percentages for legume crops at Svalbard in permafrost conditions during 12½ years. 12

Fig 4: The germination percentages for beet cv.and Brassica crops at Svalbard in permafrost conditions during 12½ years.

Fig 5: The germination percentages for vegetable crops at Svalbard in permafrost conditions during 12½ years.

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Fig 6: The germination percentages for cucumber and carrot crops at Svalbard in permafrost conditions during 12½ years.

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Seed samples at SGSV by continent for the country of collecting or source

The map shows the number of seed samples deposited at Svalbard Global Seed Vault split by continent of the country of collecting or source. This is the continent of the country where the source germplasm originally comes from, not the country who have deposited the seeds. The map is dynamic and displays the current status for the SGSV portal. For each continent the number printed on the map shows the number of seed samples originally from this continent. 15

Seed samples at SGSV by Country of collecting or source

The map shows the number of seed samples deposited at Svalbard Global Seed Vault split by country of collecting or source. This is the country where the source germplasm originally comes from, not the country who have deposited the seeds. The map is dynamic and displays the current status for the SGSV portal. For each country the number printed on the map shows the number of seed samples originally from this country. 16

REFERENCES  http://www.regjeringen.no/en/dep/lmd/campain/svalbard-global-seed-vault/frontpage.html?id=462227  http://www.nordgen.org/sgsv/.  http://www.croptrust.org/main/arctic.php?itemid=211  http://www.statsbygg.no/Aktuelt/Nyheter/7201/  www.nortrade.com/index.php?cmd=show_news&id=3667]  science.howstuffworks.com/.../doomsday-vault.htm  http://www.kew.org/msbp/scitech/publications/SCTSIP_digital_book/pdfs/Chapter_5 0.pdf

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