Nationwide seed relay drops off precious heritage seed at the University of Warwick’s UK Vegetable Genebank

Crop scientists at the UK Vegetable Genebank have taken delivery of a golden parcel of heritage seeds

A unique ‘seed relay’ that has travelled 170 miles across England to highlight the vital importance of saving, sharing and sowing seeds has arrived at the UK Vegetable Genebank (UKVGB) at the University of Warwick’s Innovation Campus.

The Heritage Seed Library (HSL), based at Ryton charity Garden Organic, is celebrating 50 years of seed conservation. Five decades after their founder sent the first precious parcel of at-risk heritage seeds to the UKVGB for preservation in the seed vault, the two organisations once again marked this special relationship with a delivery of heritage vegetable seeds.

The HSL is the only living library of heritage vegetables in the UK, and over the last 50 years, the UKVGB has been assisting the library by taking ‘insurance’ duplicates of seeds and preserving them in temperature-controlled -20°C degree vaults.

"We're delighted to be involved in the relay to celebrate the wonderful work of the Heritage Seed Library, and our collaboration, which spans many years”, says Dr Charlotte Allender, head of UKVGB. “UKVGB and the Heritage Seed Library have a shared history in the conservation and use of vegetable crop genetic diversity. We use complementary approaches to ensure historic diversity in crops is not lost and assist the HSL by keeping samples of their collections backed up in our cold store.

“Diversity is the raw material used by plant breeders and ultimately by those growing crops on farms or in gardens – and making sure future generations have access to the variation contained within old varieties is essential to ensure sustainable crop production."

The radish and carrot heritage varieties from the golden seed parcel will be grown to compare to the UKVGB’s globally significant collection of over 14,000 seed samples, which includes onions, beetroot, cabbages, cauliflowers and lettuce. The seed vault also contains crop wild relatives and ‘landraces’ (a variety that has become adapted to local conditions) which often hold a breadth of untapped genetic diversity.

“A changing climate and decline in insects including pollinators is making our food security more precarious,” adds Garden Organic chief executive Fiona Taylor. “We need to conserve the widest variety of vegetable seeds as possible to ensure the survival of homegrown food crops. Add to this worldwide food shocks caused by pandemics, wars and disrupted trade routes and the urgent need to save our precious seed becomes a race against time.

“Our Heritage Seed Library holds the National Collection of Heritage Vegetables, and we have a duty to ensure that this precious natural resource is conserved for future generations. By passing seed on and sowing it in a variety of places, we are allowing it to survive and thrive.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

Images: Handing over the golden seed packets to Dr Charlotte Allender, head of UKVGB, was Garden Organic seed officer Lucy Shepherd.

For more information please contact:

Ann Baylis, Media and Communication Officer

ann.baylis@warwick.ac.uk / 07876 876937

About the UK Vegetable Genebank

The UK Vegetable Genebank (UKVGB) at the University of Warwick is supported by the UK Government and works to conserve genetic diversity in vegetable crops.

Vegetable crops are vital to diets that are both healthy and environmentally sustainable. Plant breeders need access to new sources of genetic variation to develop varieties that are able to meet present and future challenges.

The UKVGB collections contain approximately 14,000 samples of vegetable crop seed. This enables plant breeders and researchers to access the widest range of diversity possible.

About the University of Warwick

Founded in 1965, the University of Warwick is a world-leading institution known for its commitment to era-defining innovation across research and education. A connected ecosystem of staff, students and alumni, the University fosters transformative learning, interdisciplinary collaboration and bold industry partnerships across state-of-the-art facilities in the UK and global satellite hubs. Here, spirited thinkers push boundaries, experiment and challenge convention to create a better world.

About the Heritage Seed Library

The Heritage Seed Library was established in 1975 in Bocking, Essex, by organic gardening pioneer and Garden Organic founder Lawrence D. Hills - who had the foresight to realise that changes in seed legislation would mean hundreds, if not thousands, of vegetable varieties could be lost.

This living library, now housed at Ryton Organic Gardens, near Coventry, is managed by sustainable charity Garden Organic and looked after by its members and volunteers. It holds more than 800 seed varieties.

In the knowledge that climate change could wipe out some vegetable varieties for ever. The HSL needs to build resilience by preserving these seeds which are collected from different areas of the UK and adapted to local conditions. The wider the variety of vegetable seeds conserved and grown the more resilient our food system becomes.

The HSL not only conserves but also shares its collection with members - and also Seed Guardians, who grow the seed and return their saved seeds to the library each year.

About Garden Organic

Garden Organic promotes organic growing and composting, citizen science and research, and seed conservation through its Heritage Seed Library. Its aim is to help people grow 'the organic way', using natural methods to promote healthy, biodiverse, sustainable gardens.

Founded in the 1950s as the Henry Doubleday Research Association, it has been leading the way in researching and demonstrating best practice organic growing for more than 65 years and brings together a movement of thousands of growers keen to have a positive impact on the green space they nurture.