Seed multiplication
Seed multiplication and regeneration are common operations in genebanks. The tools described here support this process.
Genebanks follow different standard operating procedures (SOPs), so the terms used for different activities here are intended to be flexible. For the purposes of this text, rejuvenation, regeneration, and multiplication are considered interchangeable, and we assume that they follow the same general steps, resulting in a new generation of seed.
Overview of the process
The multiplication process always includes the following required activities or steps, done in the genebank:
- Planning and selecting the material that will go out for regeneration or multiplication
- Preparing the samples to be planted by fetching them from storage
- Field layout plan
The samples are then transported to the field or screenhouse for:
- Growing out: Planting, monitoring, crop management
- Collecting trait data
- Harvesting
After that, the bulk harvested material is transported back to the genebank for:
- Processing (threshing, drying, cleaning)
- Packing and labeling
- Placing in storage
Additional activities may be included as required by specific SOPs. For example, measuring initial seed viability would typically be incorporated in step 7.
A short demonstration
The video guide below shows how to:
- Create a distribution request for the material that requires multiplication
- Create withdrawn inventories that will be tracked back to the genebank
- Register harvested material as a new generation and automatically print the corresponding labels
Planning for multiplication: Multiplication list
Use the Multiplication inventory action to flag materials that should be considered for multiplication. This inventory action records who added the material and when, the intended start date for multiplication, and whether it is included in the current batch being prepared for planting.
Material is put on a list for multiplication for various reasons, most commonly as a result of low quantity on hand or meeting critical viability thresholds. The criteria for inclusion are flexible and determined by your SOP. To add material to the multiplication list, schedule a new Multiplication action on the inventories that meet your criteria.
There are multiple ways to explore the current list of material that should be considered for multiplication; the easiest one is under Inventory > Multiplication order. It lists the inventories currently scheduled for multiplication. Inventories remain on this list until the Multiplication action is started or canceled.
Preparation of samples for multiplication
Before preparing samples, know the capacity for multiplication (that is, the number of plots available), because that determines how many samples can be prepared. The selection of materials from the Multiplication list depends on various factors like the location and climate of the site, seasonality, and so on.
The preparation of samples for planting begins as a new Distribution Request of type Multiplication, designating the final recipient as the person who needs to receive the samples for planting. Materials from the multiplication batch are added as requested items. The request is then processed like any other request (retrieval from storage, packing and labeling of samples), and the samples are delivered to the person coordinating the multiplication effort.
Inventory > Multiplication order provides a convenient shortcut. For example, if you have capacity for 50 accessions, you can select 50 inventories from the list and include them in a new distribution request. This action removes the selected inventories from the Multiplication list by changing the status of the Multiplication action to started.
Packing and labeling of samples
In distribution, samples are labeled with the identity of the source material, and any related information pertains to the source inventory. This also applies to internal distribution for viability and plant health testing: the results are associated with the inventory from where the sample was taken.
However, for multiplication, outgoing samples are tracked, and the activities and information are associated with these samples instead of the inventory from which the sample was taken. These withdrawn inventories also return to the genebank as a new generation of seed.
Click Create withdrawn inventories in the request for Multiplication to create and register the withdrawn inventories. For each material in the request, the tool creates a new inventory, automatically numbers it, and links it to its source material.
A specially designed distribution label is used for the outgoing seed. This template uses the distribution request item's withdrawn inventory instead of the source inventory, which is used for other types of distribution. Print the labels from the Multiplication request in Distribution > Request > Order items.
Field layout and experiment design
The preparation of samples for multiplication requires information about the number of plots available (capacity), and the material selected from the Multiplication list must suit the conditions of the site.
In planning for planting, each sample is allocated a plot (plot number). External tools are used for plot layout and assignments. The resulting site, field, and plot number may be recorded as inventory location.
In the field/screenhouse
The withdrawn inventories are planted in the field, and the plots are labeled with the corresponding barcoded labels. These labels are returned with the harvested material to the genebank for processing.
Trait and other data can be captured in the field with the Fieldbook App or existing methods. Activities carried out in the field are recorded as inventory actions and linked to the withdrawn inventories that were planted.
Harvest and processing
At harvest time, the material in the field is packed, including the barcoded label, and brought to the genebank for processing.
The Inventory > Harvest tool supports the registration of incoming inventory, confirming which planted samples were successfully harvested and returned, and whether any were not. This tool works with the Harvest inventory action, which can be scheduled automatically through workflows or added manually.
The Harvest tool creates new inventories with an incremented generation number, a harvested quantity, and a link to the source (planted) material. It also sets the quantity on hand for the planted material to zero.
Pre-storage processing
These inventories (the harvested inventories) undergo the usual processing procedures: threshing, cleaning, drying, viability testing, virus indexing, and so on. All actions and results are associated with the harvested material, not with the planted or source inventories that still sit in the freezer.
Packing and storage
When the bulk harvested material is processed and ready for storage, use Inventory > Split inventory to create individual inventory records for each packet. Each packet receives a new barcode and identity, but inherits the generation number, plant health status, and initial viability from the harvested inventory.
Put the labeled packets in the corresponding storage conditions using the Inventory > Assign location tool.
From that moment on, the harvested material is integrated into the genebank collection.