This substantial and comprehensive book on seed conservation, i.e. the use of seed storage for ex situ plant genetic resources conservation (non-domesticated as well as crop species), results from an international workshop of the same title hosted by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew at its (then) new Wellcome Trust Millenium Building, Wakehurst Place, West Sussex, UK in 2001. Its 56 chapters cover, in a logical progression, all the elements involved in successful gene banking; from planning and collecting, through processing and testing, to storage and, ultimately, utilization.
The Millenium Seed Bank Project (MSBP) is an international conservation collaboration co-ordinated from Wakehurst Place under the auspices of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, developed in accordance with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). An essential component of the CBD is the requirement to negotiate mutually acceptable access and benefit-sharing agreements that recognize the sovereign right of States over their biological resources. The first chapter covers this emerging and evolving area. More widely, the spirit of the CBD is embedded within the text with contributions from more than 100 authors, the majority experts within their fields, from many developing as well as developed countries. The final chapter considers the future of gene banks, and in particular three recent international initiatives that may well have considerable impact. The largest of these is the Global Conservation Trust, which is raising some US$260 million as a foundation from which the interest earned will support (some) collections and build capacity of under-funded collections.
By its very nature, this last chapter will date very quickly. The remaining chapters, however, will have substantial longevity. The text has no modern competition and fills a substantial gap in the market place. Notably, while Seed conservation results from a conference, good planning and editing have helped avoid the trap of merely providing a written record of that meeting. It is neither a practical handbook on gene banking nor a text-book on genetic resources conservation, seed biology, etc. Rather, it combines the best elements of both. Purchase should be mandatory for all involved in plant genetic resources conservation. The numerous administrators and lobbyists involved in the ‘politics’ of this subject (who at times appear to outnumber those involved in the tasks of conservation) will find the book especially helpful. For example, chapters 33 and 34 by MSBP staff on seed storage provide detailed information on seed bank design and seed packaging. These chapters update and extend text written more than two decades ago and benefit greatly from the authors' similar duration of practical experience. While not directed at students, save perhaps for the very few research students in the subject area, the text will also be useful to lecturers seeking texts to advise students interested in the application of (seed) biology to the world beyond the classroom. In this regard, the editors' use of explanatory boxes (with light blue backgrounds) and similarly clear figures is extremely helpful. Indeed, those uncertain as to whether or not this book suits their interests would be well advised to examine Figure 1 and Boxes 1–3 (pp. xvi–xx).