Table 1.

Examples of how (routine) research activities can underpin optimum management of germplasm accessions and collections.

Research Activities	Description
Determine genetic diversity of an accession	In-depth characterization of accessions using internationally agreed descriptor lists, making use of advanced molecular, genomic, and phenotyping tools.
Optimal management of gene bank accessions	Determine adequate, minimum numbers of individuals per accession for viability testing, regeneration, characterization, evaluation, and other gene bank activities with the aim of preserving the original genetic diversity.
Elucidate flower biology of crop species, when not known	Full understanding of the flower biology of a given species helps to avoid cross-pollination during regeneration and to maximize high-quality seed production for subsequent long-term storage.
Optimize seed production procedures	Genebanks conserving a wide range of different species (e.g., The World Vegetable Center) may need to conduct research to gain insight in crop-specific knowledge for optimizing seed production procedures to improve initial seed quality and, consequently, seed longevity.
Optimize seed drying procedures	The FAO Genebank Standards include clear and specific recommendations on all routine gene bank operations, including seed drying. However, rice accessions, for example, require modified drying procedures to enhance seed longevity (see Section 2.2).
Determine optimum seed moisture content (SMC)	Research has shown that SMC levels aiming at maximizing seed longevity differ among species. Thus, gene banks should consider conducting their own research to determine the species-specific optimum.
Optimize species- and accession-specific seed viability monitoring	Optimizing the schedule and procedures of routine viability monitoring of long-term stored accessions provides an early warning for deteriorating accessions and helps to rationalize the number of seeds used per test. Comparing the physiological response and storage behavior of seed lots produced in different crop seasons and/or environments improves our understanding of seed longevity. Weekly scoring of germination during a viability monitoring test helps to obtain information on seed vigor and how vigor declines as seeds age.
Predicting seed longevity	Conducting studies on the integrity of DNA and RNA in seeds under long-term storage helps to predict species- and accession-specific seed longevity.
Optimizing the genetic diversity representation of populations	Extending the knowledge of genetic parameters that allow optimizing the genetic diversity representation of populations of a given species will improve germplasm collecting and the establishment of truly representative collections.
Publishing research results	Publishing research results on the above-described topics in scientific journals would benefit staff from other gene banks and would boost the reputation of the gene bank itself.