The longest continuously monitored experiment in the world may be one
initiated in 1879 by Professor William James Beal, when he buried 20
bottles containing seeds with the intent to determine the length of
time the seeds would remain viable. Some of them still germinated
when tested in 2000, after 120 years; the next germination test is
scheduled for 2020.
<http://www.cpa.msu.edu/beal/research/research_frames.htm>http://www.cpa.msu.edu/beal/research/research_frames.htm
has some additional information, as does the paper
Telewski, F. W. and J. A. D. Zeevaart (2002). "The 120-yr period for
Dr. Beal's seed viability experiment." American Journal of Botany
89(8): 1285-1288.
After 120 yr of burial in moist, well-aerated sand, 23 seeds
of Verbascum blattaria and two seeds of a Verbascum sp. germinated
and produced normal plants (50% germination for Verbascum). After a
6-wk cold treatment, a single seed of Malva rotundifolia germinated
also, producing a normal plant (2% germination). Plants were grown to
maturity in a greenhouse, and flowering was induced by exposure to a
6-wk cold treatment. Flowers were artificially pollinated to produce
seed of both Verbascum blattaria and Malva rotundifolia. The
Verbascum sp. failed to set seed. Collected seeds were subsequently
germinated, producing normal plants. F1 seeds of V. blattaria had a
germination of 64%. Seeds (6%) of M. rotundifolia germinated after a
cold treatment.
Do you know of any similar experiments for seed viability that have
been initiated since Beal's?
David Inouye
Dr. David W. Inouye, Professor
Dept. of Biology
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742-4415
Rocky Mtn. Biological Laboratory
PO Box 519
Crested Butte, CO 81224
[email protected]
301-405-6946
