US Nicotiana Germplasm Collection 2013 Nursery

[JessicaNicot]

This is a space where I will share how the US Nicotiana Germplasm Collection (the entity which fills seed requests submitted via GRIN) conducts its seed replenishment activities.

First, the USNGC maintains over 2100 Nicotiana accessions, including mutant lines, species, and interspecific hybrids. Roughly 1800 of these accessions are suitable for field seed replenishment, while the other accessions are hand pollinated in greenhouses. Each year, 250 accessions are grown out in the field to generate fresh supplies of seed for maintenance and distribution. Using a system of rotation, each accession comes around for regeneration every 9 years.

 

[Boboro]

You are a great asset to our community. The information and libraries you have knowledge of and access to will be a great plus.

 

[Knucklehead]

Many of us have our own mini seedbanks. Storage method information would be wonderful.

 

[leverhead]

I'm going to enjoy reading this!

 

[JessicaNicot]

Many of us have our own mini seedbanks. Storage method information would be wonderful.

tobacco seed, if stored correctly, can remain viable for over well over 10 years at room temperature and for decades when in cold storage.

our breeding program seed is stored in paper envelopes at room temperature inside our lab. we use a fan and a dehumidifier to maintain air flow and reduce humidity.

the seeds which make up the USNGC are stored in glass vials with caps that seal tightly to keep moisture out. trays of the glass vials are stored in incubators (fancy fridges) that maintain a temperature of roughly 45F (8C).

we also maintain backup seed samples (roughly 1000 seeds per accession) on site. these are stored in plastic tubes in a deep freeze at -4F (-20C). as an additional emergency backup, we have subsamples of seed at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (Fort Collins, CO). these seeds are stored at -112F (-80C), and routine germination tests at this facility reveal viability for upwards of 40 years.

 

[FmGrowit]

Thank you very much for that information.

BTW...welcome to the forum. If you have any special requests for your work here,, please contact either Bob (DeluxeStogie) or myself.

 

[workhorse_01]

I bet your thread is one of the most followed on FTT. I guarantee I will be.

 

[AmaxB]

Very helpful. lt Answered a few questions for me Thank You.

 

[indianjoe]

Thanks for the information, you are a very vauable addition to the forum.

 

[workhorse_01]

tobacco seed, if stored correctly, can remain viable for over well over 10 years at room temperature and for decades when in cold storage.

our breeding program seed is stored in paper envelopes at room temperature inside our lab. we use a fan and a dehumidifier to maintain air flow and reduce humidity.

the seeds which make up the USNGC are stored in glass vials with caps that seal tightly to keep moisture out. trays of the glass vials are stored in incubators (fancy fridges) that maintain a temperature of roughly 45F (8C).

we also maintain backup seed samples (roughly 1000 seeds per accession) on site. these are stored in plastic tubes in a deep freeze at -4F (-20C). as an additional emergency backup, we have subsamples of seed at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation (Fort Collins, CO). these seeds are stored at -112F (-80C), and routine germination tests at this facility reveal viability for upwards of 40 years.

When storing at -4*F Is there a special pattern for bringing the temperature back to room temp. when its time to use again? Or just thaw it like chicken? I think I'd like to store a small sample of each seed that I have. Last year I planted the last of my mayflower beans in my veg. garden they got up to a foot tall, then it rained four days straight. They yellowed and I lost them without harvesting any beans. I think zipploc vac. bags then stored in the deep freeze would keep with the -4*F.

 

[JessicaNicot]

SEEDING:
All 250 accessions were seeded on 15 February 2013. Approximately 30 seeds (I say approx because we dont waste time counting and sometimes tapping seed out of the vial ends up in too many seeds, a phenomenon that results in what we call "chia pets") were sprinkled on wet peat mix potting soil (MetroMix 2) in 2" square plastic pots. A solid 1020 tray holds 32 of these pots. Each pot was pulled out from the tray and seeded individually to prevent cross contamination of neighboring pots. Trays were covered with clear germination domes and placed in our growth chamber which has continuous light. (I dont know any of the specs on the camber but I can snap a picture tomorrow to post.) Not everything germinates at exactly the same rate but its close (roughly 5-7 days) and the germination domes were removed after all accessions had emerged and seedlings were well established (probably about 10 days or so after seeding). Our growth chamber runs a little hot and keeping the domes on for a few days post emergence is crucial for ensuring that the little guys survive.

 

[JessicaNicot]

TRANSPLANTING TO FLOAT TRAYS:
On 27 February 2013, seedlings were transplanted into individuals cells of 200-cell styrofoam float trays in a float house at the Central Crops Research Station (Clayton, NC). These trays are a grid of 10x20 and were filled in advance with Carolina Choice Specially Formulated Peat-Lite Tobacco Mix (Carolina Soil Co.) and floated. Ten plants of each accession were planted in every other row of the tray, with 10 entries in each tray and a total of 25 trays. The transplants were lightly watered with a squirt bottle and the trays were floated. The plants were cared for as if they were subject to commercial production, including occassional mowing.


This is a picture of the float house about 3 weeks before transplanting into the field. My plants are the farthest to the back on the right side. They are a little taller than the others as a lot of the germplasm collection grows very vigorously and much care was taken by the staff at the facility to ensure the buds were not mowed off. Last year we used the 288-cell trays and the plants were about 18-24" tall for transplanting. This year they were only about a foot tall. The larger cell size appears to have been a good change for us.

 

[Seanz]

Tobacco heaven there.
If I havent said it Welcome to the forum.

 

[leverhead]

Tell me you had some help transferring sprouts to cells.

 

[holyRYO]

Tobacco porn and great learning experience, thank you sir...

What do you do with the tobacco once the seeds are harvested?

First dibs...semi local... lol

 

[holyRYO]

Will work for tobacco...

 

[AmaxB]

SEEDING:
All 250 accessions were seeded on 15 February 2013. Approximately 30 seeds (I say approx because we dont waste time counting and sometimes tapping seed out of the vial ends up in too many seeds, a phenomenon that results in what we call "chia pets") were sprinkled on wet peat mix potting soil (MetroMix 2) in 2" square plastic pots. A solid 1020 tray holds 32 of these pots. Each pot was pulled out from the tray and seeded individually to prevent cross contamination of neighboring pots. Trays were covered with clear germination domes and placed in our growth chamber which has continuous light. (I dont know any of the specs on the camber but I can snap a picture tomorrow to post.) Not everything germinates at exactly the same rate but its close (roughly 5-7 days) and the germination domes were removed after all accessions had emerged and seedlings were well established (probably about 10 days or so after seeding). Our growth chamber runs a little hot and keeping the domes on for a few days post emergence is crucial for ensuring that the little guys survive.

Wow right on the money I put a start cup of each of the type I am hoping to grow in my chamber and all but 1 of what you had sent me germinated in 4 to 6 days. I have 6 types still in the chamber 2 have yet to germinate your TI 1554 - A-56-N and another from other source Gold Seal seed was placed in the chamber the evening of 4/29/13. I have kept constant light (grow light) and a temperature of 27C, the domes were / are kept on.
I would really love to know the temp your growth chamber is kept at. I am thinking mine might be low...just had a brain burp - should place a thermal couple in side the tray and get soil temperature.
Really am grateful for the wisdom you are sharing!!! Am off to look up your peat mix...... Plants look great -yours-

 

[JessicaNicot]

When storing at -4*F Is there a special pattern for bringing the temperature back to room temp. when its time to use again? Or just thaw it like chicken? I think I'd like to store a small sample of each seed that I have. Last year I planted the last of my mayflower beans in my veg. garden they got up to a foot tall, then it rained four days straight. They yellowed and I lost them without harvesting any beans. I think zipploc vac. bags then stored in the deep freeze would keep with the -4*F.

for tobacco, we dont do anything special- just pull it out of the fridge or freezer and it thaws so quickly that there really isnt any need to treat it any differently than normal. i cannot comment on other things like beans.

 

[JessicaNicot]

Tell me you had some help transferring sprouts to cells.

i definitely had help. i didnt include the rest of the details yet, but my 250 entries are only a partial subset of a much larger breeding nursery for our program here at ncsu. the complete nursery is 819 5-plant plots, about 50 additional 22-plant plots, 750 individual plants for a single seed decent project, and 3000 individual plants from a mutagenized population. all of these materials were hand transplanted into float trays. i think it took 6 of us 2 days to complete.

 

[JessicaNicot]

Tobacco porn and great learning experience, thank you sir...

What do you do with the tobacco once the seeds are harvested?

First dibs...semi local... lol

you missed the "dude is a lady" convo on another thread. lol. no worries tho.

i'm actually working on an arrangment to give the excess seed from my plots to fair trade so that you guys can have a ton of new varieties in your seed bank. look for them to be available for next year's growing season.