Why is dormancy a problem to seed conservationists?
There are two main reasons. First, when seeds do not germinate in routine germination monitoring at the MSB, this may lead to an underestimate of the true viability of the seed collection. In extreme cases this scenario could result in the collection being discarded as dead. In fact, the seed collection may simply be dormant, and require an appropriate dormancy breaking treatment to allow germination. Secondly, there is little point in conserving seeds unless the seeds can be converted back into plants for use (e.g. in habitat restoration, re-introduction, or research). It is important to understand the appropriate conditions for germinating a particular collection of seeds.
