Germoplasma Bank of the Botanical Garden of Olarizu (Vitoria-Gasteiz) — Euskadi Nature Information System

The Plant Germoplasm Bank of the Botanical Garden of Olarizu (Vitoria-Gasteiz) was created in 2010 as a fundamental piece to be able to develop functions of conservation of plant biodiversity and research (reproductive biology, germination, plant production methods, etc.) beyond other botanical studies carried out within the JBO (flower catalogues, characterisation of vegetation, thematic mapping, species monitoring, etc.). The Plant Germoplasma Bank of the Botanical Garden of Olarizu (Vitoria-Gasteiz) was created with the aim of guaranteeing the long-term “ex situ” conservation of the endangered, endemic, rare, unique, structural and characteristic of the habitats of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, the Pyrenean-Cantábric area and the Centre-North of the Iberian Peninsula. Understanding “ex situ” conservation as an indispensable tool and a necessary complement for conservation “in situ” (recovery plans, population reinforcements, reintroductions, translocations, habitat restoration, etc.). The JBO Germoplasma Bank has the scientific and technical staff, facilities and equipment necessary for the processing and conservation of seeds in the long term. Priorities are defined for the conservation of target species. Based on the conservation priorities defined, a planning is carried out and field surveys are carried out, collecting seed samples in natural populations. The collected samples are deposited in the reception and cleaning room, where the sheets of herbarium witness of each collection are prepared (which become part of the collection of the OLA Herbarium) and the seeds are separated from the fruits, protective covers and other impurities. Once cleaned, the seeds are deposited in the drying room (10 °C and 15 % HR) until they are balanced with the conditions of the room. The seeds then enter the ultra-drying chambers with silica gel (7-12 % HR), located inside the drying room. In this way, the collected seed samples are kept viable in the long term according to international standards: ultra-dried, packaged in thermosealed glass capsules or ampoules and stored in the storage room (-18 °C). In parallel, in the research laboratory the samples are characterised by: image analysis (morphocolorimetry), feasibility tests, germinative studies and control of its moisture content. For plant cultivation and production trials there are four germination and growth chambers, a greenhouse, an umbracle and production terraces.