A seed catalogue gives every lot its own number and records the variety, source, harvest year, number of parent plants, isolation method, quantity, latest germination test and storage location, with a second copy of the book and a duplicate of important lots kept in another building. The number on the jar is the only link between the seed and its history, so it must be written inside and outside every container.
Part of Community Seed Bank Management
A seed catalogue is the written index of a seed bank, with one entry for every lot held.
One Lot, One Number, One Line
A lot is seed of one variety harvested in one year from one set of plants. Give every lot a number (for example, the year followed by a running count, such as 31-014 for the fourteenth lot of year 31) and record that number on the container, on a slip inside it, and in the book. Lots are the unit of testing, because a variety grown in two years has two lots that age separately.
Fields To Record
The seed bank carrier lists the minimum: variety name and description, source, year harvested, quantity in storage, germination test date and result, growing notes, and isolation method. Add these:
| Field | Why |
|---|---|
| Lot number | Links jar and book |
| Species (and variety) | Isolation and crossing depend on species |
| Open-pollinated or hybrid | Prevents saving from hybrids (Open-Pollinated vs Hybrid) |
| Number of parent plants | Shows inbreeding risk (Minimum Population Sizes) |
| Test history: date, number tested, number germinated | Gives a trend (Germination Rate Testing Protocol) |
| Storage location and container | Finds the lot |
| Duplicate location | A second copy of the lot |
Count By Weight To Save Seed
Counting every seed in a lot is slow. Weigh 100 seeds, multiply by 10 for the weight of 1,000 seeds, and then estimate quantity from the lot weight. Worked example: 100 bean seeds weigh 40 g, so 1,000 seeds weigh 400 g; a lot of 2,000 g holds about 2,000 ÷ 0.4 = 5,000 seeds. Record the weight and the estimated count, and note the date. The weight changes with moisture, so use a dry lot.
Keep Two Copies Of Everything
- The book. Write a second copy and keep it in another building. A single catalogue lost in a fire or flood takes the history of the whole bank with it.
- The seed. Duplicate each important lot, or share part of it with another household. The Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway stores duplicate samples of other institutions’ collections as a safeguard, and the depositors keep ownership; the same principle works at village scale.
- The knowledge. Tell a second person how the system works so it survives the steward (Institutional Memory).
Annual Routine
- Each January, list every lot and compare the book with the shelf.
- Test the lots that are due, enter the results, and mark failing lots for renewal.
- Update quantities after the spring distribution.
- In autumn, add the new lots.
Common Mistakes
- Writing the label in ink on paper in a damp cellar. Use pencil or carved wood, and a label inside the container too.
- Entering the variety name but not the year. Age is the key to testing.
- Mixing lots. Never pour two lots together to save a jar; the history is lost.
- Keeping the book in the same room as the seed. One fire loses both.
What’s Next
- Learn next: Grow-Out Trials and Variety Evaluation — adding what you learn from growing
- Combine with: Seed Saving — the Phase 2 overview of the whole cycle