Iran’s Natural Resources Gene Bank has been protecting seeds of natural species since 1994 as a government exclusive agent. During its activity, it has collected and maintained over 48000 accessions belonging about 4000 plant species, from all over Iran. The seeds we save are banked at Iran’s Natural Resources Gene Bank at Research Institute of Forests and Ranglands (RIFR). Seeds dry, clean and store in sealed aluminum cases at +4°C and -20°C in the Natural Resources Gene Bank cold rooms. The Natural Resources Gene Bank holds more living plant diversity per square meter than anywhere on Iran and Middle East. Data collection on the biological characteristics of the seeds is important for standard seed conservation in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran. Biological information of seeds of 130 species from 11 genus exist in the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran was collected in the project “determination of practical seed descriptors of the Natural Resource Gene Bank of Iran and seed information database set up” (supervisor: Parvin Salehi Shanjani) and presented as the webpage of Seed Encyclopedia of Iran, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands. In the webpage Seed Encyclopedia of Iran provides various information including botany, geographical distribution, flowering period, pollination mechanisms, seed distribution, seed distribution period, seed morphology, seed storage requirements as well as seed image. The most suitable and practical method of germination and dormancy breaking analysis for each species is presented. The main goal of the webpage Seed Encyclopedia of Iran is to integrate the seed information of plant natural resources and to make the Natural Resources Gene Bank of Iran to an efficient reference in the context of seed. All rights are reserved by Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, and content may not be reproduced, downloaded, disseminated, published, or transferred in any form or by any means, except where providing reference in the text and providing complete information about the source in the reference list (according the format). Researchers, who are interested in collaborating with Seed Encyclopedia of Iran, can submit information and images of seeds of plant species (as provided in the format) to the Submit Data section. Information will be published in their own name after the reviewing. Incomplete, inaccurate and out of the format information and images will not be published.
Seed Encyclopedia of Iran Secretariat
Chief Editor: Parvin Salehi ShanjaniScientific
editors: Hamide Javadi, Mohammad Ali Alizadeh
Masoumeh Izadpanah, Mohsen Nasiri
Executive Secretaries: Leila Rasoulzadeh and Seyed Esmaeel Seyedian