GERMINATION OF 110-YEAR-OLD CEREAL AND WEED SEEDS, THE VIENNA SAMPLE OF 1877 - VERIFICATION OF EFFECTIVE ULTRA-DRY STORAGE AT AMBIENT-TEMPERATURE

After 110 years of hermetic sealed storage at temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees C and at a moisture content of 3.12%, Hordeum vulgare s howed 90% germination and Avena sativa 81%. In addition, some seeds of Agrostemma githago, Lolium temulentum, Sinapis alba, Sinapis arvensis , and Vaccaria hispanica were still capable of germinating. This demon strates that ultra-dry, long-term seed storage under ambient temperatu re conditions can successfully be achieved with the intention of cutti ng down risks and costs in germplasm conservation.