Seed Collection & Services

There’s a lot more to seed collection than just heading out into the bush and picking seed. The following needs to always be taken into consideration:

• licensing – all seed collection activities are the subject of strict licensing, reporting and other requirements of the Department of Parks and Wildlife.

• provenance – many plant species have evolved to perform best with respect to the soil type, nutrient availability, local microclimate and other factors. Recovery and re-use in the same local area maintains genetic integrity and adaptation to local conditions.

• timing  – seed must be collected at the right stage of ripeness to maximise viability. Maturation times vary annually and geographically and it is important to plan for and be be adaptable to this. The main collection season in the southwest usually spans October to March.

• species – collections can be biodiversity oriented (collecting smaller amounts of every species present), or targeted towards specific species (e.g. Carnaby’s Black-Cockatoo habitat and foraging species, or for a particular projects’ requirements).

• processing –  seed needs to be extracted from the fruit and separated from chaff.  Different processing grades are available depending on the ultimate use.

• storage  –  various seed storage options are available to maintain the viability and longevity of seed by keeping it fresh, and protected from vermin attack.

• tracking – Tranen has developed a sophisticated database system, SeedTracker, for real-time recording and tracking important information about all individual seed lots. It incorporates GIS for spatially tracking of all collection information. A major Australian mining company has purchased a license to use this system.

Tranen would be delighted to discuss your seed collection requirements with you and to prepare a tailored proposal for you.