Maintaining separate maternal lines increases the value and applications of seed collections

Context Given the effort and resources that go into collecting maintaining seed collections, it is crucial we maximise their usefulness. Conservation, restoration research rely heavily on good quality collections in order to establish new populations, create habitat, minimise extinction address scientific questions.Aims Although viability, excellent metadata genetic representativeness make for provide 10 detailed reasons why maintenance of separate maternal lines further increases usefulness collections.Key results Maternal line can accommodate information, this especially important given increasing longevity collections. For example, facilitates accommodation taxonomic changes, minimises impact erroneous plant identifications, separation polyploid races, hybrids inappropriate lineages. Separate also facilitate better estimates diversity captured, consequently inform conservation translocations establishment gardens orchards. expedite breeding specific traits, such as disease resistance or other selective challenges biodiversity conservation. New microbiome data show how only some contain pathogenic fungi, reminding collectors managers contamination be contained by keeping each separate.Conclusions implications Maintaining a simple effective way increase value multiple applications.