What are the storage temperature requirements for seed cold storage?

The storage temperature requirements for seed cold storage vary according to the purpose and duration of seed storage, and are mainly divided into three categories: short-term, medium-term and long-term storage:

1. Short-term storage: mainly used for productive seeds, which need to be used in a short period of time, so the temperature of the cold storage is controlled at 15°C to 20°C, and the relative humidity is maintained at 50% to 60%. Under this condition, the expected life of the seeds is about 2 to 5 years.

2. Medium-term storage: suitable for seeds with strong fluidity, the purpose is to maintain the vitality and quality of the seeds for a certain period of time. The temperature of the seed cold storage should be controlled in the range of 0°C to 10°C, and the relative humidity should not exceed 60%. Under such conditions, the seeds can be stored for about 10 to 30 years.

3. Long-term storage: For seeds that need to be stored for a long time, especially those with scientific research value or genetic resource protection significance, the temperature of the cold storage needs to be reduced to -10°C to -18°C, and sometimes it is recommended to reach -20°C or lower to achieve the best preservation effect. Relative humidity should also be controlled at no more than 60%, and the moisture content of seeds should be reduced to an extremely low level, such as 5±1%. In such an extremely low temperature environment, the expected life of seeds can be extended to 30 to 50 years, or even longer.

In addition to temperature and humidity control, seeds must be packaged in airtight containers, such as sealed metal boxes, aluminum foil bags, plastic composite film bags or glass bottles, to isolate oxygen and moisture, further extending the survival period of seeds. In addition, seeds should be fully dried before storage to avoid any factors that may cause seed quality to deteriorate. If you have the need to build such a cold storage in the near future, please consult Haocool, which professionally provides a complete set of cold storage engineering design, procurement, installation, and after-sales integrated solutions, and provides cold storage construction services for large food, pharmaceutical, cold chain logistics, chemical and other companies.