A new $1.1 million seed vault and plant growth facility has been unveiled at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute.
The NSW Government says the state-of-the-art facility will securely store thousands of unique grain seed lines in a climate-controlled environment, preserving critical genetic resources for future generations and safeguarding Australia’s food security.
The facility also includes three purpose-built Plant Pathology Growth Rooms, part funded by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), which will enable NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) scientists to accelerate research into disease resistance in key winter grain crops.
Together, the new facilities will support the development of grain varieties that are better equipped to withstand emerging pests, diseases and changing climatic conditions, helping to secure the future of Australian agriculture, said NSW Minister for Agriculture, Tara Moriarty.
“The completion of the George Hulbert Seed Vault and the Plant Pathology Growth Rooms at the Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute delivers a major asset for the future proofing of cropping in New South Wales which is estimated to be worth $11.6 billion annually,” said Minister Moriarty.
“The official opening of this site reinforces the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to agricultural innovation and sustainability, ensuring that vital genetic resources are preserved and used to improve crop production and food security, supporting the growth of the state’s $25.5 billion agricultural sector.
“This facility will protect the NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development’s priceless seed assets and serve as the foundation for research aimed to enhance Australia’s cropping industry, making it more resilient and sustainable.”
The new seed vault is also home to the NSW DPIRD Rice Germplasm Collection, which holds almost 3,000 accessions including the first cultivars of rice bred and released by the Department nearly 100 years ago.
The facility also holds wheat and barley germplasm, which is used for developing new sources of disease resistance, winter cereal mutant resources, and the DPIRD Lupin Germplasm Collection.
The seed collections the Department maintains form a rich library of plant genetics, allowing DPIRD scientists to conveniently deposit and check out varieties for current and future research.
The seed vault, which includes a dehumidified cool room, a long-term freezer room, and an insulated ante room, is named after George Hulbert, a long-serving former storeman at WWAI who worked from the building where the facility is housed.
“The George Hulbert Seed Vault provides secure, stable, long-term storage conditions for a range of invaluable rice and grain germplasm collections which may hold the answers to address modern agricultural challenges such as climate change adaptation and disease resistance,” said NSW DPIRD Executive Director Agriculture, Jane Weatherley.
“The facility contains a large number of irreplaceable seed lines and foundational varieties that are held nowhere else in the world.
“The naming of the facility after former storeman George Hulbert represents the important contribution of the department’s unsung heroes – the technical and support staff who keep the wheels turning for vital work across our research stations and institutes.”
Local digital artist Rachel Viski from Wagga Wagga was commissioned to create engaging enviro-graphics throughout the seed vault and growth rooms to symbolise the purpose of each area and what they store.
