Why it matters
For seed collections, viability affects whether preserved material can produce living plants. Monitoring helps custodians recognize when storage or regeneration decisions may be needed before an accession becomes unusable.
A practical example
Imagine a routine germination check shows that fewer seeds from an accession can grow than in an earlier test. That result gives the collection a reason to examine storage conditions and future maintenance needs.
An important distinction
Viability and identity answer different questions. Living material can be mislabeled, and correctly labeled material can lose viability. Preserving a genetic resource requires attention to both the biological condition and the records that establish what it is.
Sources and further reading
- PRIMARY SOURCE FAO: Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources
The example above is hypothetical. Related cases provide context; they do not imply that every case involved this mechanism.