A key function of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority is to conserve, manage, display and undertake research into collections of Western Australian flora, and to promote the understanding of biodiversity. The WA Seed Technology Centre (WASTC) plays an integral role in enabling the Authority to deliver outcomes associated with the above functions through collecting and storing seed and plant material of Western Australian flora as a resource for the conservation, horticultural and research activities of the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority.
The WASTC is located in the Biodiversity Conservation Centre in Kings Park and Botanic Garden. A major role of the WASTC is to collect seed and plant material from priority species that are from threatened habitats, are rare or under risk of extinction. Plant material is propagated through cuttings, grafting or tissue culture and maintained at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, and seeds are stored under scientifically validated conditions. Plant material can then be further propagated, and seeds germinated, for research, propagation or rehabilitation work by the Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation.
You may like to purchase a copy of Australian Seeds, which is the first complete guide to the collection, processing and storage of wild collected seed, and is available at Aspects of Kings Park.