French historic wheat seed varieties to be stored in Global Seed Vault

Basel, Switzerland 

• First ever deposit of French wheat seeds at the Svalbard Vault and is result of excellent collaboration between public and private sectors
• ‘Festival’ and ‘Sideral’ seed varieties are important germplasm for Syngenta breeders
• Varieties chosen for their adaptability to different environmental conditions

Yesterday, under the patronage of Agro Paris Bourse, 700 grains of the historic wheat varieties ‘Festival’ and ‘Sideral’ were officially accepted for permanent conservation in the Global Seed Vault located in Svalbard, Norway.

This is the first time that French seeds have been deposited in the vault and is the result of excellent collaboration between Agro Paris Bourse, INRA, Business France and Syngenta. ‘Festival’ and ‘Sideral’ were specifically chosen for their unique characteristics, including their adaptability to different environmental conditions which could be invaluable for breeders and growers around the world.

The varieties were registered and sold by Syngenta from the early 1980’s until the turn of the century before the company donated them to INRA’s Center for Biological Resources. They were extremely popular with growers due to their high levels of germination, robust yield performance and superior bread-making quality. These varieties were also emblematic of the breeding strategies deployed at that time to meet the food security priorities of enhanced quantity and quality.

Commenting on the deposit, Syngenta’s Director of Public Affairs France Marie-Cécile Lebas said: “Conserving historic seed varieties is extremely important to the diversity and sustainability of agriculture. We are delighted to be associated with this initiative which is the result of a great collaborative effort by all partners. We fervently hope that this will encourage and facilitate future deposits of valuable French seeds in the Global Seed Vault”.

About the Global Seed Vault

The Global Seed Vault is the world's largest secure seed storage for essential food crops such as beans, wheat and rice. Since its opening in February 2008, it has received seeds of more than 4000 plant species.

The Seed Vault is owned and administered by the Ministry of Agriculture and Food on behalf of the Kingdom of Norway and is established as a service to the world community. The Global Crop Diversity Trust provides support for the ongoing operations of the Seed Vault, as well as funding for the preparation and shipment of seeds from developing countries to the facility. The Nordic Gene Bank (NordGen) operates the facility and maintains a public on-line database of samples stored in the seed vault.

About Syngenta

Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit www.syngenta.com and www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter® at www.twitter.com/Syngenta

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