Seed collection/sorting/processing/conservation

SIRAS Pacific, your expert in seed management

Preserving biodiversity for successful revegetation

The reliability and efficiency of the company is largely depend on its ability to control all its supplies of plant material. This is the reason why, in parallel to the creation of the Endemic Plant Production unit, a seed management sector has been established. From 2009 onwards, its structuring became effective by ensuring the phenological monitoring of target species, their seed collection, followed by rigorous processing, and storage of these seeds under suitable conditions.

Dedicated staff

In addition to the Technical Director, the staff that makes up this unit includes:

2 team leaders, one in charge of the smooth running of collections throughout the Territory, the other in charge of the reception, verification, quality maintenance of batches, their traceability, and stock management;
8 to 12 workers (depending on the season) who continuously collect and sort the seeds delivered to our premises.

The collectors are either part of the SIRAS staff or belong to associations spread across the entire mainland. We work in close collaboration with nearly 130 people (who have received specific training) spread across the municipalities of Yaté, Thio, La Foa, Canala, Kouaoua, Houaïlou, Kaala-Gomen, Koumac, as well as the Voh-Koné-Pouembout region. They annually collect several tons of seeds of various species.

Procedures and facilities

The seed processing procedure allows us to ensure that each batch collected is identified, sorted with specific equipment in dedicated rooms, tested (determination of purity and germination rate), and stored under appropriate conditions (cold room with controlled temperature and humidity levels).

Information related to each batch is recorded in our “SEEDS” database, which contains all the characteristics of the batches and ensures their traceability from collection straight through to use in revegetation operations:

Batch identification number,
Date of batch receipt,
Supplier,
Collection municipality,
Number of seeds per gram,
Germination rate.

Complete and rigorous process

The seed is a fundamental raw material for SIRAS Pacific, as it is the basis of the hydraulic seeding revegetation technique. A rigorous management of a dedicated seed supply chain, from harvest to use, is therefore necessary

Collection

In natural environment

Reception

Quality verification of batches (visual aspect)
Meticulous labelling
Weighing / counting

Sorting

Progressive mechanisation

Quality testing

Germination rate
Seed viability rate

Storage

Optimised storage conditions according to strict protocols

Exit

Preparation of hydraulic seeding mix
Nursery seeding
Sale

Seed orchards

In the early 2010s, it became evident that the increasing demand for mine revegetation would be significant and that seed collection from the natural environment would become problematic, with the risk of depleting the resource. Therefore, the establishment of seed orchards became necessary, particularly for Cyperaceae.

After the creation of an initial experimental plot in 2006 at Plum (as part of a CIFRE thesis and European funding), several fields intended for exploitation were established by SIRAS from 2014 onwards, in close collaboration with various mining companies in the Territory. This collaboration guarantees SIRAS Pacific privileged, or in some cases exclusive, access and exploitation of the sites.