Uzbekistan has delivered its important agricultural seeds to the world's largest seed storage facility — the "Doomsday Vault," located in the Norwegian-administered Svalbard archipelago. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
The Ministry of Agriculture announced this. The initiative holds great scientific significance and is regarded as an important step in preserving the national farming heritage.
By participating in this project, Uzbekistan became one of the first countries in Central Asia to contribute to the Global Seed Vault located in the Arctic glaciers. It was reported that more than 20 local crop varieties such as watermelon, melon, tomato, pepper, carrot, onion, and eggplant were sent to the vault.
Among these varieties, the "Qayroqtosh" wheat type was recognized as particularly significant. These seeds will serve not only for scientific research but also as an important resource for ensuring food security in the future.
The project was implemented in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture of Uzbekistan, the Scientific Research Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). This process aims to preserve the genetic diversity of the country's agricultural crops, strengthen the national gene pool, and ensure international food stability.
The "Doomsday Vault," located in the Svalbard archipelago, is known as the safest seed storage site in the world. Due to its location in the glacier zone, the temperature here is constantly maintained at minus 18 degrees Celsius.
This condition allows seeds to be naturally preserved for hundreds of years. Currently, the vault stores more than 1.1 million seed samples.
According to experts, such a system reduces the risk of plant species extinction caused by natural disasters, climate change, or other threats. The "Doomsday Vault" is managed through cooperation between the Norwegian government, Crop Trust, and NordGen organizations.
Thousands of scientific centers from various countries around the world have been delivering their crop varieties to this vault. Uzbekistan's participation in this project is recognized as an important step in showcasing the national agricultural potential on a global scale, developing international cooperation, and ensuring food security for future generations.
This initiative once again confirms that Uzbek farming has a rich historical and biological heritage.
