The experiment that has been going on for 145 years

It began in 1879. It is one of the longest in the history of biological sciences. It was started by botanist William J. Beal to determine how long a seed can last and still be viable to germinate. The baton of his mission has been passed between several guardians. The 145-year-old experiment continues and is expected to conclude in 2100.

The experiment that has been going on for 145 years will continue until 2100
The experiment that has been going on for 145 years will continue until 2100

Table of Contents

Spartans

Lars Brudvig is one of the select scientists in the current group. He dug up one of the bottles with seeds in 2021. He planted them and they germinated. William J. Beal was a botanical scientist at the Michigan Agricultural College. He sought to eliminate weeds.

This type of weed seemed to grow without control and at that time at the end of the 19th century. It took a long time to get rid of this plant. Beal set out to investigate how long weed seeds could persist underground.

He filled 20 glass bottles with 50 seeds of 23 species of weed. He buried them face down – to prevent water from entering – on the grounds of Michigan State University. And in order not to forget the exact location, he made the map. The initial plan was to dig up a bottle every 5 years to see if the seeds were viable. It was later extended to 10 years.

As the decades have passed, seven have been the custodians of the experiment. They call themselves the “Spartans.” They protect the bottles in a place away from the sight of curious onlookers. “We used a map to triangulate the site through key landmarks,” Brudvig says.

This is one of the plants that germinated after almost 150 years.
This is one of the plants that germinated after almost 150 years.

Long life

After almost 150 years, some seeds are still germinating. Brudvig says that the seeds they have are like Princess Aurora from the story “Sleeping Beauty.” “Dormant seeds are alive, but ‘sleeping’ and waiting for the right stimulus before waking up (germinating),” she explains. “They can survive in a dormant state for varying periods of time,” she continues.

The group is very careful with seed management to have consistent results. They dig up the seeds at night to prevent sunlight from influencing them in any way. And in laboratories they are capable of generating conditions from the natural environment. The 145-year-old experiment will continue until the last bottle. Weeds never die, as the saying goes?

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