News published: 12 August 2025

The Korea Arboreta and Gardens Institute (KoAGI), under the Korea Forest Service, successfully hosted the 2025 AFoCO KEYS (Keep Eternally Your Seeds) Program from June 9 to 20 at the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum. This international capacity-building program was jointly organized with the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO) and aimed to enhance wild plant seed conservation capabilities among AFoCO member countries.

Program Overview

• Seed Collection & Specimen Preparation: To ensure systematic and accurate seed collection, participants received training in field methodologies and took part in actual seed collection during a field visit to a mountainous area in Korea.
• Seed Information Survey: This session included lectures and hands-on training on how to build data sets after seed collection – including cleaning, thousand-seed weight measurement, and other key methodologies.
• Seed Viability Testing: Participants learned how to assess seed viability and seed quality using techniques such as the tetrazolium (TZ) test and X-ray scanning.
• Utilisation Research & Industrialisation Case Studies: This session introduced experimental research on the functional components of wild plant seeds and presented real-world examples of their industrial applications. KoAGI’s ongoing research was showcased through practical demonstrations.
• Plant Propagation & Cultivation: Participants studied propagation techniques such as cutting and plant management. They applied this knowledge through hands-on training in KoAGI’s greenhouse facilities.
• Field Trip: Seed Bank & Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault (BGSV): A guided tour of KoAGI’s Seed Bank and BGSV provided participants with firsthand exposure to advanced seed storage and research infrastructure, offering insights into equipment and techniques that can be adapted in their own countries.
• Field Trip: Baekdudaegan National Arboretum & National Institute of Ecology: Visits to the Baekdudaegan National Arboretum and the National Institute of Ecology offered additional training in ex situ conservation practices.
• Action Plan Development: Participants developed individual action plans detailing how they would apply their learning in their home countries – covering practical seed collection, storage, and education dissemination strategies.