People
Hay, Fiona R.
| Job Title | Collection Studies Team Manager |
|---|---|
| Department | Seed Conservation |
| Section | Research |
| Science Teams |
Millennium Seed Bank Project |
| Joined Kew | 1997 |
| Foreign Language(s) |
Qualifications & Appointments
BSc (Hons), Univ. Manchester, 1993
PhD, King’s College, London, 1997
MSc, Birkbeck College, London, 2000.
Role
Researching seed quality development, seed longevity, and germination with a view to optimising future use of seed bank collections.
Determination of the optimal time of harvest and the appropriate application of post-harvest treatments to maximise the quality – including potential longevity – of seed bank collections; comparative studies of seed longevity and understanding of the effects of storage environment – in particular, moisture content – on longevity; understanding the germination requirements of dormant seed collections.
Projects
Biophysical Aspects of Seed Ageing (Orthodox Seeds)
Comparative Longevity (Orthodox Seeds)
Development of Predictive Tool of Germination Requirements for MSB Collections
Maximising Seed Quality: Maturity and Post-harvest Studies
Moisture Relations of Seed Longevity (and their Limits; Orthodox Seeds)
Rehydration / Priming Treatment Effects on Seed Quality
Role of ‘Underdeveloped’ Embryos in Germination/ Dormancy Problems
Solving Seed Germination Problems in Conservation Collections
Theme: Ecophysiology and Morphology
Theme: Genetics and Chemical Traits
Theme: Post-Harvest Technology
Theme: Preservation Technology
Selected Publications 2001-2005
Hay F.R. & Smith R.D. (2003). Seed Maturity: knowing when to collect seeds from wild plant species. In Smith, R.D., Dickie, J.D., Linington, S.H., Pritchard, H.W. & Probert, R.J. (eds) Seed Conservation: turning science into practice. Kew: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 97-133
Hay, F.R., Mead, A., Manger, K., & Wilson, F.J. (2003). One-step analysis of seed storage data and the longevity of Arabidopsis thaliana seeds. Journal of Experimental Botany 54: 993-1011.
Hay FR (2003) Post-harvest physiology: seed banks. In Thomas, B., Murphy, D.J., & Murray, B.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Applied plant sciences. Elsevier Science. 62-73.
Selected Publications pre-2001
Probert, R.J., & Hay, F.R. (2000). Keeping Seeds Alive. In Black, M. & Bewley, J.D. (eds) Seed Technology and its Biological Basis. Sheffield Academic Press. 375-410.
Hay, F.R., Probert, R.J. & Coomber, S.A. (1997). Development of desiccation tolerance and longevity in seeds from detached capsules of foxglove (Digitalis purpurea L.). Annals of Botany 79: 419-427.
Hay, F.R. & Probert, R.J. (1995) The effect of different drying conditions and maturity on desiccation tolerance and seed longevity in Digitalis purpurea L. Annals of Botany 76: 639–647.