Buried 142-Year-Old Seed Experiment in a Bottle Still Ongoing, Longest Running Germination Study

Scientists are still baffled by a 142-year-old seed experiment that had been buried underground. Michigan State University botanist William James Beal dug the ground and buried 20 bottles, each contains a set of seeds, in a secret location.

The botanist had kept the bottles in 1879, and recently, the true purpose of the experiment shed light on the simple but confusing research. The bottles were buried to find how the selected species of long seeds can stay dormant. Beal's main objective was to help farmers through old seed bottle experiment, reports Weather.

Continuity of Germination Research from 1879

(Photo: Castorly Stock from Pexels)

In a study by Beal entitled "The Vitality of Seeds," the germination research needed 20 bottles to be buried underground. Since 1879, each of the bottles contained a sandy mixture of seeds. The sandy mixture comprises 21 various species of plants together with 50 seeds per each of the plants.

The bottles are then left uncorked and buried upside down to prevent water from entering the seeds. It will be transferred to a private area so no disturbances will be made. Beal's views for the project could help farmers how to repel and prevent common, local seeds from growing.

Beal's buried seed bottles are meant to be dug once in a while. So every five years, Beal digs the bottles to examine whether the seeds in it had undergone germination. After the botanist retired in 1910, Beal passed the data and responsibility for the seed bottle experiment to his colleague, which then continued up until our time.

Today, Frank Telewski, a professor at Michigan State University, is the current keeper of the seed bottle experiment. Every generation has a specific keeper to manage the experiment, and he is the seventh keeper of our time. The goal of the keepers is to continue the research, recording data from the seed bottle experiment's findings.Verbascum blattaria (most commonly knows as moth mullein) is the only species that sprouted after many years.

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Bottled Seeds: Timeless Experiment

The study of Beal's bottled seeds continued to a much longer time span than intended. The interval of digging the specimens every five years expanded to 10 years, and eventually, 20 years. When Telewski wasn't yet a professor, he had a chance to meet the experiment firsthand through a colleague and was able to bring up the bottles in the year 2000.

Telewski's supposed sequel of digging in 2020 was delayed due to the pandemic but was able to proceed after protocols have eased. The professor brought some of his colleagues to help search the bottles in an unknown, confusing area.

One of Telweski's university colleagues David Lowry, shared that 20 years ago was his first remembrance of hearing about the timeless experiment. Lowry was asked before by Telwski to help him with the research. Telweski handed the map to Lowry and instructed that if something happens to him, he knows what to do with the map, reports NPR.

Months after Lowry was invited for the research, Telewski had a stroke. Yet thankfully, the professor recovered and continued with Beal's project. Telweki, Lowry, and two more experts have recently unearthed one of the oldest experiments in history. The next dig will be another 20 years, and possibly more.