史上最長的種子實驗仍在進行

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

把142年前的種子埋在瓶子里，這項史上最長的種子實驗仍在進行

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.

科學家們仍然對埋藏在地下的142年的種子實驗感到困惑、充滿好奇。密歇根州立大學的植物學家威廉·詹姆斯·比爾(William James Beal)挖了個地洞，在一個秘密地點埋下了20個瓶子，每個瓶子里都裝有一組種子。

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.

這位植物學家在1879年就保存了這些瓶子，他想把這些種子放在合適的溫濕度環(huán)境下，看看它們是否還能發(fā)芽生長并產生新的種子。最近，這個實驗的真正目的為這個簡單卻又令人困惑的研究提供了一些幫助。這些瓶子被埋起來，是為了觀察和發(fā)現(xiàn)這些被選擇的長時間種子是如何保持休眠的。

(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.

比爾在一項名為《種子的生命力》(The Vitality of Seeds)的研究中記錄稱，需要將20個瓶子埋在地下。從1879年開始，每個瓶子都含有一種沙質種子混合物。沙質混合物包括21種不同的植物，每種植物有50粒種子。

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.

瓶口都用軟木塞塞住，瓶口斜向下插入土中避免雨水積在瓶口;瓶子中的土也是根據種子實際的種植深度挖來后立即與種子混合并裝入瓶子的。它將被轉移到一個私人區(qū)域，這樣就不會造成干擾。比爾對該項目的觀點，可以幫助農民如何抵制和防止普通的當地種子生長。

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.

比爾埋的種子瓶是要偶爾挖一挖的。所以每隔五年，比爾就會趁著天黑把瓶子挖出來，檢查里面的種子是否已經發(fā)芽，是否還有活性。他想看看種子能最長休眠多久。

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.

事實上，每一代，都有一個特定的管理員來管理這個實驗，研究人員們希望這個實驗至少再持續(xù)80年。如今，密歇根州立大學(Michigan State University)教授弗蘭克·特勒維斯基(Frank Telewski)是這個種子瓶實驗的現(xiàn)任“守護者”。他們的目標是繼續(xù)研究，記錄來自種子瓶實驗的數據。Verbascum blattaria(通常被稱為毛蕊蛾)是唯一一種經過多年發(fā)芽產生的蛾。