Rescuing and regenerating germplasm in large collections – the case of pigeonpea accession ICP 9820D V S S RSastryauthorH DUpadhyayaauthorC L LGowdaauthorThe maintenance of seed viability is a basic requirement for successful preservation of germplasm. Seeds intended for storage should have high germinability and viability should be monitored by periodical germination tests during storage. Even for the seeds stored under optimal conditions suitable for long-term storage, viability may decrease as a result of deterioration processes such as: an increase of the free radical content, changes in protein structure, depletion of food reserves, acidification of fat, changes in enzymatic activity, membrane damage, chromosomal changes and an increase in respiration (Justice and Bass 1979). These processes manifest at different levels resulting in decreased germinability, production of abnormal seedlings, and even complete loss of viability....Pigeonpea2011International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics Article