Eric Roberts obituary

My father, Eric Roberts, who has died aged 86, was a renowned seed and crop scientist who advanced the understanding of plant breeding and genetic resource conservation.

His work showed that long-term seed storage was not only feasible but also relatively inexpensive, and he played a key role in setting up and managing seed banks. In the mid-1970s he chaired the expert group on seed storage of the International Board For Plant Genetic Resources, which was aiming to conserve crop diversity. There are now more than 1,400 seed banks all over the world.