Alternative Conservation Methods In Vitro Collecting In vitro collecting (IVC) brings tissue culture to the field. It can be useful when: seeds are not available other propagules are not easily transportable tissues must be collected and cannot be readily shipped overnight to a laboratory IVC provides the opportunity to provide fresh medium for tissues soon after collecting and to initiate growth earlier than would be possible if the plant tissues were transported or sent to a lab before processing. In some cases, sterilized in vitro material can also be moved more easily internationally than whole plant material, but permit and other requirements should be checked for each individual case. IVC is a very flexible technique, and it can be done using different types of containers, surface sterilization procedures, propagules, etc., depending on the species, the purpose of the collecting, and the resources available. Contamination is a primary challenge with IVC. Procedures are generally done in the open air or with only little protection. Surface sterilization will be needed, but wild-collected material is likely to harbor endophytes, requiring the use of fungicides, antibiotics, or other antimicrobial agents in the medium. As with any collecting, proper permissions and permits are required, depending on the country, the ownership of the land, and the conservation and legal status of the species.