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I've read either all of the space marine novels or close to it. Iwascreading the new "legion of the damned" novel and saw rhat before the siege Kersh orders all of the space marine gene seed to be harvested and sent forward with the apothecary.
I didn't know this was possible, I thought that the gene seed could only be harvested after the space marine died? Even so wouldn't this severely limit a space marine? Thanks for any info you guys have

P.s. sorry for all of the spelling and grammar my phone isn't playing nice.

"Reproduction of gene-seed is possible through the Progenoid glands - an implant whose sole purpose is the replication of gene-seed. A mature gland can be removed by an Apothecary and new organs artificially cultured from them. This is the only source for new implants, so a Chapter depends on its Marines to create other Marines. In the battle-mysticism of the Astartes, the gene-seed is regarded spiritually - though a fallen Marine's body is dead, he lives on as gene-seed which returns to the Chapter.

Apothecaries remove Progenoids after they have matured or if a Marine has died in combat."

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Gene-seed#Implantation_and_Reproduction

If I remember correctly, here's how it works. The progenoid glands (one in the neck, one in the chest) are installed in a marine. Slowly, they will begin to replicate gene seed from the other organs. Eventually, they will produce the gene-seed necessary to make a new Space Marine. (It takes five years for the neck, and ten years for the chest, to produce enough gene-seed to make a new marine.) You can extract that gene seed before a marine dies, if it's mature. The apothecaries can also harvest gene-seed after the marine dies. (I always assumed they were harvesting it in the hopes that it was 'mature enough,' which might explain why so many neophytes die during implantation...)

Hope that helps.

There's some beliefs or superstitions that the longer a geneseed is implanted, the more strength/skill will be passed on to the next marine. Of course there's nothing backing this up, but it might explain why some chapters wait as long as possible, even long after the 10 years has passed.