ICRISAT genebank - Preserving a rich heritage for food security
ICRISAT Genebank:
Preserving a Rich Heritage for Food Security
Nov 2009
Conserving genetic resources
Plant genetic resources are the basic raw materials required to power current
and future progress in Crop Improvement Programs. Enhanced use of plant
genetic resources offers a sustainable way to conserve valuable genetic
resources for the future while increasing agricultural production and food
security.
Assembly and collection for posterity
The ICRISAT genebank is one of the largest in the CGIAR system, holding
The collection provides insurance against genetic erosion, and tolerance
against pests and diseases, climate change and other environmental
stresses.
Value addition
A major part of the collection, including the wild relatives, has been
characterized for morphological and agronomic diversity, and evaluated
for resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and seed quality traits. The
researchers engaged in development of improved cultivars of these crops
worldwide.
Maintaining the collections
Germplasm samples for conservation are multiplied mainly during the post-
rainy season to secure good quality seed. Genetic integrity of the accessions
is maintained by pollination control while regenerating cross-pollinated crops such as sorghum, pearl millet and pigeonpea. Adequate
number of plants are grown and sampled equally to reconstitute the accession.
This genebank has provided over 0.70 million seed samples to researchers in
144 countries, and 0.65 million seed samples to researchers within ICRISAT.
contributing to food security.
from material supplied by ICRISAT.
Repatriation of germplasm
heritage that would have been lost had it not been conserved in the genebank at ICRISAT.
Enhancing NARS capabilities
ICRISAT has trained a large number of scientists and technicians from developing countries in Asia and Africa on germplasm collection,
conservation, characterization, evaluation and documentation. These trained scientists are now helping their countries in conserving and
utilizing the genetic resources.
Germplasm adoption
To ensure long-term availability of funds for conservation, characterization and distribution of germplasm for posterity, the Global Crop
Further, ICRISAT has initiated the adoption of germplasm by ICRISAT staff members and non-traditional donors.
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Arctic Svalbard Archipelago, the Seed Vault preserves unique
duplicate samples of seeds held in genebanks worldwide.
The vault provides an insurance against the loss of seeds
from genebanks, and a refuge for seeds in the case of large-
scale regional or global crisis.
ICRISAT has committed to place 111,000 FAO-designated
germplasm accessions of sorghum, pearl millet, chickpea,
Regional genebanks
implementing regionally coordinated projects in partnership with NARS. These genebanks conserve germplasm of the mandate crops,
Enhancing germplasm utilization
The concept of the mini core has been recognized globally as an International Public Good.
traits.
Table 1. Assembly of germplasm at ICRISAT
Genebank, Patancheru, India (as of November 2009).
Crop Number of accessions Countries
Sorghum 92
Pearl millet 22,211 50
Chickpea 20,267 60
Pigeonpea 74
Groundnut 15,445 92
50
Total 119,691
Farmers in semi-arid tropics have donated invaluable
germplasm for conservation in the genebank.
Astounding range of variation in the assembled germplasm – sorghum (left), pearl millet (center) and chickpea (right).
Safeguarding the future
The germplasm accessions are safely conserved as
o
-20o
cans. Germplasm accessions that produce inadequate
or no seeds are maintained in a botanic garden and
greenhouses.
Sharing information and seed
germplasm accessions is available online at ICRISAT Regeneration of germplasm accessions using paper bags in pearl millet (left) and
conserving as live plants (groundnut) in special facilities (right).
Conserving seed samples in medium-term cold room.
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault (left) and its inauguration (right).