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ICRISAT genebank - Preserving a rich heritage for food security

  1. 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).
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