The Egyptian Deserts Gene Bank (EDGB), established in 1997, is located in North Sinai and focuses on ex-situ conservation of plant biodiversity. Recent political unrest in Egypt has led to significant damage and looting at the EDGB and its associated research center, threatening vital seed preservation efforts. The bank also engages in research for the utilization and cultivation of various wild and medicinal plant species under harsh environmental conditions.

4. The EDGB was established in 1997

5. Our Location In North Sinai
he Egyptian Deserts Gene Bank (EDGB) is located 12 km from
orth-eastern border of the Arab Republic of Egypt, about 35 km
ast of the town of El Arish.

6. Egyptian Deserts Gene Bank
EDGB bank function as Ex-situ conservation
The EDGB was established in 1997 for
accomplished the following mandates
including three units for the seed preservation
controlled and monitoring ( Drying room, Short
term and Long term seed store room)
:

8. The effort to maintain the world’s biodiversity has
taken another hit. In the chaos surrounding the
political unrest and public uprising in Egypt, looters
have badly damaged the country’s Desert Research
Center Desert Research Center in El Sheikh Zowaid
in North Sinai.
The center houses the Egyptian Deserts Gene
Bank (EDGB), and according to the Global Crop
Diversity Trust equipment has been stolen and the
cooling system has been damaged.
Egyptian Deserts Gene Bank was looted and
damaged amidst Egypt’s political unrest
(28 Jan. 2011)

11. General sequence of operations in EDGB.

12. Update of EDGB

13. Update of EDGB machines

14. EDGB Lab.
Seed cleaning Lab.
Seed cleaning is the
removal of debris, inert
material, damaged and
infected seeds, and seeds
of other species to
improve the quality of
samples for storage
Seed quality Lab.
Seed viability testing
Seed health testing
Seed moisture content

15. EDGB Lab.
Documentation Lab.Seed Drying and packaging
Lab.
The best time to package
seeds is immediately
after moisture content
has been determined to
be within the required
limits for safe storage .
It is important that genebanks
keep records of germplasm
recipients, the number
of samples sent, accession
details and the purpose for
which requests are made
in order to track the use and
assess the impact of
distributed germplasm

17. Documentation system (GRIS 2006)

18. Herbarium EDGB

19. Re-opening in April 2013

20. Update and collected several wild
species (Sinai 2013)

21. ConservationConservationUtilizationUtilization
Main TargetMain Target
UtilizationUtilization

22. Field Gene Bank for wild tree
Including several important wild species as Jatropha cuneata, Acacia,
Balanites aegyptiaca and Moringa sp.

23. Utilization of Moringa sp.
Moringa oleifera Moringa stenopetala

24. Field experiment under North Sinai conditions
* Optimal doses of fertilization under high levels of salinity
*325 gm Ammonium sulfate.
*325 gm Superphosphate.
*200 gm Potassium sulfate.
*3.2 kg. Composte.

25. Utilization of Moringa sp.
The leaves of Moringa were Antioxidants and Inflammation
The leaves were used in folk remedies for tumors (Narah et al., 2012)

26. Field Gene Bank for some
important wild medicinal plants
Origanum syriacum MenthalongifoliaUrginea maritima

27. Utilization of some important medicinal plants
Through our several research work under North Sinai condition,
we are recommend the use of high organic fertilization with
Humic acid under the high level of salinity, to increase the
production and ability for resistance.
Salvia officinalis

28. Rosmarinus officinalis
• Commonly known as rosemary
• Improving memory
• Contains a number of potentially biologically active compounds,
including antioxidants carnosic acid and rosmarinic acid
• Treat gout.

29. Mentha longifolia
Production of seedlings

30. Origanum syriacum. L
Improve the cultivated area
Production of seedlings

31. Some of research work
Comparative genetic study among Origanum L. plants
grown in Egypt
Mohamed Hamdy Amar and Mohamed Abd El Wahab (2013)
Effect of organic fertilization on yield and active
constituents of Thymus vulgaris L. under North Sinai
conditions
(Ateia E.M. et al., 2009)
Effect of essential oils of some aromatic plants from family
Labiatae on the genetic behavior and growth of pathogenic fung
Esraa Elsherbeny )2014 (

32. Some of research work
Molecular genetic studies on some natural
Medicinal plants
(Injy mohamed 2009)
Genetic studies in some medicinal plants of the Liliaceae family
M.Sc. 2005 by Rasha moustafa
Antimicrobial effect of some essential oil mixtures
(Osman Y.A.H. et al., 2009)

33. Taxonomy
Is the classification of organisms
according to similarity, has been richly
informed by phylogenetics but remains
methodologically and logically distinct.
The fields overlap however in the
science of phylogenetic systematics
where only phylogenetic trees are used
to delimit taxa, each representing a
group of lineage-connected individuals.

34. Phylogenetics
In biology, phylogenetics is the study
of evolutionary relatedness among
various groups of organisms (e.g.,
species, populations), which is
discovered through molecular
sequencing data.

35. Taxonomy phylogenetic
PhylogenetiPhylogeneti
cc
systematicssystematics

36. PhylogenetiPhylogeneti
cc
systematicssystematics
 In PomegranateIn Pomegranate
Geneticinvestigation of pomegranate
genotypes tolerant to drought using
morphological, physiological and
molecular markers
Punica granatum

37.  In AlmondIn Almond
Evaluation of genetic diversity among some genotypes in almond (Evaluation of genetic diversity among some genotypes in almond ( PrunusPrunus
dulcisdulcis L.)L.)
PhylogenetiPhylogeneti
cc
systematicssystematics
Self-compatibility allele (Sf)Self-compatibility allele (Sf) self-incompatible (SI)self-incompatible (SI)
. Self-incompatibility is controlled by aSelf-incompatibility is controlled by a
multi-allelic, single gene (S-locus).multi-allelic, single gene (S-locus).
S-alleles identity is particularly importantS-alleles identity is particularly important
for designing crosses and choosingfor designing crosses and choosing
parents for breeding self-compatibleparents for breeding self-compatible
cultivarscultivars

38.  In PeachIn Peach
Assessment of genetic diversity in some genotypes of peach (Assessment of genetic diversity in some genotypes of peach ( PrunusPrunus
persicapersica .L).L)
PhylogenetiPhylogeneti
cc
systematicssystematics
One of the endangered species in North SinaiOne of the endangered species in North Sinai

39. Future Goals
• Collection and conservation of wild species in nature reserves
as a cooperation with Ministry of Environment and National
Gene Bank .

40. Dr. Mohamed Amar
Tel: 01001591950
Egyptian Deserts Gene Bank
North Sinai Research Station
Email:
mohamedamar70@gmail.com
Welcome to EDGB
Thank you for
your attention