Genebanks

Storing maize seeds in a genebank. Photo: Anita Sanchez/CIMMYT

Genebanks are an important way to conserve genetic resources. They provide safe storage to ensure that the varieties and landraces of crops that underpin our food supply are secure and that they are easily available for use by farmers, plant breeders and researchers.

The most fundamental activity in a genebank is to treat a new sample (or accession) in a way that will prolong its viability as long as possible while ensuring its quality. It is equally important that information about agricultural biodiversity  [1] is gathered and shared so that it can be conserved and shared by farmers, scientists, conservationists and breeders.  

While genebanks are important in safeguarding plant resources, complementary conservation approaches, such as on farm conservation  [2] are also vital to secure our future food supplies. 

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Seeds for Needs
This innovative Bioversity International programme is helping to address some of the challenges facing the world's poorest smallholder farmers by helping communities use valuable plant genetic resources to reduce the risk and vulnerability of crops to changing weather patterns. [Read more  [3]]

Regenerating Andean crop collections
A regeneration project in the Americas will help maintain crop collections for food security. The project aims to regenerate about 100 collections of 21 priority crops maintained by more than 50 organizations worldwide. [Read more  [4]] 

The International Musa Transit Centre
Bioversity's International Transit Centre (ITC) is home to the world’s largest collection of banana and plantain germplasm - the International Musa Germplasm Collection. Its mission? To contribute to the secure long-term conservation of the entire Musa genepool and keep genetic resources in the public domain. [Read more]  [5]

Is Crypopreservation a viable method for the long-term conservation of coffee biodiversity?
Coffee is not only one of the most popular drinks in the world, but also the world's most valuable agricultural export commodity and the source of income for many smallholder farmers in the developing world. Yet coffee diversity is at risk and its not easy to conserve. Could cryopreservation be the answer? [Read more]  [6]

Capacity Building

Bioversity and partners have prepared free downloadable training materials aimed at genebank practitioners including Seed Handling in Genebanks  [7] and the International Course on Plant Genetic Resources and Genebank Management  [8] [Read more]  [9]

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Filed under: Conservation  [13], Research  [14]See also: Ex situ Conservation  [15], Genebanks  [16], Plant Genetic Resources  [17]

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http://www.bioversityinternational.org/research/conservation/genebanks.html?tx_wecdiscussion[sub]=1

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