Bioversity International

• What do genebanks do?
• Seed genebanks
• Community seed banks
• Field genebanks
• Botanical gardens
• In vitro storage and cryopreservation
• DNA banking
• The CGIAR Collections
• Information systems

Genebanks conserve genetic resources. The most fundamental activity in a genebank is to treat a new sample in a way that will prolong its viability as long as possible while ensuring its quality. The samples (or accessions as they are called) are monitored to ensure that they are not losing viability. A cornerstone of genebank operations is the reproduction-called regeneration-of its plant material. Plant samples must periodically be grown out, regenerated, and new seed harvested because, even under the best of conservation conditions, samples will eventually die.

To conserve and regenerate genetic resources, genebanks first must collect genetic resources. See also Germplasm Collection.

But genebanks aren't built just to conserve genetic resources; they are intended to ensure that these resources are used, whether it is in farmers' fields, breeding programmes or in research institutions. This means making sure the collections are properly characterized and documented; and that the documentation is available to those who need it. The information systems used by genebanks are becoming increasingly important tools for researchers and breeders seeking data on the distribution of crops and their wild relatives. For more information, see also Germplasm Documentation.

Finally, genebanks must be able to deliver healthy samples to the farmers, breeders and researchers. Read more on Germplasm Health.

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The most widely used technique for conserving plant genetic resources is seed banking. Seeds are dried to low moisture content and stored at subzero temperatures in cold stores or deep freezers. According to FAO, this technique accounts for 90 percent of the 6 million accessions conserved ex situ globally.

However, this technique is only possible for species with seeds that can tolerate desiccation and low temperatures. Many species have seeds that cannot survive under such conditions. For species with so-called 'recalcitrant' seeds or species that are vegetatively propagated, such as roots tubers and aroids, different conservation techniques are used.

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Seed banks don't have to be high-tech and managed by governments or businesses.

In many developing countries, farmers rely on informal seed systems based on local growers retention of seed from previous harvests, storage, treatment and exchange of this seed within and between communities. The informal seed sector is typically based on indigenous structures for information flow and exchange of seed. Seed banks managed within this local seed system operate on a small scale at the community level with few resources.

These community seed banks and the institutions that support them are extremely important in the preservation of local varieties and for agricultural production. Much could be gained from learning more about these seed banks and working with communities to improve them. In spite of this, informal seed banks have until now received little attention or support from the scientific community or the state.

For more information, see also:
Community and Livelihoods
Agricultural Ecosystems

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The conservation of germplasm in field genebanks involves the collecting of materials and planting in the orchard or field in another location. Field genebanks have traditionally been used for perennial plants, including:

• species producing recalcitrant seeds;
• species producing little or no seeds;
• species that are preferably stored as clonal material; and
• species that have a long life cycle to generate breeding and/or planting material.

Field genebanks are commonly used for such species as cocoa, rubber, coconut, coffee, sugarcane, banana, tuber crops, tropical and temperate fruits, vegetatively propagated crops, such as wild onion and garlic, and forage grasses.

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The history of botanic gardens can be traced as far back as the Hanging Gardens of Babylon, built by Nebuchadnezzar in 570 BC as a gift to his wife. Early botanic gardens were designed mainly for the purpose of recreation. By the 16th Century, however, they had also become important centers for research. They promoted the study of taxonomy and became a focal point for the study of aromatic and medicinal plants. More recently, they have taken on significant conservation responsibilities and they often have conservation facilities, such as seed banks and tissue culture units.

It is estimated that there are now more than 2000 botanic gardens known around the world in over 150 countries. Together, they maintain more than 6 million accessions in their living collections and 142 million herbaria specimens in the botanic garden herbaria.

Botanical gardens hold living collections. Indeed botanical garden conservation could be considered as field genebank or seed genebank or both, depending on the conservation method being used. However, they tend to focus their conservation efforts on wild, ornamental, rare and endangered species. Most of the germplasm conserved in botanical gardens do not belong to the plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

For more information, visit Botanic Gardens Conservation International

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In vitro storage and cryopreservation are two technologies used in genebanks to conserve species with recalcitrant seeds or species that are vegetatively propagated.

In vitro storage involves keeping plant tissues under strict sterile conditions in glass tubes and vessels.

Cryopreservation involves storing the living tissues at ultra-low temperature, usually at -196C in liquid nitrogen, to guarantee long-term preservation of germplasm in genetically unaltered state. Research work on cryopreservation have led to the development of protocols for cryopreservation of no less than over 150 different plant species. A wide range of species can now be routinely cryopreserved: banana (Musa spp.), cassava (Manihot esculenta),  bramble fruits (Rubus), pear Pyrus, vegetables in the Solanum family, coffee (Coffea arabica), oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) and tea (Camellia sinensis).

In vitro storage is not always suitable for long-term conservation and requires advanced infrastructure and equipment along with highly trained staff - adding to the cost. Cryopreservation is a more promising technique for the long-term conservation of 'difficult' species.

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The rapidly expanding study of DNA in so many areas of science has created an odd surplus: the DNA itself. Reasonably easy and inexpensive to store, with established techniques for almost infinite multiplication, the samples of DNA created in laboratories around the world have almost by accident become an important resource for future research.

DNA resources can be maintained at 20C for short- and mid-term storage (up to 2 years), and at 70C or in liquid nitrogen for longer periods.

DNA banking is not at present widespread. It is not viewed as a substitute for existing techniques for the conservation of genetic resources. However, DNA banks can complement conservation strategies that make use of ex situ and in situ conservation, and they can help to ensure the optimal use of plant and animal populations.

For many species that are difficult to conserve by conventional means that are highly threatened in the wild, DNA storage may provide a way to conserve the genetic diversity of these species and their populations in the short term, until effective methods can be developed.

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 For nearly three decades, eleven CGIAR Centres have collected, conserved, studied and used a wide range of crop, forage and other genetic resources in their research and development work. Today, the Centres maintain as much as 60 percent of the unique samples of major world food crops. The collections held by the CGIAR genebanks are among the largest in the world and probably the most important for the livelihoods of the poor and ensuring global food security.

Under the terms of the International Treaty on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the CGIAR Centres hold these collections in trust on behalf of humanity. As trustees, the Centres must ensure the genetic resources are kept safe and the germplasm and related information are made available, without restriction, to anyone who needs them.

The CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) collaborates with all the CGIAR Centres to ensure that the CGIAR genebanks operate in accordance with international policies. The Programme is working with the Centres to develop a set of best practices for genebank management; a set of practices that can be used as the gold standard for genebank managers all over the world.

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Bioversity, in collaboration with other organizations, has developed several information systems for storing and delivering information about genetic resources.

Species Compendium
The Bioversity Species Compendium is a searchable database providing information about:

• seed survival during storage
• germination requirements and dormancy
• reproductive biology
• pests and diseases

Go to the Bioversity Species Compendium

Taxonomic Nomenclature Checker (TNC)
The TNC can be used to quickly check scientific names against other standardized databases. Two versions exist. One checks lists of scientific names against the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) of the United States Department of Agriculture and the other checks the Mansfeld's World database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops.

Go TNC-GRIN
Go to TNC-Mansfeld

Germplasm Collections Directory
Bioversity maintains a database with summary information on ex situ germplasm collections worldwide. Currently, summary information on more than 5 million accessions belonging to more than 20,000 species worldwide is available.

Go to the Germplasm Collections Directory

SINGER and EURISCO
The System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources (SINGER), an initiative of the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP), is the genetic resources information exchange network of the CGIAR. It provides access to information on the collections of genetic resources held by the CGIAR Centres and associated partners.

The European plant genetic resources catalogue (EURISCO), collects data from the national plant genetic resource inventories and provides access to all ex situ plant genetic resource information in Europe.

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