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| National Genebank of India | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Genebank of India |
| Established | 1996 |
| Location | New Delhi, India |
| Type | Plant genetic resources repository |
| Parent | National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources |
National Genebank of India is the principal ex situ repository for plant genetic resources in India. It functions as a national facility for the long-term conservation, documentation and distribution of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and allied collections. The genebank operates within a network of institutions including the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, and regional centres to support crop improvement and biodiversity policy objectives.
The genebank maintains seed and clonal collections of cereals, pulses, oilseeds, fibers, vegetables and forage crops, serving stakeholders such as All India Coordinated Research Project, Agricultural Scientists Recruitment Board, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, and Central Rice Research Institute. It provides germplasm to plant breeders from institutions like Borlaug Institute for South Asia, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center, and CIMMYT affiliates. The facility is linked to national initiatives such as National Biodiversity Authority, Biodiversity Act, 2002 implementation units, and international frameworks including Convention on Biological Diversity, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, and FAO mechanisms.
The genebank was established as part of a post‑Green Revolution expansion of conservation led by Indian Council of Agricultural Research reforms and planning by the Department of Agricultural Research and Education. Early precedents include germplasm work at Indian Agricultural Research Institute and collections accumulated during campaigns associated with Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew exchanges and bilateral projects with United States Agency for International Development, Rockefeller Foundation, and Ford Foundation initiatives. Policy drivers included international agreements like the Convention on Biological Diversity and domestic legislation such as the Biological Diversity Act, 2002. The facility’s development drew expertise from institutions including Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, National Institute of Plant Genome Research, and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority.
Primary objectives encompass safe long‑term storage, viability monitoring, characterization and documentation to support breeding programs at Indian Institute of Pulses Research, Oilseeds Research Institute, and Central Institute for Cotton Research. Functions include seed processing with standards aligned to International Seed Testing Association, duplication and backup with protocols compatible with Global Seed Vault principles, and distribution under material transfer arrangements compatible with the Nagoya Protocol and International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. The genebank supports policy implementation for agencies like Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, and national seed systems including National Seed Corporation.
Holdings encompass accessions of major crops such as Oryza sativa (rice), Triticum aestivum (wheat), Zea mays (maize), Glycine max (soybean), Cicer arietinum (chickpea), Lens culinaris (lentil), Gossypium hirsutum (cotton), Brassica juncea (mustard), Solanum lycopersicum (tomato), Capsicum annuum (chili) and numerous landraces from regions including Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, Indo-Gangetic Plains, Northeastern India and Himalayas. Collections also include wild relatives represented by genera such as Aegilops, Oryza wild species, Arachis wild relatives, and underutilized crops like Eleusine coracana (finger millet) and Amaranthus species. Ex situ conservation categories comprise orthodox seed collections, recalcitrant seed handling, field genebank plots for clonally propagated species and in vitro collections maintained with protocols from National Centre for Plant Tissue Culture partners.
Management is overseen by the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources with technical inputs from Indian Council of Agricultural Research and administrative oversight from the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers' Welfare. Infrastructure includes low‑temperature seed storage, cold rooms, viability testing laboratories employing standards from ISTA, micropropagation facilities associated with National Institute of Plant Genome Research, database and informatics systems interoperable with GRIN‑Global, Genesys and FAO/IPGRI catalogues, and phytosanitary services linked to Plant Quarantine authorities. Human resource development involves collaboration with Punjab Agricultural University, G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, and Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
Research activities span characterization, evaluation and pre‑breeding for resistance traits documented in databases used by National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Central Rice Research Institute, and Indian Agricultural Research Institute breeders. Conservation science includes cryopreservation research with partners such as Institute of Himalayan Bioresource Technology and genetic diversity assessments using molecular tools developed at Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics and Indian Institute of Science. Utilization extends to support for programmes at National Food Security Mission, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana beneficiaries, and value addition projects with Council of Scientific and Industrial Research affiliates.
Operations conform to national laws such as the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and interfaces with institutions including the National Biodiversity Authority and state biodiversity boards like Maharashtra Biodiversity Board. International commitments include the Convention on Biological Diversity, Nagoya Protocol, and the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, with access and benefit‑sharing procedures coordinated alongside Ministry of External Affairs negotiations and intellectual property considerations involving Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks.
The genebank collaborates with international organisations such as FAO, CGIAR, CIMMYT, ICARDA, ICRISAT, IRRI, and bilateral partners including United States Department of Agriculture and Department for International Development. Outreach includes germplasm distribution to state agricultural universities (for example University of Agricultural Sciences, Bengaluru), engagement with Navdanya and farmer seed networks, capacity building through training with National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, and participation in national campaigns like National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture.
Category:Genetic conservation in India