Division of Germplasm Conservation

The Division of Germplasm Conservation is entrusted with the responsibility of conservation of Plant Genetic Resources for the posterity and sustainable use.

Training program on Management of Plant Genetic Resources (March 6-19, 2018) Last date for receiving applications extended to February 6, 2018

Guidelines for deposition & conservation of seeds of RILs, BILs, DHs, NAM and MAGIC, CSSL, association panel, NILs and Mutants at National Genebank

Guidelines for Deposition and Conservation of Seeds of Released Varieties/ Hybrids and their Parental Lines for National Identity Number

Germplasm augmentation

The National Genebank conserves germplasm as per the genebank standards as base collections at –18^oC. The crop-wise details of the various accessions conserved in National Genebank are listed below. The current germplasm holdings in the National Genebank in the form of orthodox seed is 3,96,189 representing 1,584 species.

*    Includes 4,141 released varieties and 2,221 genetic stocks.

In addition, a total of 28,735 exotic accessions of different crop groups, namely, cereals (15,018), grain legumes (1662), oilseeds (1329), vegetables (7982), fibers & forages (961), medicinal & aromatic (38), spices (894) and millets (19)have been kept as voucher specimen in the medium-term storage module.

Promising germplasm material with novel, unique, distinct with academic, scientific or applied value are being registered to facilitate flow of germplasm among the scientists working in the crop improvement programmes. A total of 1,049 unique accessions covering 183 species have been registered till date, details of which is presented below.

Under a collaborative research project on restoration of germplasm of International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) mandate crops to NBPGR, a total of 2,980 accessions of different crops were received, out of which 424 accessions were found to be duplicates. The number of accessions restored till date is 56,223 with only 1,217 yet to be restored, the list of which has been compiled and sent to ICRISAT for necessary action. In addition, 11,718 accessions of rice were also restored from IRRI.

Current status of germplasm restoration

Monitoring, distribution and physical verification

Till date, more than 50,000 germplasm accessions conserved in the long-term storage module for 10 years or more have been monitored for seed viability, seed quantity and seed health to identify accessions that may require regeneration as per the genebank standards. In addition, more than 1,50,000 germplasm accessions of different crops have been supplied to various NARS partners for seed regeneration/ multiplication/ research/ evaluation.

Physical verification was performed by the Division of Germplasm Conservation during the 2009-2011, in order to verify the physical status, identifying the duplicates, updating the passport and other related information in database to enable it to link with the web-enabled central database of NBPGR.

National Permafrost Repository

An MoA has been signed between ICAR and Defence Research and Development Organization for the development of low-energy based conservation of plant genetic resources as safety duplicates in the National Permafrost Repository (NPR) at Chang-la, Leh-Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir. NBPGR has initiated studies during 2011 in collaboration with DRDO on 19 crops and 23 varieties to study the suitability of perma frost facility on conservation of germplasm.

Significant achievements of supportive research

• Various physico-chemical treatments for breaking dormancy such as sand paper scarification, hot-water treatment, acid treatment, cold and warm stratification, application of growth regulators like gibberellic acid and ethrel were standardized for 48 wild species of medicinal and fibre crops for effective conservation.
• To understand the mechanism of seed deterioration a number of physiological and biochemical markers were studied in radish, Brassica spp., soybean, castor, Dalbergia, and Baliospermum montanum. The parameters studied include seed leachate conductivity, UV absorbancy, sugars, proteins, lipid peroxides and some reserve mobilizing as well as free-radical scavenging enzymes.
• The seeds of Cucumis showed a very low viability of 30-35 per cent. Amongst different priming treatments viz. hydro, chemical, osmo, halo and sand priming tested, halo and osmo priming was the best treatment for Cucumis species which increased the germination to 80-90%. In radish, cabbage and mustard, osmo-priming was found to be superior to hydro-priming when tested after treatment or storage. While in cotton, hydro-priming using cold and warm water was found promising.
• Studies on seed storage behaviour in Pongamia pinnata, Murraya paniculata, Saraca asoka, Swietinia macrophylla, Mimusops hexandra and Jatropha curcas were carried out. S. macrophylla and M. hexandra seeds showed intermediate behaviour while S.asoka showed recalcitrant behaviour and P. pinnata, M. paniculata and J. curcas had orthodox behaviour.
• To develop protocol for cost effective conservation methods, observations on storability of seeds dried to ultra-low moisture contents were studies in nine crops. In safflower, sesame, chickpea, niger, groundnut and chickpea, ultra-dessicated seeds were monitored after 13-14 years of storage at ambient conditions. Significantly higher germination of 86-96% was observed in the seeds of safflower, sesamum, chickpea, niger and groundnut seeds with lowest moisture content of 2-3% than the germination of 0-38% recorded in seeds with higher level of moisture content of 4.5-5.0%.
• To identify the physiological and biochemical markers for seed deterioration, studies were conducted in cowpea and Swietenia macrophylla; later exhibited immediate storage behaviors. In cowpea, ageing induced changes in the free radical scavenging enzymes, namely, peroxidase, Catalase and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were investigated. While in decline in the activities of peroxidase and Catalase could be observed, SOD activity did not exhibit any correlation with ageing.
• Zero energy conservation, using natural low temperature conditions at Khardungla, Leh-Ladakh, in over 150 crop species had shown encouraging results and, thus, natural permafrost sites can be explored as future strategy for conservation.
• Mapping of seed-borne micro-flora of sorghum and pearl millet conserved in NGB from different states and identification of duplicates using DNA Markers in brinjal were undertaken.

• To function as the national repository of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR)
• To provide technical support to NARS in sustainable management of PGR
• Conducting research related to conservation of PGR
• Development and documentation of PGR database
• Human resource development in maintenance and management of genebank