Genebank Standards - revised guidelines adopted by FAO

摘要

On 18 April 2013, the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), endorsed and adopted the revision of the Genebank Standards, last published1 in 1994. These standardsare meant to ensure that plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) are conserved in genebanks under recognized and appropriate conditions, based on current technological and scientific knowledge. Simply defined, genebanks are places whereeither seeds are conserved at low temperature and moisture, or whole plants/plant propagules are conserved in field or culture vessels or in cryovials. Genebanks exist throughout the world and they collect, catalogue, store and protect as many species of plants and gene-pool of crops as possible. The idea is to conserve as much of diversity of plants as possible, so that it can be drawn appropriately for use. They are useful to plant breeders involved in research and/or breeding for developing new climate-resilient varieties, to respond to growing environmental pressures and to feed a rapidly expanding population. They can also provide a resource for restoration of key species after natural or man-made catastrophes.