Plant genetic resources (PGR) play a key role in sustainable crop production. The ingenious preservation and usage of PGR is extremely important for attaining food security and nutritional needs of current and subsequent generations. The in situ conservation of majority of the accessions of various crops and their wild relatives is nonviable. A feasible substitute to this problem is to preserve the seeds of the plants in genebank. Keeping in the importance of the PGR, the International Center for Biosaline Agriculture (ICBA) established a genebank in its vicinity in 2000. Efficient use of salt effected agriculture lands need PGR of salt tolerant species. ICBA has been collecting and conserving seeds of proven or potentially salt tolerant plant species for research purpose at ICBA and other institutes with similar research interests.
Today the genebank is home to one of the world’s largest collections of germplasm of heat-, drought- and salt-tolerant plant species. It stores over 14,524 accessions of around 270 plant species from more than 150 countries and territories. There are also around 250 seed samples of 70 wild plant species from the UAE, the center’s host country. We have distributed more than 8,500 seed samples to scientists, farmers and other stakeholders in 57 countries.
ICBA Genebank Accession (Excel file): DOWNLOAD
Guidelines for Seed Request to ICBA Genebank: DOWNLOAD
Salt and drought tolerant crops list: DOWNLOAD