BP Singh

The Indian National Gene Bank 243space and funds, however, impose constraints that need to beovercome to reach this ideal.Plant wealth of IndiaOver 15,000 species of flwering plants have been documentedin the Indian region. The Indian gene centre, one of the original8 Vavilovian Centres of origin of cultivated .plants and theirdiversity, is known to be particularly rich in genetic resources ofcultivated plants and their wild relatives. In addition to more than20 important agriMhorticultural crops that originated here, over1000 species are recognised to be of known ethno-botanicalinterest. Seven biosphere reserves, 67 national parks and over 400sancturies and other reserve areas have already been establishedby the Department of Environment & Forests to promote in situconservation of naturally growing biological diversity in differentparts of the country. Besides native species, a large number of cropplants have also been brought here by traders, travellers andmissionaries from foreign lands. They got naturalised, diversifiedand selected upon in due course in different parts of the countryunder intensive care of local farmers and tribal communitiesGermplasm collectionsCrop improvement programmes began in India during thebeginning of this century with the establishment of severalagricultural research institutes. Landraces and locally adaptedcultivars grown by farmers in different agro-climatic situations arebeing collected since then. A large number of such collectionsestimated to be around four million (including possible duplicates)still lie dispersed at various research centres. Systematic collectionand safe conservation of germplasm to ensure their continuedavailability to plant breeders have been assigned top priority inIndia in view of the feared replacement of primitive cultivars byhigh yielding i!Uproved varieties.National Plant Genetic Resources SystemThe Indian National PGR System comprises a network ofbas,e collections of germplasm of different crops kept under longterm storage and linked to numerous crop-specific active collectionsthat are maintained. at appropriate locations. NBPGR is the nodalorganisation for developing, operating and coordinating this