The management of banana (Musa spp.) genetic resources at the IPGRI/INIBAP gene bank: the conservation and documentation status

• Chapter Authors : Van Den Houwe, I.; Panis, B.; Arnaud, E.; Markham, R.; Swennen, R.


• Document type : Conference paper


• Year of publication : 2006


• Conference : 3rd GBIF Science Symposium, Brussels (BEL), 2005/04/18-19


• Book title : Tropical biodiversity: Science, data, conservation


• Editors : Segers, H.; Desmet, P.; Baus, E.


• Pages : 143-152


• Language(s) : English


• Abstract : The international banana germplasm collection is managed by the IPGRI/INIBAP Transit Centre in Belgium since 1985. This unique collection, placed under the auspices of FAO in 1994, consists of approximately 1200 accessions of wild, cultivated and improved bananas, introduced from 44 countries in the world. Samples of these accessions are permanently maintained in vitro as proliferating shoot cultures under slow growth conditions at low temperature (16°C) and reduced light intensity (25µmol/m²/s). Incoming germplasm undergoes a standardized indexing process for five virus diseases in collaboration with 3 indexing centres (Australia, France and South Africa) and pathogen-free accessions are made freely available for international distribution. Throughout the last five years, over 25,000 samples of germplasm have been delivered worldwide to hundreds of institutes and individuals involved in development projects with farmers, for various research activities or to underpin specific gene bank activities such as cytological studies and virus eradication research. Currently, also a long-term base collection is being established, using a cryopreservation protocol developed at the Laboratory of Tropical Crop Improvement, KULeuven, Belgium. At present, more then one quarter of the entire collection is safely stored in liquid nitrogen (-196°C). Evidently, the effective management and use of this unique collection strongly depends on its documentation status. To facilitate data maintenance and processing relevant for the day-to-day activities of the gene bank, a tailored-made information system using bar-codes has been put in place recently. All passport data, and available characterization and evaluation data are documented in the INIBAP's Musa Germplasm Information System (MGIS). This decentralized system contains standardized information on banana varieties managed in 18 banana gene banks around the world and is readily accessible for users ( mgis.grinfo.net or mgis.inibap.org). The data of the INIBAP Transit Centre, which are part of the MGIS database, are also available through SINGER (System-Wide Information Network on Genetic Resources), an on-line database containing information on genetic resources held by the CGIAR Centres ( singer.cgiar.org).


• Keywords : BREEDING; GERMPLASM CONSERVATION; SAFE VEGETAL MATERIALS; GENETIC RESOURCES; BELGIUM; GERMPLASM DISTRIBUTION; ITC


• Open access : Yes


• PDF :


• Musalit document ID : IN060610

If you want to link this record, use this url : musalit.org/seeMore.php?id=10039