Plant germplasm (genetic resources) is the living tissue from which new plants can be grown. It is usually the seed but it can be other plant parts that can be cultured into whole plants. Plant germplasms constitute the foundation for agriculture and food security. They contain the genetic information for the plant’s hereditary makeup and are the basic raw materials required to meet the current and future needs of crop improvement programs to enhance crop productivity and quality, and are a reservoir of genetic diversity which acts as a buffer against environmental and economic change. The Division serves as a national repository of conserved crop genetic resources and has responsibility for evaluation, documentation, rejuvenation, and distribution of plant genetic resources, seed viability testing, database management and provision of technical information. The National Plant Genetic Resources Center (NPGRC) of the Division is dedicated to preserving the genetic diversity of tropical and sub-tropical crop plants. NPGRC’s main tasks are as follows:
