IRRI Launches New IRG Collection to Accelerate Linking Trait Discovery with Breeding
8 October 2024
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has introduced a new Released Variety Panel (RVP), a collection of over 130 sequenced rice varieties. This panel is accessible to breeders and researchers for trait discovery and breeding innovations, with seed requests available through the International Rice Genebank (IRG), the world's largest rice genebank, which houses over 132,000 rice varieties for research and breeding. The data is hosted on the Genesys platform.
The Crop Trust supports the conservation and documentation of the IRG collections, ensuring that both seeds and associated data remain accessible for global breeding efforts. This initiative highlights the crucial role of data in crop conservation and breeding, facilitated by platforms like Genesys and GRIN-Global Community Edition (GGCE). Through these systems, the global exchange of information on plant genetic resources, such as rice, contributes to improved food security and agricultural resilience.
This work is part of the Crop Trust's in-perpetuity agreement with IRRI, originally signed in 2018 and renewed in 2023 during the Global Crop Diversity Summit. This agreement ensures long-term support for the International Rice Genebank. The Crop Trust’s Endowment Fund provides sustainable financing to maintain this essential resource, helping IRRI continue its mission to develop resilient rice varieties to meet future food security challenges.
Categories: For The Press, For Partners, Genebanks, Rice, Climate Change