ICAR-NBPGR Bridging Science and Service (2012-2018) Editorial Team: Kavita Gupta, Sunil Archak, K Pradheep, Sandeep Kumar, Sherry R Jacob, Vandana Tyagi, Mukesh Kumar Rana, Sandhya Gupta, Jyoti Kumari, Gurinderjit Randhawa and Kuldeep Singh ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Pusa Campus, New Delhi- 110 012 Published by : The Director ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Pusa Campus, New Delhi-110 012 Citation : Kavita Gupta, Sunil Archak, K. Pradheep, Sandeep Kumar, Sherry R. Jacob, Vandana Tyagi, Mukesh Kumar Rana, Sandhya Gupta, Jyoti Kumari, Gurinderjit Randhawa and Kuldeep Singh (2019). ICAR-NBPGR Bridging Science and Service (2012-2018). ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, India, 74 p. ©ICAR-NBPGR, 2019 ISBN No. 978-81-937111-3-2 All the researchers who have contributed information to this publication are duly acknowledged. This report includes unprocessed or semi-processed data, which would form the basis of scientific papers in due course. The material contained in the report, therefore, may not be made use of without the written permission of the Director, ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi except for quoting it for scientific reference. Printed at : Malhotra Publishing House B-6, DSIDC Complex, Kirti Nagar, New Delhi - 110 015 Phone: 011-41420246 E-mail: [email protected] CONTENTS 1. Establishment and Growth of NBPGR 1 2. Plant Genetic Resources Management Network 5 3. Focused Augmentation of Germplasm 8 4. Conserving Diversity for Today and Tomorrow 15 5. Safeguarding Agriculture from Exotic Pests 17 6. Enhancing Germplasm Utilization 21 7. Genomics for PGR 30 8. Advancing PGR Science 33 9. Patents, Technologies and Commercialization 46 10. Contributions to the Varietal Development Programme 48 11. Capacity Building, Linkages & Policy 51 12. Mobilizing External Funding Support 57 13. Future Thrusts 58 Annexure I : Trait-specific Accessions Identified under Multi-location Evaluation 59 Annexure II : Trait-specific Accessions Identified under CRP on Agrobiodiversity 62 Annexure III : Germplasm Accessions Identified as Promising against Various Biotic Stresses 65 Annexure IV : Varieties Released using Indigenous Germplasm supplied by ICAR-NBPGR 67 Annexure V : Indian Varieties Developed using Exotic Material Introduced 70 by ICAR-NBPGR Annexure VI : Trait-specific Germplasm Identified and Registered 73 1. ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH OF NBPGR he National Bureau of Plant Genetic level for acquisition and management Resources (ICAR-NBPGR) was of indigenous and exotic plant genetic Testablished by the Indian Council of resources (PGR) for agriculture, and to carry Agricultural Research (ICAR) in 1976 with its out related research and human resources headquarters at New Delhi. The chronology development for sustainable growth of of events leading to the present day NBPGR agriculture. dates back to 1905 when Botany Division The Bureau is also vested with the authority was established under the then Imperial to issue Import Permit and Phytosanitary Agricultural Research Institute. Certificate and conduct quarantine checks in seed material and vegetative A Chronology of Evolution of propagules (including transgenic material) NBPGR introduced from abroad or exported for 1905 Botany Division, Imperial Agricultural research purposes. Besides having a 40 ha Research Institute experimental farm at Issapur village (about 45 km west of Pusa Campus, New Delhi), 1946 Plant Introduction Scheme, Botany the Bureau has a strong national network Division, IARI comprising Regional Stations/ Base Centres 1956 Plant Introduction and Exploration and ICAR Institutes/ SAUs that provides Organization, IARI access to representative agro-ecological 1961 Plant Introduction Division, IARI situations in the country. 1976 National Bureau of Plant Introduction Growth of NBPGR 1977 National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) activities in India were initiated as early as 1910 by Late ICAR-NBPGR has been given the mandate Dr. Albert Howard who was then involved to act as a nodal institute at the national in collection of wheat germplasm. Later Dr. The Vice-President Dr K.R. Narayanan and Ms. Woteki at the inauguration ceremony Inauguration of the ICAR-NBPGR Genebank by the Vice-President of India Dr KR Narayanan in 1996 ICAR-NBPGR : Bridging Science and Service (2012 - 2018) 1 Harbhajan Singh, gave a distinct identity divisions were fixed in order to streamline to germplasm exploration, collection and and systematize the PGR activities. maintenance in India. The PGR introduction The AICRP on Underutilized and Under and exchange programme started in a Exploited Plants was initiated in 1982 systematic manner with the initiation of by ICAR with the objectives to carry out the Plant Introduction Section in Botany systematic research on lesser known crops Division of Imperial Agricultural Research of future. This has been renamed as AICR Institute, New Delhi in 1946. It was further Network on Potential Crops in 2012. Plant strengthened into a full-fledged Plant exploration and collection activities were Introduction and Exploration Organization further systematized from 1976-1984, in 1956. With the setting up of a number through both multicrop/ region-specific of All India Crop Improvement Projects and crop-specific surveys. Germplasm and State Agricultural Universities (SAUs) evaluation activities were carried out at the in the Country, PGR activity increased Bureau’s Issapur farm as well as its regional manifold and hence, this organization stations. As the collection and exchange was upgraded to an independent Division of germplasm progressed, the need for of Plant Introduction of IARI in 1961. a safe repository to conserve the seeds The enormous contribution made by this of crop germplasm and their wild/ weedy Division under the stewardship of late Dr. relatives was strongly felt. Consequently, Harbhajan Singh led to the establishment an on-site double storeyed cold storage of an independent institute exclusively module with British technical assistance dealing with PGR activities. was installed in 1983 and a total of 30,000 seed accessions of various crops were In 1976, the Plant Introduction Division transferred to this module, maintained functioning as a unit in IARI, was elevated at 4°C. to the status of an independent National Bureau of Plant Introduction later The next decade from 1986-1995 was rechristened as National Bureau of Plant highly important in the growth of the Bureau Genetic Resources (NBPGR). NBPGR as during this period, the international through its various incarnations has played collaborations and infrastructural facilities a distinctive and significant role in crop were strengthened manifold. ICAR-NBPGR improvement and diversification in India received greater impetus and attained through its untiring efforts in augmenting global recognition during this period. genetic diversity, indigenously and from The coveted INDO-USAID PGR Project exotic sources. Bureau’s key role was became operational in the year 1988. After to assist the All India Coordinated Crop developing the repository for conventional Improvement Projects (AICRPs) operative seed storage, the need for complementary at ICAR research institutes, SAUs and other conservation strategies such as in vitro organizations by making the germplasm of and cryo-storage for the maintenance and various crop species available to breeders conservation of clonally propagated and and other researchers. With enhanced difficult- to- store recalcitrant seed species PGR management responsibilities at the was realized. Subsequently, a full-fledged national level, NBPGR organized itself into in vitro and cryopreservation facility was four distinct Divisions, viz., Germplasm established in 1986 with the support of Exploration, Plant Quarantine, Germplasm the Department of Biotechnology, Govt. Evaluation and Germplasm Conservation of India and the Unit was named as the and into two units, viz., Germlasm Exchange National Facility for Plant Tissue Culture and Tissue Culture & Cryopreservation. The Repository (NFPTCR). During this period responsibilities and the mandates of the the exchange activities greatly increased 2 ICAR-NBPGR : Bridging Science and Service (2012 - 2018) and the Bureau entered into several joint the cryobank facility with a storage protocols/ MoUs /bilateral agreements capacity of quarter million samples of seed, with foreign countries/ agencies on pollen, or in vitro germplasm. The National reciprocal exchange basis. Alongside, the Genebank consisted of one medium- conservation facilities were also enhanced term and 12 long-term storage modules and four cold storage modules were installed with an enhanced storage capacity of one and the storage capacity was increased million seed accessions. In the wake of the to 0.2 million accessions. Another Indo- developments on IPR under the WTO, it UK Project, was also implemented during became essential to document the valuable this period which mainly strengthened germplasm. Consequently, registration the conservation facilities at the regional of plant germplasm was considered a stations. These two collaborative projects priority in the national interest and hence resulted in the development of state-of-art ICAR constituted a Plant Germplasm laboratories at ICAR-NBPGR. During this Registration Committee at ICAR-NBPGR period, some of the crop-based institutes/ for registration of potentially valuable State Agricultural Universities