Current status of DOA Genebank Thailand in plant genetic resource conservation and utilization in the year 2019

Abstract

© 2020 International Society for Horticultural Science. All rights reserved. The conservation of plant genetic diversity is an assurance for national food security and Thailand is responsible for the conservation of plant germplasm. At present, the DOA Genebank stores seed samples totaling 184 kinds of plants and 32,917 accessions. The collected seeds are mainly rice, soybean, groundnut, mungbean, cotton, blackgram, flowers, vegetables, etc. In the year 2014 to 2019, service for seed utilization is 4,270 accessions mostly for researchers in government sector, academic institutes, and farmers. Nowadays, the DOA genebank is one part of the National Plant Genetic Resources Center (NPGRC) which is the harmonized integrated project under the collaboration among 17 organizations in order to conserve plant genetic resources (PGR) diversity and provide the plant genetic database of Thailand. DOA Genebank had an internationally collaboration with other countries which included 1) the Rural Development Administration (RDA) of South Korea for the Asian Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI) and 14 member countries, 2) the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement (JTEPA) and DOA Genebank with the National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO) of Japan, and 3) the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) with Thailand-Sweden Joint Project (NordGen-DOA). These international collaborations aimed to achieve the goal of zero hunger in the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).