Nepal is a country rich in biodiversity. Despite covering only 0.1% of the Earth’s land, it holds a significant number of plant genetic resources (PGRs) including edible plants, making it a leader in flora diversity. The country’s unique eco-physiographical diversity, with gradients ranging from 60 m above sea level (m asl) to the summit of Mount Everest at 8848.86 m asl, supports the evolution and maintenance of a wide range of PGRs. For conservation and sustainable utilization of these genetic resources, the National Agriculture Genetic Resources Center (NAGRC), also known as the “Nepal Gene Bank,” primarily uses ex situ and on-farm conservation approaches managing seed banks, tissue banks, and field gene banks. On-farm conservation through community seed banks, the establishment of field gene banks in research centers, government farms and schools, registration of farmers’ varieties, and expanding gene banks cover all components of agrobiodiversity including crop, livestock, aquatic species, forages, insects, and microbes and are notable conservation and utilization models in Nepal. However, the utilization of local agro-biodiversity, particularly PGRs in research and development, has yet to reach its full potential for food and nutrition security. Therefore, in this chapter, we introduce conservation practices for PGRs primarily adopted by the Nepal Gene Bank and its partner organizations, along with other stakeholders dedicated to conservation. We highlight model conservation practices, present the utilization status of PGRs, and discuss prospects for the comprehensive conservation and utilization of all components of agrobiodiversity in the country.

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Nepal Gene Bank

  • Ram Prasad Mainali,
  • Krishna Hari Ghimire,
  • Pradip Thapa,
  • Mukunda Bhattarai,
  • Ajaya Karkee,
  • Padma Pokhrel,
  • Bal Krishna Joshi

摘要

Nepal is a country rich in biodiversity. Despite covering only 0.1% of the Earth’s land, it holds a significant number of plant genetic resources (PGRs) including edible plants, making it a leader in flora diversity. The country’s unique eco-physiographical diversity, with gradients ranging from 60 m above sea level (m asl) to the summit of Mount Everest at 8848.86 m asl, supports the evolution and maintenance of a wide range of PGRs. For conservation and sustainable utilization of these genetic resources, the National Agriculture Genetic Resources Center (NAGRC), also known as the “Nepal Gene Bank,” primarily uses ex situ and on-farm conservation approaches managing seed banks, tissue banks, and field gene banks. On-farm conservation through community seed banks, the establishment of field gene banks in research centers, government farms and schools, registration of farmers’ varieties, and expanding gene banks cover all components of agrobiodiversity including crop, livestock, aquatic species, forages, insects, and microbes and are notable conservation and utilization models in Nepal. However, the utilization of local agro-biodiversity, particularly PGRs in research and development, has yet to reach its full potential for food and nutrition security. Therefore, in this chapter, we introduce conservation practices for PGRs primarily adopted by the Nepal Gene Bank and its partner organizations, along with other stakeholders dedicated to conservation. We highlight model conservation practices, present the utilization status of PGRs, and discuss prospects for the comprehensive conservation and utilization of all components of agrobiodiversity in the country.