- India wants stronger germplasm exchanges with Central and Southeast Asian countries.
- NABMGR says crop and livestock genetics are key to climate resilience.
- The board is pushing better use of conserved germplasm in breeding programmes.
National Advisory Board on Management of Genetic Resources (NABMGR) chairman Dr R.S. Paroda said India should strengthen international collaboration to facilitate access to valuable genetic resources and reinforce existing agreements with partner countries.
In particular, Paroda proposed that India should strengthen collaboration with countries in Central and Southeast Asia.
Paroda called for strategic regional germplasm exchanges involving crops such as cotton, rambutan, avocado and mangosteen, as well as livestock such as sheep, supported by stronger use of existing memorandums of understanding (MoUs).
The remarks were made at the first meeting of the newly reconstituted Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (ICAR-NABMGR) in New Delhi on July 29
They come as countries increasingly look to genetic diversity to help agriculture adapt to climate change, emerging pests and diseases, and evolving market demands.
The board, which was first established by the ICAR in 2011 before being reconstituted this year, brings together experts and key stakeholders to work on national policies and strategies on agrobiodiversity.
Better use of conserved germplasm
Alongside international cooperation, the board discussed measures to strengthen conservation and utilisation of agricultural genetic resources domestically.
Paroda also called for greater use of conserved germplasm and wild relatives in breeding programmes, signalling a stronger focus on converting national genetic collections into climate-resilient agricultural outcomes.
India’s genetic diversity across crops, livestock, fish, microbes and insects should be treated as a strategic national asset, he said.
He urged national genetic resources bureaus to align conservation activities with emerging priorities in crop, livestock and fisheries improvement.
NABMGR Board members called for enhancements to the pre-breeding programmes, identification of unexplored regions for germplasm collection over the next five years to 2031 and improvements to collaboration among ICAR’s national genetic resources bureaus.
The board also endorsed a proposal for an inter-institutional programme aimed at mainstreaming traditional and underutilised crop varieties, animal breeds, fish species, microorganisms and insects.
Dr M.L. Jat, Secretary of the Department of Agricultural Research and Education and Director General of ICAR, added that genetic resource management should be more closely integrated with advances in soil science, digital agriculture and crop improvement.
He stressed that identifying crop accessions best suited to specific soil types and agro-ecological regions would accelerate the development of climate-resilient and location-specific production systems.
