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Centro Internacional de Agricultura Tropical
(CIAT)
“CIAT is a not-for-profit organization that conducts
socially and environmentally progressive research
aimed at reducing hunger and poverty and preserving
natural resources in developing countries.”
CIAT’s headquarters are in Cali, Colombia and it has
a number of regional offices worldwide. It is one of
the 15 international agricultural research centres
supported by the Consultative Group on International
Agricultural Research (CGIAR).
Mission
“To reduce hunger and poverty in the tropics through
collaborative research that improves agricultural
productivity and natural resource management”
Go to
CIAT’s website.
Genetic resource activities
“CIAT operates a
large, state-of-the-art plant gene bank—the Genetic
Resources Unit (GRU)—at its headquarters in Cali,
Colombia. Three additional sites in the country
provide seed multiplication services to
systematically replenish the collection. The job of
the GRU is to safeguard the genetic diversity of
beans, cassava, forages, and their wild relatives
through a mix of conservation methods, both in
situ (in a natural outdoor habitat) and ex
situ (in the controlled environment of a gene
bank). This work is essential to global agriculture,
food security, and the R&D efforts that support
them.
Among the GRU's activities are research to
improve conservation methods (including ways to
minimize risks to the collection); screening
germplasm for disease and certifying it; duplicating
materials in the collection; collecting or otherwise
acquiring novel materials; recording passport,
characterization and evaluation data for accessions
in the collection; and conducting training courses.
The GRU's collections
contain 60,000 accessions (samples of seeds and
other reproductive plant materials), mostly
unimproved landraces. Representing 720 species, this
germplasm is documented in our bean, cassava, and
forage databases, from which users can generate
reports on selected accessions in the collections.
Every year, CIAT distributes genetic material of
5,000 to 6,000 accessions in response to requests
from around the world.”
“The GRU also provides advice, expertise, and
training in genetic conservation as a support to
national research programs in the region.”
Find out more about
CIAT's Genetic Resources Unit.
Inter-Centre Working Group on Genetic Resources
Each of the CGIAR Centres has a representative on
the Inter-Centre Working Group on Genetic Resources,
SGRP’s steering committee. The Committee sets the
strategy and priorities for SGRP and meets annually
to review its workplan.
To find out who is CIAT’s representative, please go
to our
Contacts page. |
The CGIAR System
Africa Rice Center (WARDA)
Bioversity International
CIAT
CIFOR
CIMMYT
CIP
ICARDA
ICRISAT
IFPRI
IITA
ILRI
IRRI
IWMI
World Agroforestry Centre
WorldFish Center
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