- Gene bank
Gene banks are a means of preserving
genetic material , be it plant or animal. Inplants , this could be freezing cuts from the plant, or theseed s themselves. In animals, this is the freezing ofsperm and eggs in zoological freezers until further need. In plants, it is possible to unfreeze the material and propigate it, however, in animals, a living female is required forartificial insemination . While it is often difficult to utilize frozen animal sperm and eggs, there are many examples of it being done successfully.In an effort to conserve
Agricultural biodiversity , gene banks are used to store and conserve the plant genetic resources of major crop plants and theircrop wild relatives . There are many gene banks all over the world, with theSvalbard Global Seed Vault being probably the most famous one.External links
* [http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Themes/Genebanks/index.asp Genebanks]
* [http://igb.agri.gov.il/ Israel Gene Bank]
* [http://www.ecpgr.cgiar.org/AEGIS/AEGIS_home.htm A European Genebank Integrated System]Multimedia
* [http://www.diverseeds.eu/uploads/media/Diverseeds_Genebank_Israel.mp4 Short DIVERSEEDS video about the Israeli Gene Bank]
Other References
* cite book
author=Ellis, R.H., T.D. Hong and E.H. Roberts
date=1985
title=Handbook of Seed Technology for Genebanks Vol. II: Compendium of Specific Germination Information and Test Recommendations
publisher=IBPGR (now Bioversity International). Rome, Italy
url=http://www.bioversityinternational.org/publications/Web%5Fversion/52/
* cite book
author= Engels, J.M.M. and L. Visser, editors.
date=2003
title=A Guide to Effective Management of Germplasm Collections
publisher= CABI, IFPRI, IPGRI, SGRP
url=http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/pubfile.asp?ID_PUB=899 174 p.
* cite book
author=Kameswara, N., J. Hanson, M. E. Dulloo, K. Ghosh, A. Nowell and M. Larinde.
date=2006
title=Manual of Seed Handling in Genebanks
publisher=Bioversity International, CTA (Technical Center for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation), FAO, ILRI
url=http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/pubfile.asp?ID_PUB=1167 147 p.
* cite book
author= Koo, B., Pardey, P. G., Wright, B. D., et al.
date=2004
title=Saving Seeds
publisher= CABI, IFPRI, IPGRI, SGRP
url=http://www.bioversityinternational.org/Publications/1013/default.asp
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.