What is Germplasm??

What is Germplasm?

Germplasm refers to the living genetic resources—such as seeds, tissues, or whole plants—that are preserved for the purpose of plant breeding, conservation, and research. It contains the hereditary material (DNA) that passes desirable traits from one generation to the next. Germplasm is the foundation of agricultural development because it helps scientists and farmers conserve biodiversity and improve crop varieties for higher yield, nutrition, and climate resilience.

Types of Germplasm

1. Seed Germplasm

   • Consists of seeds collected from different crop varieties and wild relatives.

   • Most common and widely used form of germplasm because seeds are easy to store, transport, and regenerate.

   • Example: Rice seeds, wheat seeds, maize seeds stored in seed banks.

2. Vegetative Germplasm

   • Includes plant parts such as cuttings, tubers, bulbs, rhizomes, or tissue culture samples.

   • Used for crops that do not produce viable seeds or are propagated vegetatively.

   • Example: Potato tubers, sugarcane cuttings, banana suckers.

3. In vitro Germplasm

   • Plant tissues or cells preserved under laboratory conditions in controlled environments, often in nutrient media.

   • Useful for long-term conservation of plants that are difficult to maintain in the field.

   • Example: Tissue-cultured banana, orchids, and medicinal plants.

4. Cryopreserved Germplasm

   • Genetic material stored at ultra-low temperatures (usually in liquid nitrogen at -196°C).

   • Ensures long-term preservation of viability and genetic integrity.

   • Example: Pollen grains, embryos, or tissue samples of crops like rice and maize.

5. DNA Germplasm

   • Extracted DNA stored for future genetic studies and molecular breeding.

   • Helps in gene discovery, marker-assisted selection, and biotechnology research.

   • Example: DNA libraries of rice, wheat, and jute.

Examples of Germplasm Conservation Centers

• International:

  • Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Norway) – The world’s largest seed storage facility.

  • International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) – Conserves over 130,000 rice varieties.

• Bangladesh:

  • Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) – Maintains germplasm for vegetables, fruits, and cereals.

  • Bangladesh Rice Research Institute (BRRI) – Holds large collections of rice germplasm.

  • Plant Genetic Resources Centre (PGRC), BARI – National facility for conserving crop genetic diversity.

✅ In summary: Germplasm is the lifeline of agricultural biodiversity. By conserving it in different forms—seeds, vegetative parts, in vitro tissues, or cryogenic storage—we safeguard our ability to develop better crops that can feed the world sustainably.