Plant genetic resources are fundamental materials for crop improvement to enhance productivity and an insurance against unforeseen threats to agricultural production. Continuous advancement in crop improvement depends on discovery of new sources of genetic variation, accurate identification of lines with favorable traits, and their efficient and judicious use. Core collections (~10% of the entire collection) and mini core collections (~10% of the core or ~1% of the entire collection) have been suggested as a gateway to enhance utilization of germplasm. Using passport data, characterization and evaluation data, core and/or mini core collections have been developed in chickpea, groundnut, pigeonpea, pearl millet, sorghum, finger millet and foxtail millet at ICRISAT, Patancheru, India. Evaluation of these subsets has resulted in identification of new sources of genotypic variation. The concept and process of developing mini core collections has been recognized worldwide as an “International Public Good” (IPG). Many national programs have shown immense interest in evaluating mini core collections for identification of new sources of variation for use in crop improvement programs. To date, 84 sets of mini core of chickpea, groundnut, pigeonpea, sorghum, pearl millet, foxtail millet and finger millet have been supplied to researchers in 13 countries. Feedback revealed that researchers in national programs were able to identify new sources of variation for favorable traits, such as early maturity, resistance to pests and diseases, large seed size, and high grain yield. Seeds of mini core collections could be available to researchers globally for research and training purpose.
The aim of this report is to understand the status and management of genetic resources on ICRISAT(International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics) to promote exchange of germplasm and information. ICRISAT genebank at Patancheru, India has the responsibility to collect, conserve, characterize, document and distribute the genetic resources. Also, ICRISAT has performed the estimation of environment tolerance, disease resistance, and functional compounds of genetic resources. ICRISAT has assembled more than 120,000 accessions of chickpea, groundnut, pigeonpea, pearl millet, sorghum, and six small millets. Since 1974 to 2008, ICRISAT provided 1,350,000 accessions with 144 countries to develop new cultivars. The provision pattern of genetic resources in ICRISAT showed that more than 80 % of each crop by the total holdings resources had been offered and that it is the direction of the ideal conserve and management of genetic resources. To evaluate their genetic resources (chickpea, groundnut, pigeonpea, pearl millet, sorghum, and six small millets), they made descritors for each crop and investigated their germplasms. This report would be meaningful to understand utilization and effect of the germplasms to be held at ICRISAT.