Uzbek
Genebank Renovation Hailed as Partnership Success
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| Dr. Ravza Mavljanova,
Deputy Director of the Uzbek Research Institute
of Plant Industry, Tashkent, examines seed
samples in the newly renovated genebank |
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The ribbon was cut on a newly renovated genebank at the
Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industry, Tashkent,
Uzbekistan. Dr. Sherali Nurmatov, Deputy Minister of Agriculture
and Director General of the Uzbek Scientific Production
Center for Agriculture, formally opened the facility.
The genebank was established in 1924 by well-known Russian
collector and academician Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov (1887-1943).
The facility has seen good and bad times since then, but
its collections faced the biggest risk after the breakdown
of the former Soviet Union.
Recognizing the value and unique nature of the genetic
resources, ICARDA, in partnership with the U.S. Department
of Agriculture (USDA), Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR), IPGRI, and the national
agricultural research system, has worked closely with
the institute to plan for and secure funding to upgrade
the facility. The genebank has a cool chamber with backup
generator for medium-term storage. Some used equipment,
such as germinators, balances and refrigerators, has also
been repaired and installed, and 20,000 plastic bottles
for storage of seeds have been provided. The speedy renovation
of the genebank was supported by USDA. ICARDA and ACIAR
continue to support the Institute’s efforts by providing
computers and training, and participating in plant collection
missions.
“The facility has come up exceedingly well and now
looks quite modern and functional,” said Dr Raj Paroda,
Coordinator of ICARDA’s Central Asia and Caucasus
(CAC) Regional Program. Dr Paroda is also Head of the
Facilitation Unit of the CGIAR Program for CAC.
The inauguration of the facility was covered in the Uzbek
media.
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