NARO Genebank
http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/

Genetic resources are a global heritage.
They are essential for sustainable development of human life.
All efforts are needed to conserve genetic resources
for future generations.

Dwindling genetic resources
Genetic resources are a human heritage. Biodiversity is essential for improving agricultural
crops and animals, as a source of medicines and other bioactive compounds and also helps
improve and protect the global environment.
However, environmental degradation and spread of a few popular varieties of crops and farmanimals has resulted in the loss of genetic diversity. This threatens the ability of humans toimprove future agriculture. Conservation of genetic resources for the well-being of humans in
the future is a global imperative.

The role of the NARO Genebank
The genebank project is a national project of Japan with responsibility for collecting,conserving, characterizing and distributing genetic resources related to food and agriculture.
These genetic resources include plants, microorganisms, animals including silkworm andDNA resources for agricultural research and use. The NARO Genebank has dispatchedresearchers to all parts of Japan and overseas to study and collect genetic resources. The
collected genetic resources have been classified, evaluated, multiplied and preserved.
Genetic resources in the public domain are distributed together with relevant information tousers for breeding, scientific studies including genome research and educational purposes.
These genetic resources are contributing to improvements in various agricultural products.

History
1903-6

Diverse rice landraces were systematically collected from various parts of Japan1953

Key breeding laboratories are founded for major crops

1966

Seed preservation facilities were constructed at the National Institute ofAgricultural Science located at Hiratsuka

1985

MAFF Genebank Project started as a national project, for plant,
microorganism and animal genetic resources

1993

DNA Bank started as a new section of the MAFF Genebank Project

2001

The project was renewed as the NIAS Genebank Project whennational agricultural research institutes were reorganized as
independent administrative organizations

NARO Genebank sites
札 幌盛Central bank

上 越

福 山
熊 本

Sub-banks forplant genetic resources

津善通寺

TsukubaSub-banks for
microorganism genetic resources
Sub-banks foranimal genetic resources

Central bank（National Agriculture and Food Research Organization）
Plant Section
Sub-banks
NARO1, JIRCAS2, and NLBC3

Microorganism Section

Animal Section

1 National Agriculture and Food Research Organization

DNA Section

Sub-banks
NARO and NLBC

Sub-banks
NARO and JIRCAS

Landraces, improved varieties, and Bacteria, fungi, yeasts and viruses
wild relatives of rice, wheat & barley, of plant pathogens or symbionts
pulses, fruit trees, vegetables, etc.
and for food processing
224,000 accessions
32,500 accessions

Liaison & Consultation Committee

Germplasm of landraces andRice, pig and silkworm DNA
modern varieties of cattle, pigs and909,000 clones
chickens, landraces and improved
varieties of silkworm, useful insects
and cultured cells derived frominsects
1900 accessions

2 Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences

3 National Livestock Breeding Center

International collaboration
NARO Genebank Project collaborates with Asian countries and several international organizations.
Training courses on plant genetic resources are held for foreign researchers at Central bank and otherrelated institutes and joint field expeditions are held in Asian countries under bilateral agreements.
Collaborative field study projects

Cooperation with international organizations

Thailand, Lao PDR, Cambodia,

Plant section:

Vietnam, Myanmar,

Microorganism section: ATCC, CBS, IMI, DSMZ, NRRL, WFCC

etc.

Animal section:

ILRI, RBST, AMBC

DNA section:

NCBI, DDBJ, EBI

Bioversity International, CG institutes

Genetic diversity
During the history of agriculture, humans have used various organisms and genetic diversity has
accumulated in them. The rapid spread of a few improved varieties, environmental destruction has
resulted in a loss of genetic diversity.
peabarleyfaba bean

soybeanmaizecabbagewheatonion

azuki bean

sweet potato

lettucecarrot

apple

rice

common bean

sugar beetgrape

Local breeds of chickens in Japan

TomaruHinaidori

Koeyoshi

Kinpa

potatosorghum

rice

tobaccobuckwheatchili pepper

coffeeeggplant

bananatomatookra

blackgramsugarcanegroundnut

finger millet

mango

taro

common bean

Tsushima-jidori

Centers of crop diversity
Kumamoto

Iwate-jidori

Satsumadori
Gifu-jidori

Tosakukin

Various colors and shapes of silkworm cocoon

Field study and exploration
Exploration and collection of genetic resources is an important
activity to conserve biological diversity. NARO Genebank emphasizes
activities to collect and introduce plant, microorganism and animalgenetic resources in collaboration with Japanese, foreign andinternational organizations.

Field study on wild rice in Papua New Guinea

Totenkou

NagoyaMikawaEvaluation
NARO Genebank identifies, classifies, characterizes and evaluates preserved genetic resources toexpand their utilization. For example, plant genetic resources are evaluated for morphological characters,
stress tolerance, and quality. Microorganism genetic resources are investigated for culture characteristics,
microscopic morphology, phytopathogenicity, and metabolic activity. DNA polymorphism is used toaccurately classify and understand of intraspecific differentiation.

Different races of rice blast pathogen have been isolated and conserved, which are used for studies
on blast resistance of rice in rice
breeding programs.
Blast resistant and susceptible varieties of rice in the field (upper)
and investigation of field resistancein blast nursery (lower).

A rice field damaged by rice blast(upper) and germinating conidia of
the pathogen (lower).

Provision of genetic resources and relevant in
Genetic resources databases have been built based on information collected during exploration,evaluation and conservation management in the NARO Genebank, and this useful information isavailable through the internet.

releaseEntry into the database

http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/

Conservation
NARO Genebank collections are conserved as active collections (short to medium term storage) andbase collections (long term storage).

Animal germ cells are preserved
for the long-term in liquid nitrogenat -196 °C.

Freeze-dried microorganisms are preserved in a sealed
glass ampoules.

Seed storage facilities for the active collection at -1 °C and 30%RH.

nformation
Genetic resources conserved in NARO Genebank are distributed for research and educational purposes.
Please search our web site, and send us your request online.

Available information and searches● Search for available genetic resources(plant, microorganism and animal)● Database of Plant Diseases in Japan●A list of DNA fragments● Image database of genetic resources(plant and animal)● Search for NIAS core collection (plant)

requestsearchdistribution
user
Preparation of seeds for distribution

Development of collections for diversity research
NARO Genebank is conducting genetic resources research and is developing collections for diversity
research and breeding.
NIAS Core Collection

Species diversity collection

mungbeanmoth beancreole bean

azuki bean

rice bean・Global Rice Core Collection
Only 69 rice accessions have been selected based on
DNA polymorphism from about 300 accessions thatwere chosen according to passport data out of morethan 30,000 accessions collected various parts of theworld.

black gram

Crop and its wild ancestor are shown in a box.

Development of Vigna species diversity collection isundertaken for understanding and using diversity of crop
wild relatives efficiently.

Approved Strains for Distribution

List of other available Core Collections:・Rice Core Collection of Japanese Landraces
・Maize Core Collection of Japanese Landraces
・Japanese Azuki bean Core Collection
・Japanese Wheat Core Collection
・Japanese Soybean Core Collection
・World Soybean Core Collection
http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/?ccol_e

Based on phylogeny of DNA sequence
data and phenotypic analyses in culture,
approved strains for distribution are being
selected. Reclassified sets of Japanesestrains of Fusarium, Colletotrichum andphytopathogenic Rhizobium (formerly Agrobacterium)
are ready for distribution.
http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/?mc_aprv_e

Institutions and facilities
Genetic resources management institutions

Bus stop(Norin Danchi Chuo)

stGenebank Building 1

Genebank1
Genebank3.Norin-Sakura

Kannondai2
Se edtioncapli
Multi
Facility
nentiara
Qu
Gre enhous e

Genebank2

Building
Farm ﬁeldParking

Genebank Building 2

Quarantine Greenhouse

Seed Multiplication Facility

Rice genetic resources introduced
from foreign countries are cultivatedin the quarantine greenhouse.

Some plant genetic resources arehardly multiplied in Japanese natural
condition. The facility enables suchplant genetic resources to multiply
with water culture, short-day treatment, etc.

The main institutions for conserving, distributing and information on genetic resources. Seed storage and cryopreservers of microorganisms and animal germ cells areinstalled. There are experimental laboratories for analyzing preserved genetic resources in these institutions.

Hokuto CampusLong-term Seed Storage（Genebank Building 3）

About 500 accessions of silkworm
genetic resources are conserved
and distributed to research institutes.
Located in Yamanashi Prefecture.

Seeds are securely stored for long-term in decompressed and hermetically sealed tin cans at -18°C.

Genetic Resources Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan
URL: http://www.gene.affrc.go.jp/(2016.4)