A backup set of the IRG collection is stored in sealed boxes at the National Seed Storage Laboratory of the United States Department of Agriculture at Fort Collins, Colorado. Only IRRI can open the boxes. Managing the IRG requires meticulous attention to an infinite number of details. Accuracy is extremely important to ensure that we deliver the correct seeds. When it comes to rice's wild relatives, many have special needs.
Different species require different cultural practices.
Oryza granulata and Oryza meyeriana , for example, need partial shading and special soils because they grow in forests, whereas most other spe cies need to be kept soaked because they're from swamps. IRRI maintains these populations and many others in a large screenhouse that holds more than 3,000 potted wild rice specimens. A Complement to Genebanks Genebanks are not the only way to conserve rice genetic diversity. To date, however, surprisingly little scientific input has gone into on-site design and management of genetic resources. Today, few wild species are being conserved on-site.