Status and Diversity of African Germplasm Collections Maintained at the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT)

One of the major objectives of the International Crops Research Institute for the Serni-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) is to act as a world repository for the genetic resources of its mandate crops: sorghi~mS,o t-gltirntb icolot.(L.)M ocnch: pearl millet, Petllliscrtrnt glatrc~rn(L~ .) R. Br.; chickpea, Ciccr nr-ietittirnl L.; pigeonpea, Cc~jjcrttirsc ajntl (L.)M ill.: and groundnut, Arachis Ilypognen L.. The Institute also assembles and conserves the gennplasm of six minor millets: finger millet; Ele~tsitlec ot.acatln (L.) Gaertn.; foxtail millet, Serai.ia irnlica (L.)P . Beauv.; proso millet, Pntlic~rnt sttntart.ettse Roth. ex Roem. & Schult.; barnyard nill let, Echinoclrloa species; and kodo millet, Pnspcilrrnl sc~+obicrrlntrrnL1. The usefulness of any world germplasm collection, such as the one assernbled at ICRISAT, depends largely on proper sampling from various agroclirnatic zones, the long-term safety and viability of the conserved material, the genetic diversity i t offers in both cultivated landraces and their wild relatives, the accessibility of healthy seed samples along with their passport and evaluation data, appropriate maintenance of the gerniplasm accessions to minimize genetic drift, and the availability of a simple, classified and retrievable documentation systen