Banana field gene bank inaugurated

A field gene bank of banana, established at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB) in Tiruchi under an initiative of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority, was inaugurated on Monday.

The gene bank was established under a new project for maintenance of crop varieties registered with the Authority. The NRCB has been sanctioned ₹18.50 lakh for three years for the maintenance of the gene bank. The main objective of the project is to collect and safeguard planting material from the breeders, including farmers.

The gene bank was inaugurated by Trilochan Mohapatra, Chairman, Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPVFRA), in the presence of its Registrar General Dinesh Kumar Agarwal and Assistant Director General for Fruits and Plantation Crops, ICAR, V.B.Patel and the Director of NRCB R.Selvarajan. A biodiversity fair -cum- farmers meet was organised as part of the event.