By christelle.rabil@croptrust.org
a day ago

Continuing with its effort to include more national genebanks, Genesys welcomes INIA, Uruguay’s national genebank, as a new data provider.

The genebank at INIA La Estanzuela is a key national facility dedicated to the conservation of plant genetic resources in Uruguay. It seed storage infrastructure includes:

• A long-term base chamber at –20°C

• A drying chamber (20–23°C, 15–30% RH) essential for seed preparation

• Medium-term storage chambers (5–11°C, 50% RH) for viability over 5–10 years

• Backup power and alarm systems ensure seed security during power interruptions

Currently, the bank safeguards over 20,000 accessions from over 90 genera and 300+ species, including major crops like wheat (Triticum), barley (Hordeum), rice (Oryza), maize (Zea), and others like Trifolium, Lotus, and Medicago.

Beyond seeds, INIA maintains in vitro collections (horticultural, fruit, aromatic, and ornamental plants), field accessions of citrus and temperate fruits. The genebank also carries out activities to conserve native species like Pitanga, Arazá and Guayabo del País. Collections are distributed across several INIA experimental stations and are managed by breeding teams responsible for regeneration and characterization.

Equally important is that the genebank also stores passport and characterization data, including information on origin, morphological, and agronomic traits. This information is on its way to be made publicly accessible in Genesys soon, so stay tuned!