India is establishing a second crop gene bank in Keylong, Himachal Pradesh, to bolster its agricultural biodiversity and ensure long-term food security. This initiative, announced under the Union Budget 2025-26 with the theme "Investing in Innovations," aims to conserve 1 million crop germplasm samples. The gene bank will protect indigenous crop varieties and strengthen food resilience. The Indian government is investing ₹500 crore in this project.
What is a Gene Bank?
A gene bank is a facility that preserves genetic material, including seeds, pollen, and tissue samples. These repositories safeguard plant species from extinction and preserve biodiversity for future agricultural advancements. Gene banks are crucial for ex situ conservation, which is vital for sustainable growth and development, as highlighted by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC).
Why Keylong?
The selection of Keylong in Himachal Pradesh as the location for the second gene bank is strategic. The high-altitude, cold climate of the region provides a natural environment for long-term preservation of plant genetic resources. This location complements the existing National Gene Bank in New Delhi, which is facing increasing pressure due to the growing need for germplasm conservation.
The Need for a Second Gene Bank
India's first National Gene Bank, located at the ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in New Delhi, holds 471,561 accessions from 2,157 species and is recognized as the second-largest gene bank in the world. However, with climate change, biodiversity loss, and increasing food demand, the need for expanded conservation efforts has become critical. The second gene bank will significantly increase India's capacity to conserve a wider variety of plant germplasm.
The new facility will have the capacity to conserve 10 lakh crop germplasm, making it the largest initiative of its kind in India. This will further cement India's position as a global leader in biodiversity conservation, ensuring that future generations have access to vital crop varieties for food production, nutrition enhancement, and climate adaptation.
India's Existing Conservation Efforts
India already has a permafrost gene bank in Chang La, Ladakh, at an altitude of 17,585 feet. Temperatures in this region range from -4°C to -40°C, with humidity below 20%, providing optimal conditions for long-term seed conservation. This gene bank, commissioned in 2010, stores over 5,000 seed samples of vegetables and high-altitude crops. India also contributes to the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway, often referred to as the "doomsday vault".
Focus on Cryopreservation
Cryopreservation, the storage of biological materials at ultra-low temperatures in liquid nitrogen, is a viable solution for conserving non-orthodox seeds, pollen, and dormant buds that cannot be stored in traditional genebanks. The National Cryogenebank Facility at ICAR-NBPGR, established in 1987, is a pioneer in developing cryopreservation techniques for plant genetic resources. This facility can hold a quarter of a million samples and uses species-specific protocols to conserve rare, threatened, and endangered plant species, wild crop relatives, and genetic stocks.
The Way Forward
The establishment of the second National Gene Bank is a significant step towards preserving genetic diversity and promoting sustainable agricultural practices. This initiative will strengthen India's efforts to ensure food security and nutritional self-sufficiency in the face of future challenges.
