At present database for rice genebank maintained at MARDI called Rice Genebank Information System (RGBIS) (Abdullah, 2003) have been developed. It was a relational database developed using Microsoft Access which is actually a modified version of MARDIGEN developed earlier using Dbase III that followed the format of International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) genebank. The RGBIS can facilitate two subsystems namely on documentation of the accessions and seed management. Information on seeds management includes quantity of seeds stored, tray number, age, tested date, germination rate, etc. The information helps the genebank manager to easily locate and track the accession in the genebank.
The RGBIS is currently under review with the availability of funding from Global Crop Diversity Trust. With the advantages and added features of International Crop Information System (ICIS) the rice genebank databases would be deployed for incorporation into the system. This project is again carried out with the collaboration of IRRI. The core of ICIS is it is a relational database structure that store data on plant genetic resources, pedigrees, field and laboratory evaluations, and auxiliary data on locations, institutions and people. It is expected
that with the project completion, rice genebank information in both MARDI and IRRI could be accessible via www (World Wide Web) (Tosiah and Mohd. Shukor, 2005).
Information pertaining to other crops beside rice is being developed by MARDI under the Agrobiodiversity Information System project (Tosiah, et. al. 2006).
Conclusion
There exists a wealth of plant genetic resources in Malaysian flora. Considerable efforts have been initiated to conserve many of the PGFRA. Extensive conservation of genetic accessions has been established in field genebanks for some of the major fruit types.
Seed genebanks have been established for the conservation of rice and other orthodox-seed type of crops. Despite the availability of designated forest land gazetted as protected areas, there is a need for more concerted effort to collect and conserve more crop species encompassing wild accessions, land races and adapted ecotypes before they are lost.
Emphasis in collecting a wider range of diversity within species should be attempted. There is also a need for more effort on the characterization and evaluation of PGRFA. This will allow their potential to be realized before further utilization can be effected.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to express their gratitude to the Director General of MARDI for permission to present this paper. They are also very grateful to Food and Fertilizer Technology Center (FFTC) for the Asian and Pacific Region, Taiwan for making the presentations possible.
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