Plant Resources Center and the Vietnamese Genebank System

The highly diverse floristic composition of Vietnam has been recognized as a center of angiosperm radiation and crop biodiversity. The broad range of climatic environments include habitats from tropical and subtropical, to temperate and alpine flora. The human component of the country includes 54 ethnic groups. In 1986, the Botanical Resources Department was founded to preserve more than 1,000 accessions collected from Hong River Delta. This facility has now become the Plant Resources Center (PRC) of Hanoi, and has become the headquarters of the Vietnamese Genebank System. This system is responsible for preserving the country's plant resources. The PRC collects, preserves (ex situ and in situ), documents, assesses, and distributes genetic resources. It improves the efficiency of gene usage. The Vietnamese National Crop Genebank System preserves more than 23,000 accessions of 125 crop species as seed collections. The field genebank maintains more than 3,000 accessions of 30 species including sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), taro (Colocasia esculenta), yam (Dioscorea alata), cassava (Manihot esculentum), and ginger (Zingiber officinale). The in vitro genebank preserves 500 accessions of taro and yam. In addition, the PRC has characterized and evaluated plant genetic resources for agro-bio characteristics, pest and disease resistance, as well as tolerance to harsh climatic conditions. The PRC conducts genomic research of important crop species to directly support the utilization of plant genetic resources and has developed in situ preservation locations for tropical fruit crop such as longan (Dimocarpus longan) and guava (Psidium guiava). The PRC's data have been documented and entered into a local database. Annually, the PRC distributes between 500 and 1,000 accessions to domestic scientists and farmers. In summary, the PCR plays a key role in assuring food security and developing a stable agriculture in Vietnam.