Conserving and providing access to plant genetic resources (PGR) is essential for food and nutrition security, as well as agricultural sustainability and resilience. PGR are a vital reservoir of diversity needed to develop crops that withstand climate change, pests and diseases. By making them accessible, we support innovation in agriculture and ensure the sustainability of food production systems.

ECPGR’s initiative AEGIS (A European Genebank Integrated System) aims to preserve unique European PGR through a decentralized collection, guided by the AEGIS Quality System (AQUAS) and made available via SMTA (Standard Material Transfer Agreement). Its goals include enhancing the quality, safety and sustainability of conservation through efficient management at a regional level, including improved access to data and materials, and the development of genebank standards and monitoring tools. Despite progress, as indicated by its large membership and increasing inclusion of accessions in the European collection, AEGIS’s full potential is limited by incomplete transparency and standardization among member institutions.

In addition, many international projects have generated valuable characterization and evaluation data on European PGR accessions, but they are often dispersed across databases and publications. To enhance research and breeding, this data should be centrally stored in EURISCO, the European PGR catalogue and the material enter AEGIS. Centralizing phenotypic data will improve access and add value to material for future use.

A new project – ‘Reinforcement of the AEGIS Quality System and EURISCO data coverage’ or ‘New AEGIS’ in short – is set to reverse that. Funded by the German Federal Office for Agriculture and Food, this project aims to strengthen AEGIS by improving quality and transparency in AEGIS Associate Member genebanks through the preparation of genebank manuals, publication of Standard Operating Procedures, development of agreed genebank metrics, and peer support. The project will reinforce EURISCO by including dispersed phenotypic data from previous European projects.

The expected outcomes of the project include:

• AEGIS Associate Members are more aware of AEGIS principles, improving genebank operations and access to the European Collection
• At least 20 new operational genebank manuals are created
• All manuals are reviewed, providing an overview of current practices and recommendations for improvement
• Three crop-specific genebank standards are developed
• Five to ten Associate Members agree to publish their Standard Operating Procedures in English
• A list of genebank metrics is drafted by pilot genebanks, and prepared for publication
• Characterization and evaluation data for various crops are integrated into EURISCO
• Six reciprocal genebank review visits are completed, with reports published online.

To learn more, visit the project page