National Pasture Genetic Resource Centre (NPGRC)

Summary

Australia is a signatory to the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture for pasture and forage species. Under this treaty, Australia is required to maintain an updated store of genetic material for pasture plants used in this country, including both native and imported species.

The Australian National Pasture Genetic Resources Centre (NPGRC) is led by the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) as a centre to maintain Australia’s commitments to the treaty. The Centre combines relevant seed and data previously stored in significant state pasture and forage centres in NSW, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC and WA.

The NPGRC will strategically acquire, document, conserve and make available (domestically and internationally) genetic diversity of all plants important to agriculture in Australia other than crop or horticultural plants. This includes plants to be grown for livestock, crop rotations and the environment.

Objectives

This project supports the maintenance and expansion of the NPGRC. This includes:

• the efficient and high-standard acquisition, conservation and distribution of genetic resources
• improvements to the effectiveness and efficiency of germplasm introduction, storage, maintenance, phenotyping, genotyping and information management
• utilisation of pasture and forage genetic resources to the benefit of the national and international livestock and grain industries in line with Australia’s international obligations arising from treaties and moral rights of the originators of those resources.

Benefits to industry

Australia has been a major beneficiary from importation and improvement via breeding and utilisation of genetic resources in pasture and forages, and it is important to maintain this material and not have to reimport. This ensures that Australia has the necessary resources to support the sustainable growth of the red meat industry.

Related resources

National Pasture Genetic Resource Centre - transitional agreement

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture