How can genomics-based germplasm characterisation strengthen India's agro-biodiversity conservation? Examine the institutional and legal framework.

Germplasm characterisation means identifying the useful traits held in seeds. A recent SKUAST-Kashmir study placed Kashmir's rice landraces on the global 3K rice panel of 3,010 genomes. It found that they still carry cold-tolerance genes that modern varieties have partly lost [1]. FAO estimates that 75% of crop diversity was lost between 1900 and 2000 [2]. Against that loss, genomics can turn conservation from passive storage into active use.

How genomics strengthens conservation

• Finding hidden value: genome mapping places regional landraces on global maps and reveals their unique adaptive genes, for example the East Asian lineage and cold tolerance of Kashmir rice [1].
• Smarter gene banks: DNA profiles flag duplicate samples and missing ones, so limited storage space goes to distinct accessions.
• Climate-resilient breeding: marker-assisted selection can move traits such as cold tolerance into high-yielding varieties, so farmers no longer have to choose between yield and diversity.
• Countering genetic erosion: the main cause of loss is farmers replacing local varieties with improved ones [3]. Proven landrace value justifies paying farmers to keep growing them.

Institutional framework

• ICAR-NBPGR's National Gene Bank, the world's second-largest, is the base of ex-situ conservation [4]. Budget 2025-26 announced a second gene bank for 10 lakh germplasm [5].
• SAUs and national consortia produce genomic data, for example a Himalayan rice genomics project that includes SKUAST-K [6].

Legal framework

• PPV&FR Act, 2001: recognises farmers as conservers. Its National Gene Fund pays for the Plant Genome Saviour Awards [7].
• Biological Diversity Act, 2002: regulates access to bio-resources and benefit-sharing through the National Biodiversity Authority.
• ITPGRFA: its Multilateral System gives easier access to listed crops in return for benefit-sharing [8].

Gaps

• Digital sequence information: once gene data is public, breeders can use a trait without the physical seed, which bypasses benefit-sharing. Global talks have not yet settled this.
• Low awareness: many farmers do not know about the PPV&FR Act, and registration is cumbersome [7].
• Fragmented data: genomic records are spread across ICAR, SAUs and research consortia.

Genomics turns India's seed heritage into knowledge that can be searched and used, but conservation lasts only if the farmers who keep these seeds share in the gains. Three steps would help: a national landrace genomic database linked to NBPGR, benefit-sharing rules for sequence data, and simpler PPV&FR registration. Together they would advance SDG Target 2.5 and secure India's genetic wealth for future generations.