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In order for the genetic diversity held in genebanks to be of use to farmers, it must first be screened to identify traits such as resistance to pests and disease, and tolerance to heat or cold. Material with these traits can then be included in appropriate introduction and crop improvement programmes. The greater the number of accessions screened in this way, and the more uniform the standards for documenting of this data across collections, the greater the potential for identification and effective use of accessions with the highest promise for particular purposes.

The Trust is providing competitive grants to screen collections for the characteristics with the greatest potential for improvement and utilization of crop genetic resources, targeting traits of importance to the poor, in particular in the context of climate change. Both the material evaluated and the data generated will be publicly accessible.

Protocols for screening accessions are lacking for some important crops, and are outdated for others. The Trust is working with Bioversity International to update or establish characterization and evaluation standards for major crops. Standards developed to date are available here.

Award Scheme: Enhancing the Value of Crop Diversity in a World of Climate Change 3rd Call for Proposals is now closed. Awards will be announced in due course

Previous calls for proposals

For a list of grantees receiving awards in the first call for the 2008 awards - click here

For a list of grantees receiving awards in the second call for the 2009 awards - click here