THIS week NAREI in Focus will highlight the Plant Biotechnology and Genetic Resources Department. This department was created to enhance crop productivity through innovative research in plant biotechnology and on plant genetic resources. Additionally, devise new strategies for the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

What are our objectives?
* Collect plant genetic resources, identify threatened species, and establish manageable depositories for their security
* Implement a plant genetic resources management system to rationalise and standardise a procedure for cross-departmental channelling of plant genetic resources, management of gene bank depositories, and warehousing of data generated from applied research.
* Apply basic- and intermediate-level molecular techniques to plant DNA forensic and diagnostic research, and to the genetic characterisation and evaluation of some important crop and crop-related plant genetic resources.
* Develop standardised field techniques, procedures and protocols for genetic refinement and enhancement of crop species.
* Develop field procedures and protocols for field crop-depository maintenance, regeneration, and contamination prevention and control.
* Advise on procedures for the movement of high-risk species subject to phytosanitary and environmental regulations, as well as on the introduction of exotic crop species; inclusive of components and derivatives of artificially modified organisms.
* Improve the efficiency of plant tissue culture protocols to supply a high quality of tissue-cultured ‘seed clones’ to sustain farmer-managed secondary clonal ‘seed’

  WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR PROJECTS?
* Multiplication of BSD resistant plantain cultures from CARDI for field testing.
* Germplasm collection of ex situ and in vitro storage of domestic cassava and wild relatives.
* Optimisation of a protocol for micropropagation of pineapple plants.
* Strengthening tissue culture laboratory structures for the production of tissue culture materials in Guyana.
* In vitro micropropagation of quality sweet potato propagules.

HOW CAN THIS DEPARTMENT HELP YOU?
* Provide disease free and resistant planting materials to farmers for cultivation.
* Provide farmers with high yielding varieties of plantain, sweet potato, pineapple, cassava and coconut plants.