National Tobacco Germplasm Resources Sub-platform Officially Inaugurated
Recently, the Tobacco Germplasm Resources Sub-platform of the National Crop Germplasm Resources Platform was officially inaugurated at the Tobacco Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. The platform has collected, introduced and conserved 1,225 accessions of tobacco germplasm resources from home and abroad, bringing the total number of tobacco germplasm resources in China to 5,267, further consolidating its internationally leading position.
The National Tobacco Germplasm Resources Sub-platform is an important component of the National Science and Technology Infrastructure Platform, which is in turn an important component of the national innovation system and a basic support system serving scientific and technological progress and innovation across society. Establishing and improving the science and technology infrastructure platform helps promote the efficient allocation and comprehensive utilization of scientific and technological resources throughout society, and is also a key element in building the scientific and technological innovation system.
Relying on the National Tobacco Medium-term Genebank and the China Tobacco Germplasm Resources Platform, construction of this platform began in 2003 and was basically completed in 2013. It has now established a scientific research system composed of four major systems: collection and conservation, identification and evaluation, germplasm innovation, and resource sharing, and has become a national-level basic, public-benefit and strategic platform for resource research, resource sharing, talent training and international exchange. During the platform's construction, it received support from basic research special programs of the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration.
According to reports, the platform has established a technical system for the propagation and regeneration of tobacco germplasm resources. A total of 4,767 accessions of tobacco germplasm were propagated and regenerated, rescuing a number of endangered and rare germplasm resources. A tobacco resource seed propagation and regeneration database was established. Images were collected for 4,480 accessions, including more than 22,500 images of plant architecture, leaf shape, flowers, inflorescences and capsules, supplementing and improving the image database, while also providing a solid material foundation and technical guarantee for distribution and utilization.