Russia to spend 1.6 bln rubles on National Plant Genetic Resources Center to 2030

MOSCOW. Sept 20 (Interfax) - The Russian government has approved a program to develop the National Plant Genetic Resources Center (NPGRC) for 2023-2030 on which it plans to spend almost 1.6 billion rubles, according to an order signed by Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin.

The funding will be allocated under the government program for the National Technological Development of Russia.

The goal of the program is to create a national catalog of particularly valuable samples of plant genetic resources that will include existing collections of seeds and plant samples compiled by the country's research and educational institutions. It will be supplemented by plant samples found in the course of research expeditions.

The NPGRC will have to ensure that each sample included in the national catalog is deposited in the gene bank and kept secure according to the latest methods.

The national catalog will be built up in eight key categories: grains, grain legumes, corn and cereal crops, oil crops; potatoes, vegetables, fruit, berries and grapes, fodder grass and medicinal plants.

Experts for this project will be trained at the center, which will also develop educational and methodological materials for additional educational programs at post-secondary institutions.

The NPGRC was created by presidential decree in 2022 on the basis of the Vavilov All-Russian Plant Genetic Resources Institute. The same decree ordered the government to work out a program to develop the center.