Online seed catalogue users to reap genebank benefits

13 January 2023

The launch of a new online seed catalogue by the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) in Horsham is making the seeds that underpin the development of new crop varieties more accessible than ever.

Agriculture Victoria researcher and leader of the AGG Dr Sally Norton, said the genebank, which opened in 2014, is dedicated to preserving and making available plant genetic resources of grain crops that are valuable to Australia’s research and breeding industries.

“The catalogue will enhance the existing services of the genebank and give registered users all the expected benefits of a searchable database”.

“It gives people online shopping cart functionality, allowing them to search seed lines and request samples with a few simple mouse clicks,” she said.

Dr Norton said the seed catalogue is a Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) database system, which is a common software system used to manage information about seeds and plant tissue globally.

“Through our partnership with the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), AGG’s ultimate goal is to unlock the genetic potential of plant genetic resources for cereal, oilseed and pulse crops to underpin the development of high yielding, climate resilient crops that will benefit Australian grain growers”.

“The AGG currently stores more than 200,000 types of seed covering 1,250 species across 162 genera.

“The new online catalogue will allow interested parties to look up information about our seed stock and request them for research, breeding and training and educational purposes.

“Our collection includes both temperate and tropical cereals, legumes, oilseeds and other crop types. We also maintain historical information on the seed lines,” Dr Norton said.

To access the seed catalogue, simply visit the Australian Grains Genebank landing page on the Agriculture Victoria website.

Click on the button “Search our online seed catalogue” which will redirect the webpage visitor to the GRIN-Global database.

Catalogue users will need to register via a simple sign-up process to use the database.

The AGG is a partnership between the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and Agriculture Victoria, part of the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action.

Media contact: Anna Ferguson

Phone: 0499 540 475