About the Australian Grains Genebank
The Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) is the national bio-digital resource centre that provides facilitated and informed access to grain crop genetic resources to the Australian grains industry. The Australian Grains Genebank is custodian to one of the largest collections of grain crop species globally including cultivated, landrace and wild relative species of temperate and tropical crops.
The Australian Grains Genebank manages its germplasm in accordance with Australia’s obligation under the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) and is committed to facilitate widespread access to genetic resources for crop improvement aimed at the development of more resilient and productive grain crop varieties.
The Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) was opened in 2014 as a partnership between the Victorian Government and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), and has the mandate to acquire, conserve, maintain and distribute genetic resources to plant breeders and researchers to develop more resilient and productive grain crop varieties for the benefit of the Australian grains industry.
The Australian Grains Genebank is located at the Grains Innovation Precinct Horsham in the heart of the Wimmera cropping region.
Mandate and mission of the Australian Grains Genebank
The Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) mandate is to acquire, conserve, maintain, document, and distribute genetic resources to ensure the Australian grains industry has facilitated and informed access to the plant genetic resources it requires to sustain national productivity targets into the future through the development of climate-change resilient, high-yielding and high-value grain crop varieties for the enduring profitability of Australian grain growers.
The mission of the AGG is to utilise genomic and phenomic technologies to ensure germplasm is characterised to conserve maximum genetic diversity for each crop, improve curation efficiency and facilitate the informed selection of useful genetic variation and its use in research and breeding.
Core Genebank operations
The Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) operates to international best practice standards across every aspect of germplasm, from acquisition and conservation, to maintenance, documentation, and distribution. By harnessing cutting‑edge digital and genomic technologies, the AGG is transforming the way it understands and manages the rich genetic diversity within its collection. These innovations not only boost operational efficiency, but they also generate enriched, validated passport data that helps researchers and breeders’ pinpoint accessions with valuable traits. This insight directly supports pre‑breeding and breeding programs, accelerating the development of improved grain crop varieties for Australia.
Acquisition
The Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) acquires new seed lines, or germplasm, each year by importing from overseas, through deposits from Australian organisations, and through collecting missions targeting crop wild relatives from around Australia. Germplasm is sourced in accordance with stringent regulations including relevant phytosanitary/quarantine laws, and access and benefit sharing regulations.
Germplasm sourced internationally is imported into Australia following stringent biosecurity protocols mandated by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with all lines grown through an approved Plant Biosecurity Glasshouse to ensure pest- and pathogen-free seed lines enter the genebank, thereby safe-guarding the grains industry.
The Genebank adheres to all relevant access and benefit sharing regulations of the International Treaty of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, or alternative material transfer conditions from the source organisation. Domestic, or national, acquisitions are in accordance with relevant laws for genetic resources access, transgenic status, within Australia Biosecurity laws and other considerations as required.
All germplasm that enters the Genebank has relevant information loaded into the GRIN-Global database to improve its management and facilitate use by researchers and breeders. Data stored includes country of origin, taxonomy, name aliases, traits of interest, phenotyping data including morphological characteristics, organisation that donated the germplasm, and other evaluation and genetic data, as well as seed quantity and viability information.
Conservation and storage
All germplasm entering the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) is classed as orthodox which means it can be dried to low seed moisture and stored at subzero temperatures without killing the seed. At the AGG, seed is dried to 5-8% seed moisture content and sealed into airtight aluminium foil packets before being stored at -20°C.
When entering the Genebank, germplasm is stored as either short term (5 years), medium term (10 years) or long term (50 years plus) depending on the type of material it is. For examples, wild relative species, varieties (cultivars and traditional landraces) and core diversity sets for each crop will be stored for the long term, whilst breeding lines and identified genetic duplicates may be stored for the short or medium term. Under the Genebank cold storage conditions, most seed can survive for more than 50 years or more before losing its ability to grow.
Safety duplication of the Genebank collection is essential to ensure germplasm is not lost. All Genebank accessions are backed up in accordance with international best practice in the National Safety Duplication Facility, and in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.
Germplasm maintenance
The germination rate of each accession is tested prior to entering cold storage, with routine monitoring after 5, 10 or 20 years depending on the species to determine if the germination rate has declined. The seed is flagged for maintenance through the Genebank’s regeneration process when the germination rate declines to less than 85% of the original rate and the number of seed stored in the Genebank is below the set criteria for each species.
Regeneration, or the grow out, of accessions to generate new seed with high germination and seed quantity is performed under field or controlled greenhouse/glasshouse conditions. The environment (soil type, temperature, irrigation rate, and light) where plants are grown is matched to the requirements of each plant species to ensure healthy plant growth and good seed set, with appropriate pollination control to ensure the genetic integrity of each accession is preserved.
During regeneration, the Genebank records plant characteristics for quality assurance purposes (in accordance with international best practice protocols) and to increase the amount and reliability of trait information available for each accession in order to facilitate its use in research and breeding.
Distribution
The Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) responds to all requests for germplasm by the grains industry. Small quantities of seed are supplied for research, breeding, training and education practices in accordance with relevant international and national policies. The AGG also exports Australian derived germplasm to international organisations to support research and breeding activities in other countries.
Search and make a seed request.
Contact the Australian Grains Genebank (AGG) team
Post Entry Quarantine
The AGG’s Post‑Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility in Horsham plays a critical role in safeguarding Australia’s grains industry. All internationally sourced germplasm enters the country under stringent biosecurity protocols mandated by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, with each line grown through an approved Plant Biosecurity Glasshouse to ensure it is completely pest‑ and pathogen‑free before joining the national collection.
The AGG’s PEQ program is responsible for importing and processing non‑genetically modified (non-GMO) grain crop germplasm for the Australian grains industry. To be eligible for import, germplasm must be publicly available and formally deposited into the AGG collection.
The AGG offers fee‑for‑service access to its Horsham Post Entry Quarantine (PEQ) facility for the importation, growth and diagnostic testing of proprietary non‑public domain germplasm that is of high value to the Australian grains industry. This program operates only when spare PEQ capacity is available and must not affect AGG’s core public-good responsibilities.
PEQ fee-for-service provision will be guided by the following principles:
- Full cost recovery: All fees reflect the true cost of service delivery including direct costs (staff, consumables, diagnostics) and indirect costs (utilities, compliance, administration, overheads)
- Transparency: The cost structure and service inclusions are published and updated annually
- Equity: No cross-subsidisation occurs between AGG’s public good functions and private fee-for-service activities
- Capacity safeguarding: AGG’s public domain mandate always take precedence; fee-for-service operates only when spare PEQ capacity is available
- Accountability: All fee-for-service activities are conducted under formal contractual arrangements, with clear governance and oversight.
The Fee-for-Service cost of $16.00 per m2 per day includes all import, plant growth and husbandry, diagnostics, compliance and administration fees. As an example, for crops with a seed-to-seed cycle of 12-14 weeks, this translates to a total cost of $480 per accession for processing a wheat line at 4 pots per m2 and one pot per accession with a growth period of 120 days.
The AGG is seeking expressions of interest from organisations requiring Fee‑for‑Service Post‑Entry Quarantine (PEQ) support for the importation and processing of non‑GMO germplasm. For further information or to express interest, please contact Sally Norton.
Policies and Procedures
A genebanks Quality Management System ensures that every stage of germplasm stewardship, from acquisition under strict biosecurity and regulatory frameworks to long‑term conservation, viability monitoring and controlled regeneration, is delivered to international best‑practice standards. It provides the structure that maintains seed integrity, accurate documentation and secure safety duplication, supporting reliable access to high‑quality genetic resources for research and breeding.
The AGG has a stringent Quality Management System covering Standard Operating Procedures underpinned by Genebank Policies that guide mandated activities.
Policies include:
AGG Acquisition Policy 
[PDF File - 386.5 KB]
AGG Distribution Policy [PDF File - 184.2 KB]
If you have a query about the AGG germplasm or activities, please contact:
Dr Sally Norton
Research Leader, Curator
Australian Grains Genebank
Email: agg.info@agriculture.vic.gov.au