Research Center of Genetic Resources, NARO

The Plant Resources Group, in cooperation with other organizations, implements the NARO Genebank Project, and it also carries out research aimed at advanced utilization of plant genetic resources.
In addition to conducting surveys and collection of plant genetic resources in Japan and overseas, as well as breeding and characterizing preserved seeds and seedlings, the project also selects core collections (a small number of representative varieties that can efficiently cover diversity) as materials suitable for initiating research. In addition, we are advancing the sophistication of genetic resources by adding characteristic information and genome information.
Our research aims to contribute to the development of new varieties and technologies by focusing on plant diversity resulting from evolution and cultivation, searching for plants with useful characteristics, and analyzing key genes for those characteristics. Currently, using genetic resources from Gramineae, Leguminosae, etc., we are engaged in comprehensive analysis focusing on disease resistance and functional components, elucidation at the genetic level of resistance to environmental stresses such as drought and salt, and elucidation of the mechanism of pollen embryo development, which can produce genetically uniform lines in a short period.