Cooperation Projects
The IMPGR project is one of significant plans under PAN ASIA Project which is supported the fund by Asia Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (AFACI), (RDA of Korea). This project was cooperated and managed from fourteen of Asian countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. The action plan was divided into 2 phases. The Phase I project (2012-2014) focused on sampling and collecting of native plant genetic resources of Cucurbitaceae and Solanaceae that have been utilized in Thailand. Native plant species (chilli, eggplant and tomato) in Thailand were explored and evaluated for plant genetics in Phase II (2015-2017).
According to IMPGR project, the good quality and certified seeds from Department of Agriculture to be deposited in Black-box at RDA Genebank Korea which reserve for a stability of plant genetic resources of Thailand. Two hundred and fifty three accessions comprising 53 accessions (13 species) from Department of Agriculture and 100 accessions of mung bean and blackgram from Chai Nat Field Crops Research Center were sent to store at RDA Genebank. These seeds were carried out to deposit at the RDA Genebank (South Korea) on 10 – 14 March 2014 by Dr. Suwit Chaikiattiyos (Deputy Director General of Department of Agriculture) and Mr. Alongkorn Korntong (Director of Biotechnology Research and Development Office).
This cooperation implemented the project of Micropropagation of Native Orchid Species, Vanda coerulea and Paphiopedilum concolor. Two orchid species were separated studied by the Horticulture Research Institute (Vanda coerule) and Biotechnology Research and Development Office (Paphiopedilum concolor). According to the high biodiversity of Paphiopedilum species in Thailand, some species are decreasing in the nature or becoming rare endemic species that difficult for collection to research study. Paphiopedilum concolor was chosen for being species model in this study because this species is easy to collect with high population than other species.
The Office of The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives allocated the budget of international cooperation in 2015 to increase efficiency of agricultural production and to support the database management of DOA Genebank for plant genetic resources (400,000 THB). In addition, the collaboration of Thailand-Sweden implemented through the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) for many activities viz. knowledge transfers and researcher exchanges.
NordGen is an organization for the safeguarding and sustainable use of plants, farm animals and forests of Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, and Iceland), which mainly financial supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers. Currently, there are 77,000 accessions of plant genetic resources conserved in several types such as active collection (-18 °C), base collection (-18 °C) and deposited at Svalbard Global Seed Vault (-18 °C). In case of Thailand, the Genebank of the Department of Agriculture (DOA Genebank), Biotechnology Research and Development Office cooperated with NordGen to accomplish the conservation of plant genetics resources in Thailand, which was implemented into 2 phases.
Phase I, The DOA Genebank invited Professor Dr. Roland Von Bothmer (Advisor of Svalbard Global Seed Vault) and Mr. Jonas Nording (Documentation and IT Manager of NordGen) to visit DOA Genebank, Thailand. The two delegates presented special lecture about database management system in plant genetics resources of NordGen in the annual seminar entitled “How to manage a database of plant genetics resources in Genebank for efficienct and sustainable utilization” on 19 – 20 January 2015 at Biotechnology Research and Development Office, Sirindhorn Plant Genetic Resources Building, Pathum Thani. In addition, the NordGen guests had study visit on database management and plant genetic resources conservation at other institutes under Department of Agriculture, the Royal Chitralada Projects, National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) and Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC) from 18 to 25 January 2015.
Phase II, Thai researchers visited NordGen, Kingdom Sweden in August of 2015 including Mrs. Kunyaporn Pipithsangchan (Director of Genebank Research and Development Group, DOA Genebank, Thailand), Ms. Assanee Songserm and Ms. Phatchara Piriyavinit. Furthermore, The Director of Genebank Research and Development Group gave a special speak entitled “Current Status of Plant Genetic Resources Conservation of Thailand: The Role of DOA Genebank”.
In 2016, Department of Agriculture officially invited Dr. Árni Bragason (Director of NordGen) and Mr. Kjill-Åke Lundblad (Documentation and IT Manager of NordGen), two specialists from Sweden, for presenting special lectures on the plant genetic resources and genebank management at Biotechnology Research and Development Office, Sirindhorn Plant Genetic Resources Building, Pathum thani and also visited other institutes under Department of Agriculture, Royal Chitralada Projects and NECTEC from 14 to 19 March 2016.
In August of 2016, the Mrs. Kunyaporn Pipithsangchan (Director of Genebank Research and Development Group, DOA Genebank) and Ms. Saowanee Dachakumpoo (Agricultural Research Officer) visited NordGen (Kingdom of Sweden) to continue the joint plan of action between the governments of kingdoms of Thailand and Sweden. Moreover, Mrs. Kunyaporn Pipithsangchan was invited for giving talk on Genebank Management and Use of Genebank Work in Thailand at the NordGen and also for visiting Svalbard Global Seed Vault at the Svalbard Islands, Kingdom of Norway.
According to collaboration between Thailand and Sweden, this warm cooperation was continued between Department of Agriculture (Thailand) and Svalbard Global Seed Vault: SGSV (Norway). Recently, Dr. Suwit Chaikiattiyos (Director-General of Department of Agriculture), Mrs. Kunyaporn Pipithsangchan (Director of Genebank Research and Development Group, DOA Genebank) and Mrs. Jintawee Thai-Ngarm (Director of International Agricultural Affairs Group) visited and joined the Svalbard Global Seed Vault’s 10 year anniversary and also consulted for seeds deposit agreement at SGSV from 26 to 27 February 2018.
Currently, Department of Agriculture signed the agreement for seeds deposited as Black-box at SGSV (Norway), 6 – 12 August 2018. The seeds were deposited at SGSV including the plant good quality seeds and certificated seeds by Department of Agriculture, which have been promoted for Thai farming.
This collaboration was performed into two cooperation frameworks as the follows;
1. Collaboration for Achievement and Development of Genebank Management through Consulting and Scientist Exchange between DOA Genebank, Thailand and NIAS Genebank (NARO), Japan
The cooperation was carried out in framework of The 6th Thailand – Japan on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries under the budget of Department of Agriculture that was divided into 2 phases.
Phase I, Mr. Danai Narkprasert (Director of Biotechnology Research and Development Office) and Mrs. Kunyaporn Pipithsangchan (Director of Genebank Research and Development Group) visited NARO Genebank (Japan) from 20 to 26 February 2017 to have knowledge and technology exchanges.
Phase II, DOA Genebank invited Dr. Hiroshi Nemoto (Director of Genetic Resources Center) and Dr. Daisuke Tanaka (researcher of Genetic Resources Center) to give special presentation about technologies used for plant genetic resources conservation in Genebank for efficient and sustainable utilization at Biotechnology Research and Development Office on 22 August 2017. Dr. Hiroshi Nemoto and Dr. Daisuke Tanaka visited DOA Genebank and provided suggestion on how to manage plant genetic resources storage by using automated system operation and also how to improve plant genetic resources conservation.
2. Collaboration of Scientists Exchange between DOA Genebank, Thailand and Genetic Resources Center, NARO, Japan in training course plant conservation of Genebank
This framework was the 8th Thailand-Japan on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries under the budget of The Agricultural Research Development Agency (Public Organization). Two agricultural research officers (Ms. Padnaree Rukkid and Ms. Sukunlaya Sirifongnukul) from DOA Genebank have visited NARO Genebank and Tokyo University for attending the training course on plant genetic resources conservation from 20 August to 18 September 2018.
