Genetic Resources Institute of the National Academy of Sciences Head: Zeynal Akparov 155 Azadlig Ave., Baku, AZ 1106, Azerbaijan Tel: +(994 12) 49 9129; 62 9462 Fax: +(994 12) 49 9220 E-mail: z.akparov@cac-biodiversity.org Ex situ germplasm conservation: Cereals, grain legumes, sugar beat, vegetable-melon crops, green vegetables, spicy crops, potato, fruits, pomegranate and stone fruits, subtropical crops, citrus and berries, grape, cotton plants and their wild relatives. Institute Code (FAO): AZE015

a z e r b a i j a n

The GRI of the Azerbaijan National Academy is established on the base of the former Institute of Genetics and Selection in accordance with the Resolution №12 dated January 30 2003 of the Cabinet of Ministers.
 

The President of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan

The major scientific trend of our institute is to investigate flora, fauna and biodiversity of soil cover, gene fund maintenance and sustainable use.
The GRI implements genetic resources’ collecting of agricultural crops, their wild forms and agricultural live-stock, complex investigation, maintenance and sustainable use in selection activities. The GRI functions as a coordinator between our national institutes, which implement genetic resources‘ collecting. 133 scientific workers, 3 Drs, 76 Candidates of Sciences, 6 post-graduate students work in the Institute.
Genefund covering a great number of Azerbaijan GR (including Grain Cereals – 28 species, 639 accessions; legume – 12 genera, 190 accessions; Cotton – 2 species, 743 accessions; Forages – 44 species; Technical crops – 11 species; Fruit plants – 30 genera, 40 species, 7158 accessions; Vine Grapes – 214 accessions; Medicinal, oil and non-traditional crops – 75 accessions and etc.) has been collected at the institute and it’s structural subdivisions as in: Garabagh, Sheki, Aghdash, Tovus, Apsheron and Saray Scientific Research Bases. During a year the gene fund has been put in order on the world standards level, it has been much enriched by the expeditions (including international expeditions). Wide range scientific investigations according to the institute’s profile are carrying out here. Data received from numerous origins on Azerbaijan GR are collecting in the Central Data Base located in the GRI. For a short time a Computer Data Base covering nearly 5000 plant accessions’ passport data has been established here.
The Institute has made scientific connections with several international organizations as: IPGRI, ECP/GR, FAO, ICARDA and etc., as well with the scientific centers of foreign countries as: Russia Plant Research Institute named after N.I. Vavilov (VIR), Aegean Agricultural Research Institute, Plant Institute of Ukraine Academy of Sciences, Ukrainian National Genetic Resources Center and etc. The institute keeps scientific connections with the countries as: Japan, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Czech, Scandinavian Countries, Italy, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Near-Baltic Republics, Moldova and others.
A National Genebank for long-term maintenance of plant seeds starts for exploitation first in the GRI of Azerbaijan in 2004.

Structure of the Genetic Resources Institute

No	Name of the Institution and departments and laboratories
1	Grain Cereals and Leguminous Plants Laboratory
2	Vegetable and Gardening Crops Laboratory
3	Technical Crops and Forage Laboratory
4	Fruit, Berry and Grapevine Laboratory
5	Oil, Medicinal and Untraditional Crops (Plants) Laboratory
6	Bioecological Laboratory
7	Cytogenesis Laboratory
8	Genetic Resources Monitoring and Genome Preservation Laboratory
9	Plant Preservation Laboratory
10	Physiology Laboratory
11	Biological Chemistry Laboratory
12	Technology Laboratory
13	Seed-Growing Laboratory
14	Agricultural Live-stock’s genetic resources Laboratory
15	International Relations, Information and Coordination Laboratory
16	Library
17	Aphsheron Experimental-farm Department
18	Karabakh Scientific-Research Station
19	Sheki Scientific-Research Station
20	Aghdash Base
21	Tovus Base
22	Saray Experimental Lot

National Inventory (NI) and Genetic Resources Institute (GRI) of Azerbaijan.
Dr. Zeynal Akparov (GRI Director, NI Coordinator)
Afig Mammadov

After achievement of independence of Azerbaijan in 1991 a special state policy on genetic resources has begun conducting. In the middle of 1990th this policy became most purposeful and the arrangements which have been made got more dynamic character. A state Commission on the Genetic Resources of Biological Diversity has been established and a National Programme was accepted under the leadership of academician Mr. J.A.Aliyev and it has being carried out. On the purpose of collection, preservation, development, inventory, food security and selection of the genetic resources, strengthening of sustainable utilisation activities on the purpose of completely carrying out the National Inventory – a new Genetic Resources Institute has been established under the authority of Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences in 2003.
Although, only few months passed from the beginning of the GRI’s activities, several serious scientific activities were implemented and international relations development has been achieved on significant level. Collecting of wild plant and collecting of national selection accessions and on this purpose conducting of scientific-research expedition acquired an intensive look. In August a Joint International Expedition of the scientists from important science centres of Russia and Japan has been conducted in Mughan and Talish Regions of Azerbaijan by the IPGRI support. A lot of accessions including: Beta (beet), grain, legume, vegetable-melons have been collected. During the summer numerous expeditions on collecting of wild grain forage and legume were arranged to different regions. Up today collecting of data concerning to the genetic resources acquired by the national institutions into a single centre as well there were achieved an important promotion in acceleration of plant documentation activities direction. The improved version of the DB consisting of 4.550 accessions which were made on the base of international descriptors have been successfully loaded into the Web site of EURISCO. The main part of the Base consists of fruit, berry, grain, grape, cotton, bean and etc. Plants (crops) typical for Azerbaijan are the majority in the Base. Here Triticum aestivium L. bread wheat – 302 accessions, Malus domestica Borkh (apple) – 256 accessions, Gossipium hirsutum L. (cotton) – 609 accessions, Vitis sativa L. (grape) – 501 accessions and Hordeum Vulgare L. (barley) – 197 accessions were presented. Aegilops (aegilops), Phaseolus (bean) are also by the majority of accessions.
Though the established DB covers much parts of plant accessions ex-situ maintained in Azerbaijan scientific-research enterprises and institutions it doesn’t attract it’s whole structure at all. It should be noted, nine scientific-research institutions of Azerbaijan Republic are engaged with the plant genetic resources collection and research by the conservation. Those institutes concerning to the Genetic Resources, i.a.w. the NP, are responsible for the genetic resources conservation and sustainable use. For instance: Agriculture Research Institute is engaged with the ex-situ conservation and research of grain and bean; Horticultural and Subtropical Plants Institute is engaged with the ex-situ conservation and research of fruit and berry plants. The relevant institutes also collected passport data of the maintained plants and transfer them to the Central DB located in the GRI. Due to the lack of the appropriate technical means they often present the data as manuscripts and GRI personnel enter them into the electron version of the DB. The GRI using the given power and authorities has begun serious co-ordination activities on the purpose of getting a perfect NI. Therefore a co-ordination party was established and a permanent communication with the mentioned relevant institutes was established. At each institutes focal points for inventory were appointed and they were instructed. These institutes are situated in different regions of the republic. Though it complicates the communication and the information flow (due to the lack of technical means and internet possibilities) from one side, from the other side it promotes for data acquisition from regions and local expedition carrying out.
Thanked to the attention of the authorities of our republic the passive approach by the institutes concerning to the inventory became more active. The control to the information completeness, accuracy and objectivity were strengthened concerning to the inventory, which were given from the institutes. This is positively influencing on the DB quality and its completeness. At the same time, in order to provide the DB with better management and being easier and useful for the scientists - users it is taking steps. On this purpose a Micro Soft Access version of the DB is working out as well use of the other popular programs are also intended.
Technical support (computer hardware, devices and equipments), improvement professional skills of the personnel, software and finding of funding origins are very important problems. The GRI has achieved a certain progress in these areas too. However, the need of technical, software, improvement of skills and financing support by the international organizations who has got broader possibilities are remaining.
In a row of the NI implementing activities as increase of advantage habits from the DB, development of scientific changes should also be held. In this meaning, to arrange trips of specialists who has got much experiences in genetic resources inventory, data base establishment and their management systems’ field would be very useful.
At present the Gene bank which establishment already has been started will influence to the NI speed up and to operativeness and completeness of its documentation activities. At the same time creating of the Web site of the institute is working out. After creation of the site the NI Data Base will be located there and all of the users will apply to the Data Base.

Last updated: 3 May 2004