Crop Genebank Knowledge Base

The amount of water vapour present in a unit volume of air usually expressed in kilograms per cubic meter.

A distinct uniquely identifiable sample of seeds representing a cultivar breeding line or a population which is maintained in storage for conservation and use.

A unique identifier that is assigned by the curator when an accession is entered into a collection. This number should never be assigned to another accession.

A one-seeded dry indehiscent fruit with the seed attached to the pericarp at only one point.

A germplasm accession that is used for regeneration, multiplication, distribution, characterization and evaluation. Active collections are maintained in short- to mediumterm storage and usually duplicated in a base collection maintained in medium- to long-term storage.

Amplified fragment length polymorphism. A highly sensitive method for detecting polymorphisms in DNA. DNA first undergoes restriction enzyme digestion; and a subset of DNA fragments is then selected for PCR amplification and visualization.

A chain of sugar molecules that form the basis of agarose gels used for electrophoresis.

One of the alternative forms of a gene that can exist at a single locus.

A research field directed to the identification of useful alleles within genetic resources collections.

Transfer of pollen (i.e. pollination) from the anther of the flower of one plant to the stigma of the flower of a genetically different plant. Also called crossbreeding, outcrossing, and xenogamy. (See also "Outbreeding")