Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 March 2013
The National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences' (NIAS) Genebank is the coordinating institute in Japan for the conservation of plant, microorganism and animal genetic resources related to food and agriculture. The NIAS Genebank manages this activity in collaboration with sub-banks located across Japan and acts as the central bank. It is important for genebanks to maintain the viability of genetic resources during conservation. Generally, seeds are stored at low temperature and low humidity. Germination percentage is used to monitor seed viability. We have developed data-management software to manage germination testing data in the NIAS Genebank. The software can monitor the pattern of the loss of seed viability of each accession and also support the selection of accessions that need regeneration of seeds. Web-based plant accessions search software displays the latest data on the availability and germination percentages of accessions.