Genetic Conservation Development Program: Integrated Community Seedbank

Integrated Community Seedbank or ICSB is one vital means to achieve genetic resource conservation at the community level within the framework of sustainable agriculture. As such, the ICSB serves as the core activity around which all other SA activities or endeavors revolve. It is an improvement over the old concept of a seedbank being a mere storage or retrieval mechanism and structure.

ICSB includes in situ seed conservation, selection and adaptability trials, dissemination, and maintenance strategies of traditional and improved plant cultivars. A major focus is on food crops and secondarily on other agroforest crops. ICSB planning and implementation mechanisms combine the elements of food crops productivity and security alongside genetic conservation and ecological considerations.

As a crucial service of SIBAT, partner farmer groups and organizations learn ICSB concepts through trainings on:

• Seed Technology (selection, production, propagation, breeding, etc.)
• Seed Characterization
• Seed Adaptability Trials
• Seed Processing and Storage
• ICSB Policy Guidelines Formulation

Specific Objectives in the Establishment of Integrated Community Seedbanks

• To identify, collect, select and create mechanisms for the availability of indigenous and improved seed varieties to the farmers and the community.
• To engage in seed varietal improvement through farmer's selection and/or hybridization, as well as on multiplication, maintenance and propagation of seeds.
• To raise the farm assessment and planning capabilities of farmers through identified training needs.
• To introduce or reinforce food production initiatives through bio-intensive gardening of vegetable crops and production of annual or perennial food crops.
• To work on a diversity and ecological strategy that will ensure nutrient cycle balance and soil and water conservation. This will be made possible by determining the proper and preferred crop mix and appropriate technologies.
• To identify and build the proper structures (e.g. seed storage) and mechanisms needed for the seedbank.

	Indigenous seed storage method
	Seed selection process
	Indigenous Rice seed storage