Israel Gene Bank

Preserving Israel's plant genetic resources for future generations

The Israel Gene Bank at the Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani center serves as a national center for the conservation of the region's plant genetic resources and provides a physical infrastructure (seed collection) to support current and future agricultural and industrial development.

The bank is responsible for the collection and preservation of wild plant species - with an emphasis on crop wild relatives (CWR) - as well as traditional agricultural varieties (Landraces) and maintains a growing collection of seeds from habitats across the country.

In the context of climate change, the gene bank's collection serves as a reservoir of biological diversity, enabling the selection of targeted traits for breeding agricultural varieties adapted to conditions such as higher temperatures, changes in precipitation patterns, and emerging plant diseases.