Opening of the Duplicate Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine

On November 11, 2025, the official opening of the Duplicate Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine took place in western Ukraine. The project was implemented with the support of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in Ukraine, with financial funding from the European Union (EU) and the Novo Nordisk Foundation (Sweden), in cooperation with the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen, Sweden). The establishment of this duplicate storage facility marks a critical milestone in strengthening the long-term security, access, and backup of the unique plant genetic diversity preserved in Ukraine.

The event featured a welcoming address by Viktor Riabchun, Deputy Director for Research on Plant Genetic Resources. Other key participants from the Yuriev Plant Production Institute included Nataliia Kuzmyshyna, Head of the Laboratory of Introduction and Preservation of Plant Genetic Resources; Olha Bezuhla, Head of the Laboratory of Genetic Resources of Cereals, Grain Legumes, and Groat Crops; and Kseniia Dokukina, Senior Researcher of the Laboratory of Introduction and Preservation of Plant Genetic Resources, who presented the report "Implementation of the GRIN-Global Information System for the Plant Genetic Resources System of Ukraine".