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FAO E-Learning Series on Plant Genetic Resources Data Management

· 3 min read

The FAO e-learning Academy hosts a comprehensive e-learning series on data management for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. The series introduces essential concepts, tools, and systems, as well as best practices for documenting and sharing PGRFA data. It provides context that makes this documentation easier to follow and apply in real-world genebank operations.

Through four courses, learners explore the Global Information System (GLIS) on PGRFA, digital object identifiers (DOIs), the GRIN-Global Community Edition (GGCE) gene bank management system, the Genesys portal, and global crop conservation strategies—including how diversity coverage assessments and gap analyses guide conservation priorities.

The Course Series​

Course 1: Introduction to Documenting Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture​

This introductory course covers the foundational concepts of documenting plant genetic resources for food and agriculture. It provides context for why systematic documentation matters for conservation, access, and benefit sharing.

Course 2: The Global Information System​

This course focuses on GLIS, the FAO's global portal for plant genetic resources information. Learners discover how digital object identifiers (DOIs) are assigned to PGRFA material and how data flows between national and international systems.

Course 3: GRIN-Global Community Edition (GGCE) and Genesys​

This course introduces two complementary systems that support the management of ex situ data on PGRFA: GRIN-Global Community Edition (GGCE) and Genesys.

GGCE is a modern open-source gene bank management information system designed to strengthen the management, tracking, and documentation of plant genetic resources in genebanks. Genesys is a global portal that aggregates accession-level data from contributing genebanks, making it searchable and accessible worldwide.

The course provides an accessible introduction to GGCE concepts and workflows. This documentation site contains the detailed technical manuals that go beyond the course scope—installation procedures, configuration options, data management workflows, and integration guides for implementing GGCE in your genebank.

Course 4: Global Crop Conservation Strategies​

This course examines how diversity coverage assessments and gap analyses guide conservation priorities for crop genetic resources. It covers the rationale behind global crop conservation strategies and how national, regional, and international efforts are coordinated.

Getting Started​

  1. Enroll in the courses on the FAO e-learning Academy (see links above).
  2. Create a free account to track your progress and receive digital badges.
  3. Use this documentation as your technical reference when implementing GGCE—installation guides, configuration tutorials, and operational workflows are organized by topic in the sidebar.
Get your certificate

Understanding the fundamentals of genebank data management through these courses makes GGCE adoption and day-to-day use significantly easier. The course walks you through the concepts, terminology, and workflows that underpin GGCE, so the technical documentation here will feel familiar rather than new.

Partners​

This e-learning series was developed in collaboration between the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and the Crop Trust.