News published: 27 June 2025

The Baekdudaegan National Arboretum (BDNA), operated by KoAGI, successfully hosted the 2025 Central Asia On-Site Workshop from April 22 to 25 at the Tashkent Botanical Garden in Uzbekistan. The workshop served as a platform to comprehensively review the seed conservation network between BDNA and four Central Asian countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan), and to lay the groundwork for expanded cooperation on Crop Wild Relatives (CWR).

CWR are wild plant species that are genetically related to cultivated crops. They possess high levels of genetic diversity and are well-adapted to harsh environments. These traits make them invaluable genetic resources for developing climate-resilient and pest-resistant crop varieties.

Central Asia includes a range of high-altitude ecosystems such as the Pamir Plateau and the Western Tien-Shan Mountains, making it exceptionally rich in biodiversity. The region is also considered a major center of distribution for important CWR species, including apples and onions.

Recognizing this ecological significance, since 2018, BDNA has partnered with four Central Asian countries to establish an international ex situ seed conservation network for native wild plants. During the first phase (2018–2021), the focus was placed on seed collection and storage. A total of 805 species and 2,690 accessions of wild plants were collected from diverse locations across the countries and securely preserved in the Baekdudaegan Global Seed Vault (BGSV). To enhance local capacity, BDNA also published the Field Manual for Collecting Seeds of Wild Plants in Central Asia in English and Russian.

Since 2023, the second phase has expanded the scope from seed storage to seed utilization. BDNA has collected and stored 391 species and 521 accessions, including rare, endemic, and CWR species, in the seed bank. To further support local capacity, BDNA has also published and shared The BOOK OF SEEDS: Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) in Uzbekistan Vol. I & II in collaboration with partner institutions.

This year’s on-site workshop aimed to assess the current status of the seed conservation network in Central Asia and to promote further collaboration on CWR. Notably, BDNA is preparing a joint proposal with its Central Asian partners to participate in Horizon Europe, the European Union’s flagship research and innovation program, which is the world’s largest multilateral R&D initiative.
During the workshop, BDNA and its counterparts held in-depth discussions on specific collaboration plans and institutional roles for the joint Horizon Europe proposal.

The initiative aims to reinforce BDNA’s leadership in the collection, conservation, and utilization of CWR, and to bridge the gap between Central Asia—a global hotspot of CWR diversity—and Europe.

BDNA Director Gyu-Myoung Lee stated:

“We anticipate that this partnership will not only benefit Korea but also contribute to the wider conservation and sustainable use of CWR across Asia.”