Plant genetic resources-constituting genotypes or populations of cultivars (landraces, advance/improved cultivars), genetic stocks, wild and weedy species, which are maintained in the form of plants, seeds, tissues, etc.-hold key to food security and sustainable agricultural development (Iwananga, 1994). They are non-renewable and are among the most essential of the world’s natural resources. Due to deforestation, spread of superior varieties and selection pressure, genetic variability is gradually getting eroded. This demands priority action to conserve germplasm be it at species, genepool or ecosystem level, for posterity (Frankel, 1975).

Whilst ecologists focused on in situ conservation might argue that ex situ conserved germplasm cannot offer the advantages afforded by selection and adaptation as a result of environmental pressures, there is no denying that if species are under threat—or worse, near extinction—then ex situ conservation of even limited germplasm is preferable to extinction. The opportunities offered by conservation biotechnology should not be missed or restricted by lack of interconnectivity between traditional and contemporary conservation practitioners.