The coconut, Cocos nucifera L., is a smallholder crop, grown on 11.6 million hectares in 86 countries. It is the 'tree of life' as it can produce products for food, shelter and energy to farm households, and various commercial and industrial products. Fully developed and strategically used, it could increase food production, improve nutrition, generate income, create employment, enhance equity and protect the environment. The coconut, however, faces several problems that affect its production and competitiveness such as low yield, unstable market for its traditional products, pests and diseases, natural calamities, ageing of palms, and genetic erosion.

High-yielding and locally adapted coconut varieties need to be developed to address some of the above-mentioned problems and ensure sustainable coconut production. To achieve this objective, efficient use of diverse coconut genetic resources is imperative. In many cases, the range of germplasm in each country is not sufficiently wide to meet breeding requirements. Diverse germplasm may be found in other countries which can only be known if information is available. Thus, there is a need to document and share germplasm coconut breeders to select and access germplasm in other locations for use in their breeding work.

In recognition of this need, the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) and the International Coconut Genetic Resources Network (COGENT) initiated a collaborative project with the Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD) in 1992 to develop an International Coconut Genetic Resources Database (CGRD). Network member countries are collaborating through COGENT to gather and submit data to the database. CIRAD is the implementing agency for this project which is funded by the French government.

The purpose of the CGRD is to document and disseminate passport and characterization data on conserved germplasm, facilitate international information exchange and promote access to germplasm which breeders require to achieve their breeding objectives. Efforts are being made to include molecular analysis data of the germplasm in the CGRD. To operate the database, CIRAD has developed a software that would enable each member of the network to incorporate their own data, have access to the data of the other members and share information. The database is updated regularly and shared with coconut breeders worldwide.

To date, passport and characterization data of 1316 accessions in 25 sites in 20 COGENT member countries have been incorporated into the database (Table 1).

Coconut breeders can now use the data in the CGRD to select and request germplasm for their breeding work.

Several activities for the CGRD project are proposed by CIRAD, which include training of researchers on the use of the CDM software, on the management and transfer of data to the CGRD and provision of technical support to national programmes.

The CGRD has made a significant contribution to the documentation and dissemination of coconut genetic resources data worldwide. The CGRD will thus provide tremendous help to breeders in their selection of germplasm for their use in developing improved coconut varieties for resource-poor farmers.

The CGRD would be made available through the COGENT webpage in the near future.