There was great interest in the new film about the Genebank, and the IPK lecture hall was well filled on that Monday in February. Eighteen years after the first film, the premiere of the new edition has now taken place. The idea for this arose at the end of 2024. The objective was clear: the film should present not only the Genebank but also its contributions to modern, sustainable agriculture. Some of the old varieties and wild relatives of our familiar crops preserved at the genebank possess characteristics that are becoming increasingly necessary. For instance, they can withstand heat and drought, and are resistant to certain diseases.

Eulefilm realised the film project. The Saxony-based company had produced the first Genebank film in 2008, so it was very familiar with the IPK and the Genebank in particular. Following planning and preliminary discussions, film production took off at the IPK on 26 February 2025. The film covers one growing season at the IPK in Gatersleben and the two additional IPK locations in Groß Lüsewitz and Malchow, as well as at the Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) in Quedlinburg and the KWS Lochow breeding company in Bergen. The film is now available online in German and English, in both extended and short versions.

In addition to addressing the collection and preservation of genebanks, the film also covers their transformation into Biodigital Resource Centres. The IPK Leibniz Institute is a driving force and a pioneer in this process. In these centres, stored plant material is systematically linked to detailed molecular data. This enables these resources to be accessed and utilised in a more targeted, comprehensive, and consequently more effective manner. This information is crucial for breeding new varieties adapted to specific locations and ensuring that our crops are fit for the future. The film illustrates how scientists and breeders are already achieving this today. Their goal is not only to preserve genetic diversity, but also to actively utilise it and establish a connection between the past and the future through the Genebank.

International cooperation between genebanks is crucial, and will continue to be so. “The IPK Genebank has already started to systematically compare its wheat and barley collections with those of other genebanks, and to exchange data,” explains Nils Stein, head of the Genebank department and the Federal Ex situ Genebank at the IPK. “This shows, on the one hand, how similar or unique individual collections are, and on the other hand, where there may still be gaps that can be filled with the help of other collections,” he continues.

A hundred years have passed since the first genebanks were established at the start of the 20th century. However, given the current challenges, they are needed more urgently than ever, and their traditional methods help to bridge the gap between the past and the future.

To make this important research and breeding infrastructure more accessible to people worldwide, the new Genebank film will no longer be shown only exclusively to visitor groups at the IPK. Instead, it is available on the institute’s website to reach as wide an audience as possible.

Links to the film:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_vYiUZhmJo (extended version)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb36prEVImw (short version)