Ludhiana, Nov. 14 -- The Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has set up a gene bank to preserve around 900-odd crop lines developed at the varsity over the past six decades.

According to PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal, a gene bank is a storage facility where seeds of all the lines and varieties developed by the university are kept under controlled temperatures for long durations without losing germinability.

The facility has been created in the basement of the Gurdev Singh Khush Institute of Genetics, Plant Breeding and Biotechnology.

Gosal said that the varsity has to continuously grow all the lines and varieties it has developed so far to ensure none are lost.

"A seed, if not sown within a year or so, loses its ability to g...