A training course for users of the EURISCO database was held in Plovdiv (Bulgaria) from 12-14 September.

The training was conducted by Stephan Weise, head of the ECPGR Information and Documentation Working Group. Staff from 15 national gene banks participated.

The training included practical work with the gene bank data, their organisation and uploading to the EURISCO database.
A separate topic was the management of experimental and observational data. A module for the management of data on wild relatives of agricultural crops will be introduced soon.
The updated data of Gene Bank of the Centre of Estonian Rural Research and Knowlege and the experimental data on winter and summer wheat, field pea and tomato have been added to the EURISCO database.

Participants in the training were introduced to the Institute of Plant Genetic Resources by Konstantin Malkov. They were given an overview of the conservation of genetic resources of agricultural crops at the institute, scientific research, visited the gene bank and various laboratories.