Using GIS to check co-ordinates of genebank accessions

The geographic co-ordinates of the locations where germplasm accessions have been collected are usually documented in genebank databases. However, the co-ordinate data are often incomplete and may contain errors. This paper describes procedures to check for errors, to determine the cause of these errors and to assign new co-ordinates, using Geographical Information Systems (GIS). These procedures can assist in improving the quality of genebank databases, and with that, increase the capability for analysis and use of crop genetic diversity.