The IRG collection comprises Asian (Oryza sativa) and African cultivated (Oryza glaberrima) rice, wild species and other related genera. The germplasm came from collecting missions from all over the world: donations from different countries or received for safety duplicate storage from national programs. With support from different funding agencies, IRRI staff, in coordination with national program personnel, exerted significant efforts to collect materials from under-explored areas in South and Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Central America and Northern Australia. Up to this day, the IRG still conserves and maintains these precious materials received 60 years ago.