INRAT is a public research institute under the Ministry of Agriculture and Hydraulic Resources. It is the oldest and largest agricultural research institution in Tunisia and conducts research in almost all agricultural fields. It is organized into nine laboratories. The principal activities of INRAT revolve around the conduct of scientific experiments aimed at improving techniques in the field of animal and plant production, the dissemination of experimental results and the installation of demonstration plots at farmers, and appropriate development techniques as well as technological packages to improve the efficient use of water and management in agriculture; the determination of agro-ecological zones of adaptation for several species and plants of interest for Tunisian agriculture; the development of appropriate cultural techniques and phytosanitary methods, the socio- economic analysis of rural agriculture and the study of the environmental impact. INRAT also has a long history of genetic resources: the collection, conservation and development of cereal, food and forage resources, market gardening and fruit trees. It has in situ and ex situ collections for these species as well as a cold room for vegetable crops and a genebank for short-term working and storage collections (5 °C) for fodder, cereals, food legumes and industrial crops.