Thematic Activities
Germplasm Management |
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Although several years of research and development has
gone into it, the ex situ conservation of PGR still suffers some crucial
problems. The conservation of seed in cold storages appears to be
straightforward. However, the problems that arise during the seed regeneration
need to be sorted out and guidelines developed. Additionally, although numerous
genebanks have been established in the last 20 years, management of many of them
should be significantly improved to become more rational and cost-effective.
Low-input storage technologies need to be developed to
allow resource-poor NPs to store their germplasm efficiently at low cost. The
only current way to conserve genetic resources of recalcitrant seed and
vegetatively propagated species is in field genebanks. There are, however,
several serious problems with field genebanks.
There is a strong need to develop and refine in vitro
conservation technologies, including cryopreservation. Involving, as much as
possible, NPs in PGR research activities can only help to resolve these
problems. The work undertaken by IPGRI encompasses genebank management issues
such as acquisition, conservation, regeneration, characterization, distribution
of accessions and complementary conservation strategies, is managed from APO.
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Germplasm Regeneration
Germplasm Regeneration. Maintenance of genetic diversity is a very important aspect of
genetic resources activity, since crop improvement objectives change over time,
and it is not possible to predict future needs. Regeneration of germplasm held
in genebanks is one of the most important genetic resources activities, which
influences the preservation of the variability in and among the accessions.
The best way of conserving the genetic integrity and making it cost-effective is
the long-term storage of good quality seeds under optimum conditions. However,
even then regeneration is necessary from time to time, either due to the loss of
viability of seeds over time and/or lowering of seed stocks held in genebanks.
Guidelines are being developed to assist the genebank curators in following the
required procedures.
The work on the determination of effective pollination control methods and
isolation techniques was carried out in collaboration with Institut für
Pflanzenbau und Pflanzenzüchtung (IPP) of the Bundesforschungsanstalt für
Landwirtschaft (FAL) in Braunschweig and the Institut für Pflanzengenetik und
Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK) in Gatersleben, Germany and was concluded in 1995.
During these studies, a high influence of plant species on the behaviour of the
pollen insect vectors was observed. The effects of this behaviour may have
genetic implications. Climate and light conditions and the arrangement of plant
species in the screen house were also found to influence the insect activity. By
altering these conditions it was possible to determine optimum conditions for
regeneration of the plant species under study. The need for equipping the
isolation cabins and glasshouses with standard nesting material was found to be
absolutely necessary. Rearing and utilization conditions for the red mason bee (Osmia
rufa) and hoverflies (Eristalis tenax)
were established and guidelines were issued (in German). The seed yield and
isozyme experiments were inconclusive. The investigation indicated the need to
study further: 1) the need for definite answers of pollination control methods;
2) need for defining insect densities for effective population; and 3) need for
standardization of insect rearing and use techniques. The efforts are underway
to write up and publish guidelines for rearing of insects used in this study and
using them for controlled pollination of genebank accessions.
For more specific information see: Schittenhelm,
S., T. Gladis and V. Ramanatha Rao. 1997. Efficiency of various insects in regenerating germplasm of carrot, onion
and turnip rape. Plant Breeding 115: 369-375.
Work on determination of the extent of loss in genetic diversity in germplasm
conserved in ex situ collections for
3-6 gene pools using morphometric, biochemical and molecular techniques was
carried out in collaboration with the Genebank, Bari and University of Potenza,
Italy in mid-1993 and concluded in 1996.
Studies on regeneration methods for germplasm seed in the Institute of Crop
Germplasm Resources (ICGR), CAAS, Beijing, China genebank were supported at the
end of 1993. During 1994, pollinating methods for multiflora bean, Chinese
cabbage and sesame were improved. For common buckwheat, seed set by bagging was
very low, but seed set in poly-crossing by different pollinators (brush, bee,
fly) was variable, the highest being bees. It was found that honeybees in the
closed isolation plot were better suited to pollinate multiflora bean. These
methods greatly increased the seed setting and helped to avoid the genetic
drift. The study suggested that the population size for Chinese cabbage should
be 100-120 plants, pollinated by chain-crossing. For common buckwheat population
size should be 150, pollinated by flies, and multiflora bean minimum population
size should be 50 plants, pollinated by the honeybee.
The survey on regeneration procedures, which started around the end of 1991, is
an ongoing information gathering exercise on regeneration, which resulted in
putting together information on the managerial, as well as the genetic aspects
of regeneration procedures. An analysis of the data, which was completed during
early 1995, highlighted the fact that the most of the regeneration in genebanks
is carried out for seed stock reasons and less for viability loss. Additionally,
it was noted that there were significant differences in the way the similar
material is maintained in different genebanks. The analysis was presented at a
consultation meeting on the regeneration of germplasm of seed crops and their
wild relatives in December 1995 at ICRISAT.
For more information see: Engels, J.M.M.
and V. Ramanatha Rao. 1998. Regeneration of Seed Crops and their Wild Relatives,
Proceedings of a Consultation Meeting, 4-7 December 1995, ICRISAT, Hyderabad,
India. IPGRI. Rome, Italy. 167p.
In collaboration with NPGRL and IPB, UPLB, Philippines, the work on the
determination of the extent and distribution of genetic diversity in ex
situ collections, as affected by breeding systems, was started early in 1995
and is still in progress. Ten variable accessions each of three species with
differing mating behaviours, namely mungbean (Vigna
radiata (L.) Wilczek) (self-pollinated), okra (Abelmoschus
esculentus (L.) Moench) (often cross-pollinated) and bittergourd (Momordica
charantia L.) (cross-pollinated) were used in the study. This study could
not be continued.
At the end of 1998, work was initiated on optimum sample size for minimizing
allele loss in genetic resources conservation, in collaboration with CIMMYT.
This work had to be discontinued as the partner became ill.
The guidelines for germplasm seed regeneration has been published by IPGRI.
(See: Sackville Hamilton, N. R. and K. H. Chorlton. 1997. Regeneration of
accessions in seed collections: a decision guide. Handbook for Genebanks No. 5.
Rome, Italy, IPGRI).
Germplasm management workshop. A three-day workshop was jointly organized with
CGN in Wageningen, in close consultation with Mike Jackson as the ICWG-GR
representative in 1999. It was agreed to prepare a consolidated publication based on the
presentations and discussions during the workshop and on the subsequent
elaboration of elements by each of the participants.
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Genetic Stability
Work on the detection of changes and maintenance of
genetic integrity of germplasm conserved in in vitro conditions was carried out
in collaboration with the School of Biological Sciences, University of
Birmingham, UK and Laboratory of Tropical Husbandry, Catholic University, Leuven,
Belgium, is still in progress. Screening of plantain off-types with ten-base
random primers was continued. Some "provisional" marker bands were
identified but no definitive conclusions on the use of molecular markers could
be made form this study.
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Guidelines
A consultation meeting
on the regeneration of germplasm of seed crops and their wild relatives was
organized as part of the initiative of the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources
Programme (SGRP) and was held in collaboration with FAO and ICRISAT, in December
1995. It focused on the regeneration of seed crop germplasm and brought together
experts from IARCs and NARS. The proceedings of the consultation meeting are
being prepared for publication. Arising out of this meeting, a technical
guideline entitled "Regeneration of Accessions in Seed Collections: A
Decision Guide" was published (Sackville Hamilton, N.R. and K.H. Chorlton. Regeneration of accessions
in seed collections: a decision guide. Handbook for Genebanks No. 5. IPGRI,
Rome, Italy). The guide on regeneration is intended to facilitate the
development of optimum procedures for regeneration of seed germplasm and deals
with the timely identification of accessions with an inadequate quality or
quantity of seed. It also considers the regeneration of those accessions to
produce new seed of maximum quality and optimum quantity, with minimum loss of
genetic integrity and as cost-effectively as possible.
"Guidelines for the Management of Field and In Vitro Germplasm
Collections" is also due to be published in early 1999. These guidelines
are intended to assist genebank curators by providing decision criteria and
options for the establishment, management and maintenance of field and in vitro
germplasm collections. They focus on germplasm collections of clonally
propagated crops, for which conservation in seed form is either impossible
(because no seeds are produced) or does not allow conservation of specific
genotypes.
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Field Genebank Management
An activity on the identification of duplicates in sweet
potato field genebank was completed in collaboration with MARDI, Malaysia. For
the purposes of stratification of genetic diversity to be conserved in the field
genebank, molecular markers were used to detect patterns population diversity in
Asian sweet potatoes with UPM Malaysia.
Plans to collaborate with the Philippine Root and Tuber
Crops Research and Training Centre (PRCRTC), ViSCA, the Philippines on some
aspects of sweet potato field genebank management are in progress. Preliminary
research has also recently begun, in collaboration with UPM, to study the
genetic patterns of sweet potato germplasm, locally adapted to different regions
of Southeast Asia. In this work, morphological variation, commonly used in
characterization and identification of genotypic differences and population
patterns, is attempted to supplement by introducing molecular techniques for
sweet potato.
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Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum)
IPGRI collaborated with the University Kebangsan Malaysia (UKM) and MARDI to study generic variation among
Nephelium ramboutan-ake accessions maintained in field genebanks at MARDI
Serdang and at MARDI Kemaman was assessed using RAPD and ISSR markers. Values of
genetic diversity based on Shannon index and genetic relatedness based on
Jaccard index of genetic similarity differed depending on the groups of
accessions surveyed and markers used. For 24 accessions from MARDI Kemaman ISSRs
detected less polymorphisms (87.10%) compared to RAPDs (97.33%). Besides, RAPDs
also revealed higher genetic diversity (H0 5.45) than ISSRs (H0
1.99) with mean Jaccard index of genetic similarity 0.408 (RAPDs) and 0.561 (ISSRs)
respectively. This study illustrates how choice of DNA markers can result in
different estimates of genetic diversity and values of relatedness in N.
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Genebank Management - Expert Systems
In 1993, the idea of using Expert Systems (ES) for genebanks was discussed. ES are
software that are developed to capture the heuristics of decision-making that
are peculiar to experts and are referred to also as "Artificial
Intelligence". Probable decisions are produced by ES with human beings
still having to make the final decisions. A genebank in a developing country may
not have resources to maintain many experts in the genebank, especially if it
were a multicrop genebank. Therefore, an ES for genebank management can be used
to take over this task with the knowledge available. Software with
"artificial intelligence" developed as ES can be used to compile the
knowledge of expert curators for germplasm conservation and training of
curators. A prototype ES developed in APO was readily accepted by participants
of the regeneration meeting held in ICRISAT. Further work is in progress,
jointly with NIAR, Japan and ICGR, China. The major impact of ES is seen as
better utilization of knowledge on PGR conservation accumulated by IPGRI.
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Ultradry Seed Storage Research in China.
Maintaining
seed germplasm in cold storage still poses a problem for many genebanks in the
developing world. Hence cheaper alternatives to expensive cold storage of
germplasm seed are needed. One of the possible methods is a ultradry seed
storage, based on sound scientific principles. Therefore, IPGRI supported the
Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources (ICGR). the Oil Crop Research Institute (OCRI)
of CAAS, and Beijing Botanical Garden (BBG), CAS to carry out research and
develop methodologies for ultradry seed storage.
IPGRI
also supported (HQ) a study on optimizing seed water contents to improve
longevity in ex situ genebank, which was jointly implemented by the National
Seed Storage Laboratory (NSSL), USA; ICRISAT Asia Center, India; and ICGR,
China. Experiments on suitable seed moisture content (MC) for long-term storage
were carried out for 10 crops at ICGR. The results showed that the optimal
moisture content for seeds stored at 45°C was in the range of 5±1% for all
varieties of 8 crops. The low critical MC for seeds stored at room temperature
was 5.0% for 4 starchy crops and 4.0% for kenaf and jute, based on the present
results. The experiment is continuing to investigate the suitability of MC for
long-term storage. The optimum MC in short-life-span seeds including onion,
chili, elm and eucommia was studied in BBG.
Experiments
on a simple and low-cost method for ultradry storage was conducted at ICGR. The
results showed that drying seeds with silica gel in laminated aluminium foil
bags could be a cost effective method for seed drying. Studies on genetic
stability of the offspring obtained from the oil crop seeds stored for a
duration of 3-18 years under ultradried conditions was conducted at the Oil Crop
Research Institution (OCRI) in Wuhan, China. The results showed that oil crop
seeds including groundnut, rapeseed and sesame with seed moisture content below
3.5%, can be stored in ambient environment for 12 to 17 years.
The
plant growth and development stage resulting from ultra-dry seeds were slower or
delayed to a small extent. However, this can be recovered following the
propagation, except for rapeseed, which had been stored for 18 years. From the
laboratory experiments on ultra structure of groundnut carried out in Wuhan, it
was also shown that no change was observed for seeds with a 3.5% MC stored for
17 years at room temperature.
Basic
research was conducted in Beijing Botanical Garden to determine if there was any
damage during ultradrying or ultradried storage to membrane lipid and other
macromolecules of embryo. Cell integrity, especially in membrane function,
chromosome abnormality, ultrastructure changes were also tested. No harmful
effects could be observed.
Support
was provided to ICGR to participate in the global seed experiment and carried
out part of this work in collaboration with the two institutions mentioned
above. The Satellite Symposium on ultra-dry seed storage and longevity was
organized by IPGRI during the second International Seed Sciences and Technology,
held in Guangzhou, China, May, 1997 and was well attended. The world status of
ultra-dry seed research was presented by IPGRI, NSSL and Reading University.
Apart from the above, IPGRI-supported projects on ultradry seed storage, the
scientists from Chinese national programmes presented their findings in this
area, including diverse crop species.
For
more information on ultra dry seed storage see: Seed Science Research 8
(Supplement 1) 1998.
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Seed Storage Behaviour
SSB Compendium software was developed by IPGRI in cooperation with the Institute of
Crop Germplasm Resources of CAAS, China in 1996. It is a DOS-based application
and allow users to query the Compendium database, which contains 7000 species
from 2000 genera belonging to 251 families, to retrieve species-specific
information related to seed storage behaviour. It stands to make contributions
to the plant genetic resources conservation efforts worldwide.
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Options for national plant genetic resources programmes
National
PGR programmes or the departments dealing with it in the region are very diverse
and vary greatly in size and quality. Major questions asked by most people
concerned with the development of national programme are: What sort of programme
is appropriate to the country? What are the options available? How to make
choices? These crucial questions need correct answers. Towards this end, a
consultant was supported to develop a guide on options for the organization of
national plant genetic resources system and a report was circulated within
IPGRI.
The
Institute’s Objective 1 recognizes national programmes as the foundation of
plant genetic resources work worldwide. Through its Regional Groups, IPGRI
advises on and assists in the development of national programmes. This
assistance comprises the transfer of technologies, training and guidance on
scientific and technical aspects of PGR conservation and also involves advising
on organizational and management aspects of programme development.
Since
the coming into force of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), many
countries have been reorganizing their PGR programmes. Countries that formerly
were without activities in the area, are putting programmes into place.
Furthermore, these changes have come about at a time when public funding for
activities, such as conservation is constrained and in some instances is
decreasing. Consideration of priority and efficiency in the design and function
of national PGR systems have therefore warranted greater attention.
Additionally, the need to strengthen national programmes has been further
emphasized by the GPA, which identifies “building strong national programmes”
as one of the 20 priority activities proposed. Discussions with various partners
has resulted in IPGRI APO developing InfoBase containing country information as
a part of its efforts in strengthening national programmes(InfoBase
link is under construction).
IPGRI's
research involvement with national programmes has been aimed at assisting
countries to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of their genetic
resources conservation activities. Work on the programme structure, function and
developing strategies, plus the criteria and options to guide countries in the
design or redesign of their programmes for greater efficiency and effectiveness
in terms of conservation and use, has been carried out. The objective is to
build up the Institute's advisory services in support of its regional
activities.
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Genetic erosion in Vietnam
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The
national workshop on strengthening the PGR system in Vietnam highlighted the
need to determine the areas threatened with genetic erosion, in order that
appropriate in situ as well as ex situ conservation methods could be used to
conserve the diversity from such areas. Studying this recommendation, the
University of Cantho (Mekong Delta Farming Systems Research and Development
Institute-MFRDI), was supported to carry out work on monitoring genetic erosion
in root and tuber crops, vegetables and rice.
Monitoring
the loss of genetic diversity was to be carried out using isozymes as well as
genotype morphology. The work also involved developing a data base of indigenous
knowledge on the crops included in the project. Actual work started around early
1996, as IPGRI questionnaires for collecting indigenous knowledge and genetic
erosion indicators had to be translated into Vietnamese. Analysis and
documentation of the results from the survey on PGR diversity in the rainfed
areas was completed and the locations of samples from different sites have been
placed on the maps.
The
genetic erosion indicators, developed at IPGRI, were used in assessing diversity
in the field. One staff member from MFRDI obtained training at IRRI in using
isozymes for genetic variation analysis and also completed the analysis of 200
accessions of rice. This work that the University of Cantho helped to link work
on PGR with local community needs. The activity enabled original research to be
carried out on indigenous knowledge and promoted the documentation of indigenous
knowledge, with participation by local communities. It also provided an
assessment of the status of and to monitor changes in genetic diversity, which
in turn indicated the level of genetic erosion, enabling the researcher to
determine priorities for in situ or ex
situ conservation.
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Ex situ storage technologies
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A number of crop species,
predominantly tropical or sub-tropical, together with many tree and shrub
species, produce recalcitrant or intermediate seeds which are unable to
withstand much desiccation, are often sensitive to chilling and therefore
cannot be stored dry at low temperature. Some crop species do not produce
seeds and others only produce orthodox seeds. However, these seeds are
highly heterogeneous and thus of little interest for the conservation of
particular gene combinations. These species are therefore propagated
vegetatively. The traditional method of conserving the genetic resources of
these problem species is as whole plants in the field. There are, however,
several serious problems with field genebanks, including exposure to natural
disasters, attacks by pests and pathogens, and high maintenance costs.
Moreover, germplasm
distribution and exchange from field genebanks is difficult because of
the vegetative nature of the material and the greater risks of pest
transfer. Tissue culture techniques have great potential for collecting,
exchange and conservation of plant germplasm. Tissue culture systems allow
propagating plants with high multiplication rates in an aseptic environment.
Virus-free plants can be obtained through meristem culture and
thermotherapy, thus ensuring the production of disease-free
stocks and simplifying quarantine procedures for the international
exchange of germplasm. The miniaturization of explants means reduced space
needs and consequently reduced labour costs for the maintenance of germplasm
collections. In the APO region, there are many recalcitrant species that are
fundamental to local agriculture and
food supply. APO staff is participating in IPGRI projects looking at
applying in vitro conservation methods to regional species, arranging
training for researchers and organizing scientific meetings. Research
activities focus on the development of in vitro collecting, slow
growth and cryopreservation techniques for various fruit trees, forest trees
and vegetatively propagated crops. In vitro collecting techniques are
being developed for Dipterocarps. Slow growth techniques have been developed
for medium-term conservation of citrus germplasm and are under
experimentation for sweet potato. Cryopreservation protocols have been
established notably for zygotic embryos of almond, tea, jackfruit, oil
palm and several Dipterocarp species, and are under development for
apices of yam, sweet potato, taro and
apple. Several researchers in the APO region have received
training on in vitro conservation techniques, either through
individual
training periods or through attendance in specialized
training courses. IPGRI has also contributed to the organization of
several courses on in vitro conservation of genetic resources, which
took place in Malaysia in 1995, India in 2002 and also Australia in 2003.
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Germplasm Health
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Germplasm
health aspects need to be considered not only at the point of exchange, but also
at any stage of germplasm management. During collecting, care must be taken that
germplasm is collected only from healthy plants. In the regeneration and
multiplication process, plant protection measures including pesticide
application may be required. If an evaluation of traits such as resistance to
pathogens is carried out under conditions of high disease pressure, e.g. with
artificial inoculation, a careful evaluation of the material with regard to its
use in regeneration or exchange is essential. Work on the development of PCR
primers for the detection of Xanthomonas
campestris pv. vesicatoria in tomato
and pepper seeds in collaboration with AVRDC and the University of Florida was
carried out. Another study on seed transmission and detection in seed with PCR
and seed washing test was also carried out in partnership with AVRDC and the
Bonn University. A study on detection and characterization of Allium viruses was
carried out jointly with AVRDC and the Federal Biological Research Centre in
Braunschweig, Germany. Research on pathogenicity testing of viroid-like
sequences in coconut was done in collaboration with the Philippine Coconut
Authority Albay Research Center, Guinobatan, The Philippines. A meeting to
discuss viroid-like sequences in coconut was organized in April 1997. Agreement
was reached on the use of Pest Risk Assessment in modifying the Coconut Safe
Movement Guidelines. The proceedings of the meeting as well as updated coconut
guidelines are expected shortly. A workshop on “Genebanks and Plant
Quarantine” was planned for 1998 in the South Pacific, but his could not be
organized due to funding problems.
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The Establishment and Use of Core Collections
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Some
germplasm collections may contain many thousand accessions of a single
species, which makes it expensive and sometimes impractical to make in-depth
studies on so much material. Generally, plant breeders (and most users) are
interested in having fairly small number of genotypes, which either possess,
or are likely to possess, the traits needed in breeding programmes. A core
collection is a limited set of accessions of a crop species and its wild
relatives chosen to represent all or most of the genetic diversity held in the
larger collection. Core collections can help to increase the use of
large-scale germplasm collections. A core collection can be rapidly studied to
identify useful genes for use by plant breeders, farmers and researchers,
which proved to be the case for sesame in the APO region.
Sesame is an economically significant crop in both China and India, yet production is
often low because of the lack of high-yielding varieties and losses to insects
and diseases. The Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences in Wuhan and the National Bureau of Plant Genetic
Resources of India in New Delhi hold important collections of sesame. Because
of the size of the collections, they are difficult to use. To address this
problem, the two genebanks were very interested in collaborating with IPGRI to
develop core collections.
The Chinese collection had 4251 sesame accessions classified into groups based on
agroecological factors. Statistical analysis of the characters allowed staff
to divide the accessions within each group into clusters. Following checks to
confirm that the full range of diversity was represented in the selections, a
final core of 442 accessions was identified.
The 4000 Indian accessions were grown at the NBPGR Regional Station in
Akola. Data were recorded for 18 descriptors, including qualitative and
quantitative traits. The material was categorized and 20 groups identified on
the basis of combined geographic and character association. A core set of 10%
of the total was then taken to represent the majority of the diversity
calculated ito be present in each group.
The Chinese and Indian sesame core collections are approximately 10% of
the size of the larger collections, yet contain at least 70% of their genetic
diversity. The core collections contain a manageable number of samples
(approximately 300-400 each) and include the most useful genetic material. In
India, the core collection is being evaluated at different locations as part
of the All India Sesame Coordinated Research Project. In China, CAAS breeding
programmes are already using accessions from the core collection to develop
higher-yielding varieties. IPGRI is developing a technical bulletin with
guidelines on the best procedures for developing core collection in national
genebanks, which will be distributed to institutions around the world and
posted on the IPGRI web site.
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Biodiversity of Taro and Indigenous Knowledge
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As
stated earlier, taro is an important crop for APO. A pilot study on the linkage
between genetic diversity and ethnobotany is in progress as part of a thematic
Activity, in collaboration with the Institute of Vegetables, Flowers and
Biotechnology Research Centre of CAAS and the Kunming Institute of Biology.
Taro is
a widely distributed food crop and is locally important in many parts of the
more humid tropics and subtropics and has been a widely consumed food crop.
However, because its importance and distribution is difficult to estimate, it is
often underestimated and relatively neglected by agricultural research and
conservation efforts. This project combines ethnobotanical surveys and
documentation with molecular genetic analysis of taro, in order to understand
how genetic diversity is maintained and managed by different communities and
also how people manage and use that diversity in their communities and fields.
The objectives of this project are:
to
document the ethnobotany and diversity of taro in selected sites in Yunnan
Province
to
assess, with isozyme and RAPD techniques, the genetic diversity of taro
populations identified by ethnobotanical study
to
establish the linkage between ethnobotanical differentiation and molecular
genetic diversity of taro and identify the gaps for taro germplasm
collecting for ex situ
conservation
to
raise public awareness in ethnic communities
The
project aimed to integrate ethnobotanical with genetic information and efforts
will be made in the locating of genetic diversity in taro in Yunnan province,
China. It also attempted to link ethnic group diversity with taro infraspecific
variation, number and identity of species grown, types and cultivars grown,
farmer selection, distribution of varieties over the survey area and indications
of genetic erosion.
Work involved literature survey, site selection,
and methodology development for field sampling, ethnobotanical survey,
quantitative analysis, chromosome analysis, isozyme and RAPD analysis. Some
conclusions of the study were: Yunnan is at least one of the original centers of
diversity of taro in China; indigenous people have a long history of
domestication of taro; taro is still a very important crop for local
livelihoods; and certain traditional varieties of taro are endangered with
genetic erosion. A joint meeting of all the partners was held during December
1998 and the results have been published.
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Contribution of Home Gardens to In Situ Conservation of Agrobiodiversity
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In situ
conservation of crop germplasm means the continued maintenance of germplasm by
farmers in their agroecosystems (natural habitat of crops), and is increasingly
being advocated as a complementary approach to ex situ conservation. In spite of international interest in in
situ conservation, there is still limited knowledge as to how farmer or
community based management of PGR can contribute to the conservation of PGR, and
as to how their efforts can be included into national strategies of PGR
conservation.
A
workshop on “In situ Conservation of
PGR for Food and Agriculture in Developing Countries” organized jointly by DSE,
ATSAF and IPGRI in May 1995, which called for greater attention to specific
micro-environments within agricultural systems, such as home gardens, that
contain significant diversity in crop and tree species. In 1996, two Associate
Experts with ethnobotanical and taxonomic backgrounds were appointed to work on
the role of home gardens in the conservation of plant diversity in the APO
region and to undertake a pilot study.
An
in-depth analytical review of literature was carried out to assess the gaps in
research with respect to home gardens, biodiversity and conservation, following
which two review discussion papers were developed namely, “Home gardens and
agrobiodiversity; current state of knowledge with reference to the relevant
literature” (a global overview) and “Home garden profiles of some countries
in the Asia-Pacific Region” which focuses on the individual functions of home
gardens.
Objectives
of this pilot study were:
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To examine and
describe the household’s classification system for intra species diversity of
key species, such as taro, sweet potato, cassava, jackfruit, papaya, kaki,
bitter gourd, and chayote
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To compare the
species diversity within home gardens of different cultural and eco-regional
settings
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To examine the
past dynamic and distribution of species and cultivars to assess the stability
of species
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To develop
systematic methods for analysing ethnobotanical, socio-economic, socio-cultural,
and gender issues that affect the distribution of species and intra-species
diversity within home gardens
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To develop, as
part of an overall strategy of conservation through use, ideas about how the
contribution of home gardens to in situ conservation of useful species might be
improved.
Visits
to Vietnam, India, and Indonesia helped to identify suitable partner
institutions for IPGRI’s global home garden project. The pilot study was set
up in Vietnam. Among the 656 different plants recorded from the surveyed home
gardens, 347 are edible, of which 42 are used for their tubers or roots, and 181
as vegetables or salad. 117 are fruits and 167 medicinal. 203 are ornamentals,
49 are used as spice, 40 for beverages, 11 as stimulants, 39 are timber and 45
of other uses (animal fodder, green manure, or religious use). Within the taro
family (Araceae) about 20 different
edible plants were found. Among them, the local farmers consider 14 as cultivars
of Colocasia esculenta. Sweet potato,
cassava, jackfruit and kaki have a similar high variability. Bitter gourd (Momordica
charantia) and chayote (Sechium edule),
which grow only in the highland area, are recorded in only two varieties each.
Papaya cultivars are distinguished only by the shape and the colour of their
fruit.
Taken
together, these approaches are revealing for the first time the depth of
valuable genetic diversity that exists in Vietnamese home gardens and the
usefulness of the material to conservation and breeding work. These results are
having an immediate effect on government policy, as well as increasing the
security of the food supply of the local population.
Further
work is in progress.
Study report and ethnobotanical dictionary in Vietnamese.
A guide to the
richness and utilization of certain plant species grown in Vietnamese home
gardens documented with a taxonomic inventory list and digital pictures.
Further study on the role of home garden in
conservation of agrobiodiversity is under development.
See link to
Home
Gardens and the In Situ Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources
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Documenting Indigenous Knowledge
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Indigenous
knowledge (IK) or traditional knowledge is closely related to the environment
that the people live in and is a living knowledge that will change over time in
the same way that crops adapt to their changing environment. Other factors
modifying the knowledge are changes in social structure and values plus
interactions with other communities. The close interactions between plant
genetic resources, the environment and the farmers, generate the basic sources
of IK in the community in the area of plant genetic resources conservation. IK
is hence a valuable source of knowledge in the in situ conservation of plant genetic resources and in
situ conservation in turn will help to maintain that living knowledge.
Under
this approach, farmers can document their knowledge on a specific topic on
audiotapes in their own language, which can then be listed in the scientific
journals. Any scientist accessing these tapes can cite the source in their
paper. Information given in such papers is deemed to be the interpretations of
the tape content. Multiple interpretations can be performed on the tape content
and each being that of the scientist. Such audio tapes will be kept in the
community’s library and could be easily accessed by farmers. It is also
possible to track the usage of the knowledge as the tapes are cited. Equipment
needed for capture and replaying is simple and enable such knowledge to be
passed down using their own language. The approach is to empower the knowledge
holders and to recognize their contribution at the national and scientific
level.
In APO, work on IK was initiated in 1995. Further
discussions with NPs indicated that there is the need to address the issue of
farmers’ rights and the ability of the community to re-use the knowledge. This
was addressed by the suggestion that farmers’ rights could be run as a
parallel system to the scientific knowledge system already present. To
understand this further, a study on IK documentation was initiated with the
Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences in December 1996. The existence of the
IK Journal approach is clear evidence that action is being taken to address the
rights of indigenous knowledge holders. The ability to trace the knowledge used
to its provider enables reinterpretation of the knowledge and possible equitable
sharing of benefits.
See link to
Human
& Policy Aspects of PGR Conservation and Use
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