Participants on an
IPGRI-sponsored training course in Latin America. © David Williams, IPGRI
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PGR Conservation and Use Curriculum
Version 2.1
1. Introduction
1.1 Biodiversity:
 what it is and why we need it
priority setting: useful plants/crop plants vs. total plant
biodiversity
1.2 Origin of agriculture, domestication, centres of origin and
diversity of cultivated plants
1.3 Principles of genetics
1.4 Genetic diversity and the genepool concept
1.5 Genetic erosion
1.6 Need for complementary conservation strategies
1.7 Local people and conservation
1.8 National pgr conservation programmes
(structure, organization, networking)
1.9 Regional and international programmes (multilateral systems)
1.10 Crop networks
1.11 Public awareness
2. Global and Political issues
2.1 History of the PGR movement
2.2 The FAO Commission on PGR
2.3 The CGIAR collections
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2.4 Intellectual property rights
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2.5 Germplasm access
2.6 Grassroots activities
2.7 UNCED and the Convention on Biological Diversity
2.8 Biotechnology issues
2.9 Privatization of agricultural research and its consequences
on PGR conservation
3. Information
3.1 Sources of pgr information i.e. where to look for what
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3.1.1 Reference works
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3.1.2 Primary literature - journals
3.1.3 Secondary sources - abstracts journals, databases, 'World
Wide Web' - how to search the literature
3.1.4 How to keep up-to-date /current awareness
3.1.5 How to obtain literature - i.e. cheaply
3.2 Organizations working on PGR
4. Documentation
Including:
4.1 General concepts
- standards, codes ...
- precision/accuracy
- media
- exchange
4.2 Design of documentation systems - including ecogeographic db's etc.
5. Surveying Plant Diversity for Conservation
5.1 Genetic Diversity of PGR
5.1.1 Origins of agriculture, domestication
5.1.2 Genetic variability
5.1.2.1 Genetic systems
5.1.2.1.1 Mating system
5.1.2.1.2 Pollination mode
5.1.2.2 Gene mutation, recombination, selection, genetic drift
5.1.2.3 The genepool concept
5.1.3 Distribution of genetic diversity
Including
5.1.3.1 centres of origin and diversity of cultivated plants
5.1.3.2 effects of physical/ecological/societal factors ...
5.1.4 Indicators of diversity
5.1.4.1 Morphological/physiological characterisation
5.1.4.2 Biochemical/Molecular characterisation
5.1.4.3 Farmer characterisation and evaluation
5.1.5 Assessing the threat of genetic erosion
5.1.5.1 The causes of genetic erosion
5.1.5.2 Quantifying the threat
5.1.5.3 Global monitoring systems
5.2 Ecogeographic surveys
5.2.1 Planning
5.2.2 Collection of ecogeographic data
5.2.2.1 Preliminary field studies
5.2.2.2 Aids to identification
5.2.3 Analysis of ecogeographic data
5.2.4 Outputs of ecogeographic surveys
5.3 Developing a complementary conservation strategy
5.3.1 Assess need for conservation
5.3.1.1 Genetic erosion
5.3.1.2 Germplasm use
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5.3.1.3 Gap filling in collections
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5.3.1.4 Research
5.3.2 Options
5.3.3 Pros and cons of different options
6. In situ conservation
6.1 On-farm conservation
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6.2 In situ conservation of wild species
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6.3 Monitoring the diversity conserved
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6.4 Management of the conserved genetic diversity
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6.5 Data management (including memory banking)
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6.6 Local participation in in situ conservation
7. Ex situ conservation
7.1 Ex situ collections: an overview
- types
- genetic stability issues
- general management (incl. data) issues
7.2 Seed conservation
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7.2.1 Principles of seed storage (orthodox vs. recalcitrant etc.)
7.2.2 Standards for different types of genebanks (base, active
etc.)
7.2.3 Design of genebanks
7.2.4 Genetic stability
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7.2.5 Management of collections
7.3 Field genebanks
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7.3.1 General principles (design, replication etc.)
7.3.2 Sustainable management
7.3.3 Root and tuber crops
7.3.4 Woody species (incl. coconut)
7.3.5 Arboreta and botanical gardens
7.4 In vitro conservation
7.4.1 General principles
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7.4.2 Tissue culture (slow growth)
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7.4.3 Cryopreservation
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7.4.4 Genetic stability
7.4.5 Collection management
7.5 Conservation of other material
7.5.1 Pollen/ovules
7.5.2 DNA
7.6 Data management
8. Collecting
8.1 Background/Theory
8.1.1 Introduction to collecting
8.1.1.1 Reasons for collecting
8.1.1.1.1 Rescue collecting
8.1.1.1.2 For immediate use
8.1.1.1.3 Gap-filling for future use
8.1.1.1.4 Research
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8.1.1.1.5 Opportunistic
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8.1.1.2 Types of Collecting Mission
8.1.1.2.1 Multi-species vs. species specific
8.1.1.2.2 Wild species vs. crop collecting
8.1.1.2.3 Single visit vs multi visit
8.1.1.3 Centralized vs. decentralized collecting
8.1.1.4 Dangers of collecting (introductions, health, dangers
of over-collecting)
8.1.1.5 Ingredients for a successful mission
8.1.2 Legal issues and the FAO Code of Conduct
8.1.2.1 Plant Breeders rights
8.1.2.2 Patent rights
8.1.2.3 FAO Global System
8.1.2.4 UNCED
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8.1.2.5 FAO Code of Conduct
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8.1.2.6 Other legislation
8.1.3 Participatory approaches to collecting
including indigenous knowledge
8.1.4 Sampling strategies
8.1.4.1 Theory and practice
8.1.4.2 Strategies for wild species
8.2 Practical aspects
8.2.1 Planning collecting missions
8.2.1.1 Permits and legal requirements
8.2.1.2 The Collecting team
8.2.1.3 Transport
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8.2.1.4 Itinerary
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8.2.1.5 Duration
8.2.1.6 Equipment
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8.2.1.7 The Collecting proposal
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8.2.2 Documenting data in the field
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8.2.3 Handling material in the field
8.2.3.1 Seeds
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8.2.3.2 Vegetative material
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8.2.3.2.1 Roots and tubers
8.2.3.2.2 Grasses and legumes
8.2.3.2.3 in vitro
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8.2.3.3 Pollen
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8.2.3.4 ?Microorganisms
8.2.3.5 ?Herbarium voucher specimens
8.2.4 Processing collected material
8.2.5 Writing collecting reports
9. Sample regeneration
9.1 Theory: genetic principles of regeneration (incl. stability)
9.2 Practice: methods, frequencies, numbers, sites
9.3 Standards/guidelines
9.4 Regeneration by farmers
9.5 Data management
10. Characterisation & Evaluation
10.1 Measuring genetic variation (incl. descriptor lists)
10.1.1 Morphological/physiological characters
10.1.2 Cytological characters
10.1.3 Biochemical markers (isozymes)
10.1.4 Molecular methods (RAPDs, RFLPs, SSRs, AFLPs etc.)
10.1.5 Characterization and evaluation by farmers
10.2 Data analysis (intro. to statistics of genetics, diversity
indices)
10.3 Data management
10.3.1 Database design and development
10.3.2 Publishing results, catalogues
11. Germplasm use
11.1 Types of uses and users (importance of sustainability)
11.1.1 Research
11.1.2 Plant introduction
11.1.3 Selection
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11.1.4 Enhancement
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11.1.5 Breeding (different types, incl. decentralized breeding)
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11.1.6 Use by local people (ethnobotany, community forestry, farmer
breeding, restoration etc.)
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11.2 Bottlenecks to use and how to overcome them
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11.2.1 Information about collections
11.2.2 Core collections
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11.2.3 Health aspects
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11.2.4 Size of accessions
11.2.5 Political restrictions on access and exchange
12. Germplasm Health and Safe Movement
12.1 Movement of germplasm
12.2 Guidelines for exchange
12.3 Quarantine services
12.4 Screening for pests/disease
13. Forestry
13.1 Genetic diversity
13.1.1 Extent and distribution
13.1.2 Genetic variation
13.1.3 Genetic erosion
13.2 Conservation and management
13.3 Utilisation and enhancement
13.4 Forestry resources and the environment
13.5 Global imperatives/cooperation
14. Case studies
Case studies of how the following dichotomies affect the different
aspects of conservation from collecting onwards.
14.1 Wild species vs. crop
14.2 Seed vs. vegetative
14.3 Orthodox vs. recalcitrant
14.4 Outbreeding vs. inbreeding
14.5 Annual vs. perennial
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14.6 Resources (human, physical) available
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14.7 Climatic considerations
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14.8 Types of organisation of GR programmes
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