Coping with climate change. Using genebanks to protect farmers' livelihoods

Poster presented at World Bank Development Marketplace. Washington D.C. (USA), 10 - 13 Nov 200

Core descriptors for in situ conservation of crop wild relatives v.1.

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are wild plant species that are more or less closely related to domesticated species, include crop progenitors and are a potential source of traits beneficial to our crops. Given their importance for agricultural research and development, their conservation is of high priority, in particular their in situ conservation that allows continued evolution of new adaptive traits as well as the maintenance of the breadth of genetic diversity present in the many CWR species. The core descriptors for in situ conservation of CWR are designed to facilitate the compilation and exchange of data, which are needed to develop and implement in situ conservation activities. They are compatible with Bioversity’s crop descriptor lists, the ‘FAO/Bioversity List of Multi-Crop Passport Descriptors V.2’ and IUCN red listing categories and criteria

In situ conservation—harnessing natural and human-derived evolutionary forces to ensure future crop adaptation

Ensuring the availability of the broadest possible germplasm base for agriculture in the face of increasingly uncertain and variable patterns of biotic and abiotic change is fundamental for the world's future food supply. While ex situ conservation plays a major role in the conservation and availability of crop germplasm, it may be insufficient to ensure this. In situ conservation aims to maintain target species and the collective genotypes they represent under evolution. A major rationale for this view is based on the likelihood that continued exposure to changing selective forces will generate and favor new genetic variation and an increased likelihood that rare alleles that may be of value to future agriculture are maintained. However, the evidence that underpins this key rationale remains fragmented and has not been examined systematically, thereby decreasing the perceived value and support for in situ conservation for agriculture and food systems and limiting the conservation options available. This study reviews evidence regarding the likelihood and rate of evolutionary change in both biotic and abiotic traits for crops and their wild relatives, placing these processes in a realistic context in which smallholder farming operates and crop wild relatives continue to exist. It identifies areas of research that would contribute to a deeper understanding of these processes as the basis for making them more useful for future crop adaptation

Investigating the effects of low input drying procedures on maize (Zea mays L.), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) and bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) seed quality in Benin

Four drying regimes (sun, shade, silica gel and conventional drying room) were compared using seeds of Zea mays L. (cv. DMR-ESR-W), Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. (cv. NI 86-650-3) and Vigna subterranea (L.) Verde. {local white va­riety). The seeds were harvested before mass maturity, at mass maturity and after mass maturity. Moisture contents of seeds were measured on wet basis ac­cording to ISTA rules and seed viability was determined through germination tests before and after drying. Silica gel al­lowed the lowest moisture content to be attained in all three species when seeds were harvested at mass maturity: Zea mays (7-5%), Vigna unguiculata (3-2%) and Vigna subterranea {8%). Sun drying as a low-cost alternative also allowed low moisture contents to be reached: 3.9-7.8% for maize, 3.2-5.1 % for cowpea and 8.4-9.6% for bambara groundnut. For all drying regimes, most of the seed samples germinated well, with a mean time to germination between 3 and 5 days for all the crops studied

Maximum parsimony based resolution of inter-species phylogenetic relationships in citrus l. (Rutaceae) using its of rDNA

The present study aims to analyse phylogenetic relationships, using internal transcribed spacer sequence data of ribosomal DNA (rDNA), across 24 Citrus species and close relatives by the evaluation of several parameters such as nucleotide substitution (r), nucleotide diversity (π) and the estimated values of transition/transversion bias (R). The observed results indicated the presence of a wide divergence pattern of rDNA in subfamily Aurantioideae. Maximum parsimony (MP) analysis inferred divergence pattern in the Citrus genus. We observed seven strongly supported clades among the subfamily Aurantioideae. We postulate that the present investigation provides a more robust topology of Citrus and its close relatives, which can significantly prove as an additional support to resolve the phylogenetic relationships in Citrus genera. Therefore, sequences of noncoding regions should exhibit more phylogenetically informative sites than the coding regions do, which is in accordance with the present study

International Conference Enhanced Genepool Utilization - Capturing wild relative and landrace diversity for crop improvement, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 16-20 June 2014. Book of Abstracts

This conference presents the culmination of the PGR Secure project (www.pgrsecure.org) – a collaborative project involving eleven partners funded under the EU Seventh Framework Programme, THEME KBBE.2010.1.1-03, 'Characterization of biodiversity resources for wild crop relatives to improve crops by breeding', Grant agreement no. 266394. It is jointly organized with the section on genetic resources of the European Association for Research on Plant Breeding (EUCARPIA). This international conference showcases innovative and potential novel characterization techniques and conservation strategies to identify and safeguard crop wild relative (CWR) and landrace (LR) genetic diversity to increase potential options for crop improvement as a means of underpinning food security in the face of climate change. The conference brings together a wide range of biodiversity expertise from the international community to debate current and future enhanced conservation and utilization of CWR and LR diversity for improving agricultural production, increasing food security and sustaining the environment for better livelihoods. The conference represents a landmark in the plant genetic resources science arena, highlighting exotic plant germplasm as a potentially critical but neglected resource for crop improvement. Part 1 of the book of abstracts contains the abstracts of the oral presentations and Part 2, those of the posters. They are organized under the four conference themes, viz. characterization techniques, conservation strategies, facilitating CWR and LR use and informatics development. The oral presentations will be the subject of a book entitled “Enhancing Crop Genepool Use: Capturing wild relative and landrace diversity for crop improvement” that will be published by CABI as the conference proceedings. All duly registered participants will be receiving a copy of the book when it is published

The Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) endorses creation of a regional network for the conservation and use of crop wild relatives

The Alliance led the development of a regional network for the conservation and use of Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. This network was formally endorsed by the SADC Ministers responsible for Agriculture and Food security, Fisheries, and Aquaculture. The network will serve as a platform for CWR stakeholders (researchers, gene bank curators, breeders, conservationists and farmers) to promote effective conservation and use of CWR. On May 7, 2021, the Darwin Initiative project 26-023 achieved a milestone by gaining approval for a white paper proposing the creation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) Regional Network. This network, supported by the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre, is the world's first regional initiative for conserving crop wild relatives, setting an example for other regions to follow in establishing a global CWR network

Ex Situ and In Situ Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity: Major Advances and Research Needs

The effective conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity is vital for creating and maintaining sustainable increases in the productivity of healthy food for mankind, as well as contributing to the increased resilience of agricultural systems. Major advances in the two main complementary strategies for agricultural biodiversity conservation, namely ex situ and in situ, over the last decade are presented to reflect on their current global status and trends. The FAO Second State of the World Report on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture reports that the total number of accessions conserved in ex situ collections is about 7.4 million, in over 1750 genebanks around the world. There has also been increasing awareness of the importance and value of conserving crop wild relatives (CWR) in situ and a greater understanding of the scientific issues surrounding on farm management of genetic diversity. Recent research outputs produced by Bioversity International to ensure the effective and efficient conservation and use of genetic diversity are cited. These have involved development of best practices for genebank management and the development of enhanced technologies and methodologies for conserving and promoting the use of the genetic diversity. Bioversity International has led the development of methodologies for on farm conservation, and promoted the drafting of policies and strategies for the in situ conservation of crop wild relatives and their management inside and outside protected areas. Also an outlook of the research priorities and needs for conservation and use of agricultural biodiversity is described

Red List assessment of nine Aegilops species in Armenia

The aims of this study are to determine the geographical and ecological distribution of nine Aegilops species in Republic of Armenia and to make an assessment of their IUCN Red List status, using the IUCN Red list categories and criteria, in order to develop an in situ conservation strategy for wild relatives of wheat in Armenia. Ecogeographic sur- veys of nine Aegilops species were undertaken over 2 years in Armenia. They included a herbarium survey followed by extensive ground-truthing field surveys where targeted Aegilops species occur. The study showed that of the nine Aegilops species studied, four are threatened and of these, Ae. mutica and Ae. crassa are critically endangered. The latter species may even be extinct in Armenia. Ae. neglecta and A. biuncialis are endangered. Additional stud- ies are required to assess the threat status of Ae. umbellulata. Ae. columnaris was assessed as near threatened, while the remaining species (Ae. triun- cialis, Ae. cylindrica and Ae. tauschii) are of least concern. There has been a dramatic decline in the genetic resources of Aegilops species during recent years in Armenia as a result of adverse human impacts such as expansion of agriculture, urbaniza- tion and uncontrolled grazing. Several species, espe- cially Ae. mutica and Ae. crassa, should be prioritized in conservation activities in Armenia. Efforts should be made to conserve genetic diversity of crop wild relative species both in situ and ex situ, bearing in mind that their germplasm carries potentially valu- able information (traits) that can improve adaptability and productivity of cultivated wheat varieties

Red lists for cultivated species: why we need it and suggestions for the way forward

The world's food basket is today shrinking at an alarming rate and most concerning is the reduction in the number of species and varieties used by humankind for food and nutrition, which raises serious concerns about the sustainability of feeding the world today and in the future. Yet, whereas we deploy consistent efforts in monitoring the status of wild biodiversity, very limited is the research in monitoring diversity of plants used by farmers, assess threats of genetic erosion, understand how diversity is helping farmers in coping with climate change, etc. Documenting and monitoring agrobiodiversity on farm is fundamental for enhancing its sustainable use and prevent losses of both genetic diversity and indigenous knowledge to happen before it is too late. This poster explains why a Red List for Cultivated Species is needed and a proposed approach to creating one