Collection Of Plant Genetic Resources Research Articles

The PGR networks in France: Collaboration of users and the genetic resource centre on small grain cereals

Plant genetic resources (PGR) have been used in breeding programs for many decades to produce modern varieties by introducing genes of interest, in particular, resistance genes. Nevertheless, these resources remain underestimated if we focus on abiotic stress tolerance or new agricultural techniques, which consider productivity with regard to the environment. In recent years, new users, such as scientists and farmers, have discovered diverse sources of interest for screening and exploiting natural diversity conserved in PGR collections. In the case of the French cereals PGR Network, a share of the responsibility, based on the knowledge and ability of network members, has been decided in order to better promote the use of PGR. The main species of Triticum (wheat), Hordeum (barley), Secale (rye), × Triticosecale (triticale), Avena (oat) genera and their wild relatives are held in the collection. By combining phenotypic and genotypic data, the whole genetic resource collection has been structured into smaller functional groups of accessions, in order to facilitate the access and meet the increasing number of different requirements for the distribution of adapted samples of accessions. New panels are being processed to give breeders and scientists new useful tools to study, for instance, stress resistance or to develop association studies. All these data obtained from the French small grain cereal Network will be progressively available through the INRA Genetic Resource Website (http://urgi.versailles.inra.fr/siregal/siregal/welcome.do).

Review. Applications of ecogeography and geographic information systems in conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources

The present paper reviews the use of ecogeographical studies in the efficient conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources. While the use of genotypic information in agrobiodiversity studies has experienced a rapid boost during the last two decades, the use of environmental information on the collecting sites of the conserved germplasm (i.e., ecogeographical characterization) has gained importance in a more gradual way. Today we know that ecogeographical characterization reveals the adaptive range of species conserved and shows the most important environmental factors or variables for adaptation. Progress in ecogeographical characterization has been helped by the development and popularization of geographic information systems (GIS) software applications and environmental data arranged in layers compatible with such applications. GIS are useful to manage and analyze georeferenced data, such as passport collection data and environmental variables. Thus, GIS have become the best tool to perform ecogeographical analyses. Other related tools such as species distribution models or gap analysis can be easily integrated in ecogeographical analysis, offering improved results. As a result, GIS, related tools and ecogeographical analysis can be useful in a wide range of applications in the collection, conservation, characterization, documentation and utilization of plant genetic resources.

DIVERSITY OF CURRANT (RIBES) SPECIES AND CULTIVARS INFESTED BY CECIDOPHYOPSIS MITES IN LATVIA

Currants are the second most important berry crops in Latvia. During the last ten years the increase of gall mites (genus Cecidophyopsis) in Latvia in several currant plantations was observed. However, the distribution of the gall mites was unclear and in 2008 gall mite distribution and faunal studies were started. Sixty-five localities in Latvia were inspected and gall mites were observed in 38 of the 65 locations. Gall mites were observed from all types of inspected areas and on plants from three currant groups - blackcurrants (Ribes, subg. Ribes sect. Botrycarpum), redcurrants (Ribes, subg. Ribes sect. Ribes) and alpine currants (Ribes, subg. Berisia sect. Berisia). In commercial currant plantations, the blackcurrant cultivars 'Katyusha' and 'Mara Eglite' were most susceptible to gall mites. The blackcurrant cultivar 'Titania' was highly infested only in some areas. Gall mites are also a serious problem in currant plant genetic resource collections.

Integration of Georeferencing, Habitat, Sampling, and Genetic Data for Documentation of Wild Plant Genetic Resources

Plant genetic resource collections provide novel materials to the breeding and research communities. Crop wild relatives may harbor completely novel forms of allelic variation for biotic and abiotic resistance as well as masked genes for improved quality and production. This variation has been shaped by the environment from which the plant materials were collected. With detailed original source information, genetic assessments of germplasm collections can go beyond the basic measurements of collection diversity and breeding for simple traits to assessments of natural variation in environmental contexts. Availability of detailed documentation of passport, phenotypic, and genetic data increases the value of all genebank accessions. Inclusion of georeferenced sources, habitats, and sampling data in collection databases facilitates interpretation of genetic data for genebank accessions with wild origins.

Accessibility and exchange of plant germplasm by Embrapa

This paper presents information about the organizational structure of Embrapa's banks and collections of plant germplasm and lists the 14 projects that comprise the Plant Genetic Resources Network which houses about 200 000 access and correspond to a collection of 300 genera, 787 species (90 % exotic). The main goal of the Plant Genetic Resources Network is being a source of variability for breeders of nationally and internationally research institutions. The paper also presents the different ways of knowing and accessing the collection of plant genetic resources maintained at Embrapa. Special emphasis is given to the way of the researchers can import and export plant germplasm, including presentation of a series of accessions exchanged in the last 35 years by Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology. The paper also provides the necessary documents and specifies the step-by-step to exchange and quarantine of germplasm held by Embrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology.

Evaluation of Morphological and Agronomical Characterization of Turkish Pepper Accessions

Collection and characterization of plant genetic resources and assessment of genetic variation plays a fundamental role in plant breeding programs. Pepper is an important crop in many countries and Turkey is fourth in world pepper production. A large number of cultivars and landraces are grown in commercial production in Turkey. Morphological traits of Turkish pepper accessions were evaluated and genetic variation in the population was assessed for further breeding. Principal component (PC) analysis indicated that 75.46% of total variation was accounted for on 10 PC axes and the first three axes were used in principal coordinate analysis for qualitative traits. The clustering pattern and principal coordinates revealed no relationship between geographic origin and geographic diversity in examined populations. There was considerable morphologic variation assessed among pepper genotypes likely due to introduction of diverse pepper genetic material to Turkey and continuing local selection. The large diversity indicates that pepper germplasm is a good source for use in breeding programs to develop improved local pepper populations through breeding that are adapted to local environmental conditions. Farmers prefer to use landraces due to their agronomic traits and resistance to some stress conditions. Some genotypes exhibited variation in plant growth habit, branching habit, and agronomic properties of fruit that makes them suitable either for processing or fresh consumption.

A gap analysis methodology for collecting crop genepools: a case study with phaseolus beans.

BackgroundThe wild relatives of crops represent a major source of valuable traits for crop improvement. These resources are threatened by habitat destruction, land use changes, and other factors, requiring their urgent collection and long-term availability for research and breeding from ex situ collections. We propose a method to identify gaps in ex situ collections (i.e. gap analysis) of crop wild relatives as a means to guide efficient and effective collecting activities.Methodology/Principal FindingsThe methodology prioritizes among taxa based on a combination of sampling, geographic, and environmental gaps. We apply the gap analysis methodology to wild taxa of the Phaseolus genepool. Of 85 taxa, 48 (56.5%) are assigned high priority for collecting due to lack of, or under-representation, in genebanks, 17 taxa are given medium priority for collecting, 15 low priority, and 5 species are assessed as adequately represented in ex situ collections. Gap “hotspots”, representing priority target areas for collecting, are concentrated in central Mexico, although the narrow endemic nature of a suite of priority species adds a number of specific additional regions to spatial collecting priorities.Conclusions/SignificanceResults of the gap analysis method mostly align very well with expert opinion of gaps in ex situ collections, with only a few exceptions. A more detailed prioritization of taxa and geographic areas for collection can be achieved by including in the analysis predictive threat factors, such as climate change or habitat destruction, or by adding additional prioritization filters, such as the degree of relatedness to cultivated species (i.e. ease of use in crop breeding). Furthermore, results for multiple crop genepools may be overlaid, which would allow a global analysis of gaps in ex situ collections of the world's plant genetic resources.

Governing the management and use of pooled microbial genetic resources: Lessons from the global crop commons

The paper highlights lessons learned over the last thirty years establishing a governance structure for the global crop commons that are of relevance to current champions of the microbial commons. It argues that the political, legal and biophysical situation in which microbial genetic resources (and their users) are located today are similar to the situation of plant genetic resources in the mid-1990s, before the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources was negotiated. Consequently, the paper suggests that it may be useful to look to the model of global network of ex situ plant genetic resources collections as a precedent to follow – even if only loosely – in developing an intergovernmentally endorsed legal substructure and governance framework for the microbial commons.

Study Drought Variability Resistant Forms of Species Festuca Pratensis within Used in Turf Mixtures

In terms of combining aesthetics with utility, some species of perennial grasses are used to turf green spaces, sports grounds, slopes, the waste dumps, which require diversification of these species improvement directions. Important is obtaining new biological forms - varieties of main species of grass turf with increased resistance to drought during the summer increased land may represent an important objective of the research companies producing seed of this kind. Maintaining knowledge and genetic resources available is a foremost requirement for successful improvement activity. By hybridization to create new and original material makes an important source of variability in process improvement. The hybrid forms often show an increased variability compared with the parental forms from which they originate. The hybridization can be obtained transgression, which forms a hybrid cumulate grade attributes of the parents emphasized. Original material improvement to be maintained is divided in two categories at the beginning of works to improve existing (varieties, hybrids, lines, clones, local populations) and breeder material created by various methods conventional or unconventional (hybridization, inbreeding, vegetative multiplication, polyploidy, etc.). Achieving this goal requires the organization and the study of plant genetic resources collections as rich enough to be within the possible exploitation of genetic variability. Paper presents results that include studies of original material improvement in order to use valuable resources to create new synthetic varieties resistant to drought. To design a program to improve the species Festuca pratensis, need to consider and study the variability coefficient established between ecotypes, populations and species.

146. Cryopreservation of French plant genetic resource collections (CRYOVEG)

In France, cryopreservation is currently used for a limited number of forest tree species, but has been applied yet very little to horticultural or other agricultural species. The CRYOVEG project aims at (1) developing or optimizing cryopreservation techniques in a range of selected species; and (2) establishing a national scientific and technical network of plant biological resource centers (CRBs) using cryopreservation. The project has a network organization, with IRD/INRA Montpellier as the cryopreservation expertise centre and partners in continental France and in overseas departments in charge of genetic resource conservation for various species: INRA Petit Bourg, Guadeloupe (yam); INRA San Giuliano, Corsica (Citrus); INRA Bordeaux (Prunus); INRA Angers (apple and pear); INRA Montpellier (grapevine); INRA Ploudaniel (potato, Brassica); IRD La Reunion (coffee); CIRAD Roujol, Guadeloupe (sugarcane); and CIRAD La Reunion (vanilla, garlic). Deliverables will vary depending on the state-of-the-art of cryopreservation for each species: for potato, yam, sugarcane, garlic, Citrus, Brassica and coffee, optimized protocols will be tested on a range of representative accessions. For grapevine, Prunus, apple, pear and vanilla, operational protocols will be developed. The group will work as a think-tank on the integration of cryopreservation in the national plant genetic resource conservation strategy and an action plan for its implementation will be collectively designed. The project will work towards establishing a French research network on plant genetic resource cryopreservation, open to all partners interested in cryopreservation. The group will prepare research and development projects whose results will be disseminated through European plant genetic resource conservation networks e.g. ECP/ GR). Finally, network members will train French and foreign (from North and South countries) researchers and technicians in cryopreservation techniques. (Conflicts of interest: None declared. Source of funding: This project is supported by a French competitive grant (Call for Projects 2008 ''Biological Resource Centers) of the Consultative Committee for Biological Resources/Infrastructures in the Biology, Health and Agronomy sectors (CCRB/IBiSA).). (Texte integral)

Development of a Core Set from a Large Rice Collection using a Modified Heuristic Algorithm to Retain Maximum Diversity

A new heuristic approach was undertaken for the establishment of a core set for the diversity research of rice. As a result, 107 entries were selected from the 10 368 characterized accessions. The core set derived using this new approach provided a good representation of the characterized accessions present in the entire collection. No significant differences for the mean, range, standard deviation and coefficient of variation of each trait were observed between the core and existing collections. We also compared the diversity of core sets established using this Heuristic Core Collection (HCC) approach with those of core sets established using the conventional clustering methods. This modified heuristic algorithm can also be used to select genotype data with allelic richness and reduced redundancy, and to facilitate management and use of large collections of plant genetic resources in a more efficient way.

Collection of plant genetic resources from Andaman and Nicobar Islands

The Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) group of islands is immensely rich in plant biodiversity. Andaman’s native tribes are hunter-gatherers, sustaining on wild or marine food and practically do not have any cultivation. Diversity in cultivated crops is presently maintained in home gardens by settlers from the mainland and other adjoining countries. The National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) through explorations either alone or in association with CARI or with other ICAR institutes has collected 1234 accessions in 48 exploration and collection missions. Variability was collected in rice, cowpea, black gram, green gram, okra, Chinese spinach, ash gourd, taro, cucumber, pumpkin, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, bitter gourd, chilli, greater yam and coconut. Indigenous landraces are absent. The in situ conservation of the wild relatives of crops is well taken care of by a large number of protected forest reserves.

GERMINATE. A Generic Database for Integrating Genotypic and Phenotypic Information for Plant Genetic Resource Collections

The extensive germplasm resource collections that are now available for major crop plants and their wild relatives will increasingly provide valuable biological and bioinformatics resources for plant physiologists and geneticists to dissect the molecular basis of key traits and to develop highly adapted plant material to sustain future breeding programs. A key to the efficient deployment of these resources is the development of information systems that will enable the collection and storage of biological information for these plant lines to be integrated with the molecular information that is now becoming available through the use of high-throughput genomics and post-genomics technologies. The GERMINATE database has been designed to hold a diverse variety of data types, ranging from molecular to phenotypic, and to allow querying between such data for any plant species. Data are stored in GERMINATE in a technology-independent manner, such that new technologies can be accommodated in the database as they emerge, without modification of the underlying schema. Users can access data in GERMINATE databases either via a lightweight Perl-CGI Web interface or by the more complex Genomic Diversity and Phenotype Connection software. GERMINATE is released under the GNU General Public License and is available at http://germinate.scri.sari.ac.uk/germinate/.

Conservation of plant genetic resources

Survey, collection and conservation are important starting points in the genetic resources impact chain and in sustainable environmental protection strategies. Collection of plant genetic resources provides materials for herbaria, field gene banks, seed banks and in vitro conservation which are all important and crucial for characterisation and evaluation of plant genetic resources for various human needs. Because only a small spectrum of genetic variability is apprehended during collections, in situ conservation is crucial for optimizing biodiversity conservation programmes.

Relating Morphologic and RAPD Marker Varlation to Collection Site Environment in wild Populations of Red Clover (Trifolium Pratense L.)

Although genotypic and phenotypic markers are used to describe genetic diversity, describing patterns of variationattributable to geographic differentiation is complex.We examined concordance between morphologic and RAPDmarker classification of 33 wild red clover populations collected from the Caucasus Mountains, Russia andcompared how morphologic and RAPD markers differed in their correspondence to collection site attributes.Wealso examined if wild red clover populations collected from sites located in areas more conducive to gene flow (i.e.adjacent to roads, or drainage systems) had the same concordance between morphologic and RAPD markers aspopulations collected from sites less conducive to gene flow.We measured 15 morphologic traits in a commongarden and carried out a Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. There was a significantdifference among the 33 populations for 14 out of 15 morphological traits. Morphology clustered the populationsinto classes that corresponded to three climate regimes. Classification schemes generated by morphologic andRAPD data did not coincide. Morphologic data corresponded with site data for populations collected at all sites.RAPD data corresponded to site data for only those populations collected at sites not conducive to gene flow. Apopulation's adaptation to collection site needs to be considered in using neutral markers to effectivelydiscriminating geographic differentiation.We discuss the practical lessons of this study on the effective collection,conservation and use of plant genetic resources.

Genetic variability evaluation in a Moroccan collection of barley, Hordeum vulgare L., by means of storage proteins and RAPDS

The genetic variation existing in a set of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) landrace samples recently collected in Morocco was estimated. Two kinds of genetic markers, seed storage proteins (hordeins) and random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD), were used. Only six out of 31 landraces were subjected to RAPD analysis. Both kinds of markers, RAPD and storage proteins, yielded similar results, showing that the level of variation observed in Moroccan barley was high: all landraces showed variability; 808 different storage protein patterns (multilocus associations) were observed among 1897 individuals (2.32 seeds per association, on average) with an average of 43 multilocus associations per accession. In general, genetic variation within accessions was higher than between accessions. The 100 polymorphic RAPD bands generated by 21 effective primers were able to generate enough patterns to differentiate between uniform cultivars and even between individuals in variable accessions. One of the aims of this work was to compare the effectiveness of RAPD versus storage protein techniques in assessing the variability of genetic resource collections. On average hordeins were more polymorphic than RAPDs: they showed more alternatives per band on gels and a higher percentage of polymorphic bands, although RAPDs supply a higher number of bands. Although RAPD is an easy and standard technique, storage protein analysis is technically easier, cheaper and needs less sophisticated equipment. Thus, when resources are a limiting factor and considering the cost of consumables and work time, seed storage proteins must be the technique of choice for a first estimation of genetic variation in plant genetic resource collections.

Conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture: main actors and the costs to bear

In the last decade the importance of natural resources for a sustainable agricultural development has been increasingly discussed on international fora and conferences. Only recently the erosion of genetic resources and its consequences for the global welfare in general and for agricultural production in particular were introduced into the public discussion. But since the 1930s systematical survey, collection, and conservation of plant genetic resources have been under way. Today, the conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) is a complex international and national system. While the political discussion is focusing around the issue of “fair and equitable sharing” of benefits derived from the use of PGRFA, an intensive analysis of the costs of conservation activities has been neglected. This paper identifies the actors in the conservation of PGRFA, analyses the costs which arise by conserving PGRFA on the private, national and global level, and will assess the losers and winners in a theoretical concept.

Exploration and Collection of Plant Genetic Resources in MAFF. Conservation of diversity of plant genetic resources.

Exploration and Collection of Plant Genetic Resources in MAFF. Conservation of diversity of plant genetic resources.

Prospects for Fingerprinting the USDA–ARS Cold-hardy Vitis Germplasm Collection using Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) Markers

Curators of plant genetic resources collections must preserve germplasm possessing known useful characteristics as well as material displaying general genetic diversity. In order to ensure that both types of germplasm are included in a collection, germplasm curators require three fundamental types of information about each accession: taxonomic identity, genetic identity, and genetic relationship. Because simple sequence repeat DNA fragments (SSRs) have been successfully used to determine the genetic identity of grape clones, we conducted a study to determine if SSRs would supply all three types of information for the accessions in the cold-hardy Vitis (grape) germplasm collection. SSR fragments were amplified at six different loci for 23 accessions of cold-hardy grape spanning the range of species diversity in the collection. The minimum number of different alleles found at a locus was 9; the maximum was 26. Heterozygosity values ranged between 0.565 and 0.783, while gene diversity values were in the range 0.785 to 0.944. Two hundred fifty-two pairs of plants out of a possible 253 could be distinguished by their SSR profiles. Nei's genetic identities were computed between all pairs of plants and used in a UPGMA cluster analysis. The relationships obtained did not correspond well to expected relationships based on geography and taxonomy. Four species of grapes were represented by two or more accessions in this study. No DNA fragments found at these six loci served to unambiguously distinguish one species from another. Thus, SSR fragments from the six loci studied were useful in determining genetic identity of accessions, but were not helpful in determining genetic relationships or taxonomic identities. We are searching for additional loci that are informative for these types of information. Meanwhile we highly recommend SSRs for determining genetic identity in germplasm resources collections.

Vavilov Institute scientists heroically preserve world plant genetic resources collections during World War II siege of Leningrad: S.M. ALEXANYAN AND V.I. KRIVCHENKO Diversity 7, 10–13

Vavilov Institute scientists heroically preserve world plant genetic resources collections during World War II siege of Leningrad: S.M. ALEXANYAN AND V.I. KRIVCHENKO Diversity 7, 10–13