Global Crop Diversity Trust Research Articles

Genebanks at Risk: Hazard Assessment and Risk Management of National and International Genebanks.

Genebanks are crucial for safeguarding global crop diversity but are themselves exposed to several risks. However, a scientific basis for identifying, assessing, and managing risks is still lacking. Addressing these research gaps, this study provides risk analysis for three key risk groups: natural hazards, political risks, and financial risks, carried out on a sample of 80 important national and international genebanks, comprising at least 4.78 million accessions or roughly 65% of the reported total of ex situ conserved accessions worldwide. The assessment tool of Munich Re "Natural Hazards Edition" allowed a location-specific comparison of the natural hazard exposure. Results showed that genebanks in the Asia-Pacific region are most exposed to natural hazards, while institutions in African and some Asian countries are rather vulnerable to political risks. Financing is a major problem for national genebanks in developing countries, whereas the Global Crop Diversity Trust achieved considerable financial security for international genebanks. Large differences in the risk exposure of genebanks exist, making a location- and institution-specific risk assessment indispensable. Moreover, there is significant room for improvement with respect to quality and risk management at genebanks. Transferring risks of genebanks to third parties is underdeveloped and should be used more widely.

Status of the Ex Situ and In Situ Conservation of Brazilian Crop Wild Relatives of Rice, Potato, Sweet Potato, and Finger Millet: Filling the Gaps of Germplasm Collections

This study presents the status of ex situ and in situ conservation for the crop wild relatives of rice, potato, sweet potato, and finger millet in Brazil, and the subsequent germplasm collection expeditions. This research is part of a global initiative entitled “Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change: Collecting, Protecting, and Preparing Crop Wild Relatives” supported by the Global Crop Diversity Trust. Species of the primary, secondary, and tertiary gene pools with occurrences reported in Brazil were included: Oryza alta Swallen, O. grandiglumis (Döll) Prod., O. latifolia Desv., O. glumaepatula Steud., Eleusine tristachya (Lam.) Lam., E. indica (L.) Gaertn., Solanum commersonii Dunal, S. chacoense Bitter, Ipomoea grandifolia (Dammer) O’Donell, I. ramosissima (Poir.) Choisy, I. tiliacea (Willd.) Choisy, I. triloba L., and I. cynanchifolia Meisn. The status of the ex situ and in situ conservation of each taxon was assessed using the gap analysis methodology, and the results were used to plan 16 germplasm collection expeditions. Seeds of the collected material were evaluated for viability, and the protocols for seed germination and cryopreservation were tested. The final conservation score, resulting from the gap analysis and including the average of the ex situ and in situ scores, resulted in a classification of medium priority of conservation for all the species, with the exception of I. grandifolia (high priority). The total accessions collected (174) almost doubled the total accessions of these crop wild relatives incorporated in Embrapa’s ex situ conservation system prior to 2015. In addition, accessions for practically absent species were collected for the ex situ conservation system, such as Ipomoea species, Eleusine indica, and Solanum chacoense. The methods used for dormancy breaking and low temperature conservation for the Oryza, Eleusine, and Ipomoea species were promising for the incorporation of accessions in the respective gene banks. The results show the importance of efforts to collect and conserve ex situ crop wild relatives in Brazil based on previous gap analysis. The complementarity with the in situ strategy also appears to be very promising in the country.

Conserving Crop Diversity: Connecting Agriculture, Public Gardens, and Science

Conserving Crop Diversity: Connecting Agriculture, Public Gardens, and Science

Potato spindle tuber viroid detected in seed of uncultivated Solanum anguivi, S. coagulans and S. dasyphyllum collected from Ghana, Kenya and Uganda

Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change (Crop Wild Relatives) is a project, jointly managed by the Global Crop Diversity Trust and the Millennium Seed Bank, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (RBG Kew). As part of this project, seed of 30 wild taxa…

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault: 10 Years-1 Million Samples.

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault: 10 Years-1 Million Samples.

Development of a global conservation strategy for coffee genetic resources

Collections of genetic resources are key mechanisms to reduce crop vulnerability resulting from genetic erosion and uniformity, and to supply crop breeding and research programs with novel traits and underlying genes to satisfy evolving demands. For many crops, global crop conservation strategies have provided opportunities to review the history of collections and carry out periodic assessments of their status and the challenges they face. Until recently, there was no global conservation strategy for coffee. Spearheaded by Global Crop Diversity Trust and World Coffee Research, the coffee strategy will be based on inputs from a survey of key coffee genebanks, site visits and stakeholder consultations. Through engagement of multi-national stakeholders engaged in various aspects of coffee production, processing, breeding, conservation and research, the goal of the global strategy is to ensure the conservation of coffee genetic resources for a positive, sustainable future for the production of the crop and for those dependent on coffee for a livelihood. With the identification of key urgent needs, this strategy will set the stage for global action for the long term conservation and use of coffee genetic resources, ensuring the future viability of the crop. The strategy is scheduled to be finalized by December 2016.

Emerging Trends in Seedbanking for Food and Agriculture: An International Perspective

ABSTRACTSeeds are vulnerable to a variety of threats resulting in extinction. Collection of seeds and saving them in secure facilities—seedbanks—to be shared for breeding disease-resistant varieties is the best solution. Working in the spirit of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the Global Crop Diversity Trust, the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research, and the Food and Agriculture Organization played a vital role in establishing over 1,700 seedbanks worldwide. Svalbard Global Seed Vault, known as Doomsday Vault, is an example of a global backup system for the planet's plant genetic resources.

Revised genebank standards for management of plant genetic resources

Genebanks are storehouses of genetic resources which have the primary responsibility of collecting, regenerating, conserving, characterizing, evaluating, documenting and distributing germplasm. With reference to plant genetic resources (PGR), today over 1,750 genebanks have been established worldwide, wherein 7.4 million accessions are maintained as ex situ collections in either seed banks, field genebanks, in vitro genebanks and/or cryogenebanks. To ensure that PGR are conserved in genebanks under recognized and appropriate conditions globally, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in collaboration with the International Board of Plant Genetic Resources (IBPGR) published the original Genebank Standards in 1994. Subsequently with advancements in science and technology, and changes in policy issues related to genetic resources, a need arose to revise the Genebank Standards. A consortium of global, regional and national stakeholders led by the FAO, Bioversity International, Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT), International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) andInternational Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) prepared the revised version of the Genebank Standards. During the Fourteenth Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (CGRFA) of the FAO the document on revised Genebank Standards was endorsed on 18 April 2013 and subsequently published as Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. These revised genebank standards have a universal value and utility in guiding genebank management for seeds (orthodox and non-orthodox) and vegetatively propagated crops. It can be used by genebank curators as a source of guidance for developing standard operating procedures. We have compared the draft revised Genebank Standards (2013) with the original Genebank Standards (1994) to highlight the key features, along with some historical account on genebanks and development of standards.

DEVELOPMENT OF A GLOBAL CONSERVATION STRATEGY FOR CITRUS GENETIC RESOURCES

Citrus is an economically important world tree fruit crop with production in more than 146 countries. The center of origin for citrus is considered to be Southeastern Asia including southern China, northeastern India, and Malaysia, with secondary centers in surrounding areas. Novel and commercially significant scion and rootstock cultivars originating by natural mutation or directed hybridization were introduced during the past century. Significant genetic resource collections exist in many countries. A global citrus germplasm network was developed in 1997. Now that the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGR) has recognized Citrus as an Annex 1 crop, a global conservation strategy needs to be established. The objective of this workshop was to plan the development of this strategy. More than 60 delegates attended with representation from Argentina, Australia, Bhutan, Brazil, China, Columbia, France, Iran, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, UAE, US, and Vietnam. Nine oral presentations were given describing multiple aspects of genebank operations, technologies and gaps in Brazil, China, France, Australia, Spain, and the US. A draft genebank survey questionnaire was presented to the group and comments and suggested changes for improvement were received. Citrus curators and genebank managers throughout the world will be surveyed for the status and health of their collections. The surveys will be received and compiled by collaborators at the University of California, Riverside, and at the USDA ARS Riverside. This information will be compiled and reported. The strategy will include background and history of the development of Citrus as a cultivated crop, conservation protocols, vulnerabilities, and recommendations for safeguarding Citrus germplasm. This strategy will be implemented through the Global Crop Diversity Trust with collaboration from the International Society for Horticultural Science and the international Citrus research community.

Use of Wild Relatives and Closely Related Species to Adapt Common Bean to Climate Change

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an important legume crop worldwide. However, abiotic and biotic stress limits bean yields to <600 kg ha−1 in low-income countries. Current low yields result in food insecurity, while demands for increased yields to match the rate of population growth combined with the threat of climate change are significant. Novel and significant advances in genetic improvement using untapped genetic diversity available in crop wild relatives and closely related species must be further explored. A meeting was organized by the Global Crop Diversity Trust to consider strategies for common bean improvement. This review resulted from that meeting and considers our current understanding of the genetic resources available for common bean improvement and the progress that has been achieved thus far through introgression of genetic diversity from wild relatives of common bean, and from closely related species, including: P. acutifolius, P. coccineus, P. costaricensis and P. dumosus. Newly developed genomic tools and their potential applications are presented. A broad outline of research for use of these genetic resources for common bean improvement in a ten-year multi-disciplinary effort is presented.

A GATEWAY TO PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES UTILIZATION

The world is faced with the need to increase crop productivity, develop cultivars that are better adapted to face environmental and biological constraints, and meet the needs of local communities. To meet these challenges farmers and breeders must have access to a wide range of plant genetic resources together with the essential information about the traits they possess that facilitate their utilization. Accurate characterization and evaluation data promote utilization, especially if it is available in an easily usable or standard format. Bioversity International (Bioversity) aims to stimulate the characterization and evaluation of germplasm collections by providing uniform standards for the description and exchange of information on plants. The CGIAR (Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research) centres along with crop research institutes and networks have collaborated with Bioversity in the production of standards or 'descriptors'. Crop standards are an important tool that permits the international community to find and exchange information in a 'common' language. These standards have been adopted by the GCP (Generation Challenge Programme) Ontology Consortium, FAO WIEWS, EURISCO (the European Plant Genetic Resources Catalogue), CGIAR centres and are also being promoted by the Crop Genebank Knowledge Base and GRIN. These data standards constitute the backbone of the GENESYS global portal for access to information on plant genetic resources. GENESYS heralds a new paradigm for access to and use of these resources. GENESYS 1.0 was released in May 2011 following nearly three years of development by Bioversity on behalf of the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP) and in partnership with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture and the Global Crop Diversity Trust. It brings together the passport data from three of the major genebank information networks-SINGER (the CGIAR System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources), EURISCO and GRIN, the USDA system which added further value through the inclusion of characterization and evaluation data.

GRIN-GLOBAL: AN INTERNATIONAL PROJECT TO DEVELOP A GLOBAL PLANT GENEBANK INFORMATION MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

The mission of the GRIN-Global Project is to create a new, scalable version of the Germplasm Resource Information System (GRIN) to provide the world's crop genebanks with a powerful, flexible, easy-to-use plant genetic resource (PGR) information management system. The system will help safeguard PGR and information vital to global food security, and encourage PGR use. Developed jointly by the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bioversity International and the Global Crop Diversity Trust, GRIN-Global will be deployed in selected plant genebanks worldwide in 2010. The .NET Framework and Visual Studio development environment were chosen for the project. A core set of web services, enterprise services or other technologies will update data stored locally or on networks, distribute centralized data to off-site systems, and enable third party data sharing. The database and interface(s) will accommodate commercial and open-source programming tools, be database-flexible (PostgreSQL, MySQL, MS SQL Server, Oracle) and require no licensing fees. The database will be deployable on stand-alone computers or networked systems. Iterative programming strategies will support continuous product evaluation and refinement; advanced prototypes will be extensively beta-tested. GRIN-Global supports uploading and downloading passport, phenotype and molecular marker data in a spreadsheet format. Bioversity International will deploy GRIN-Global internationally, working cooperatively to document the new system in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish, translate its interface, and implement it in developing countries. Implementation will be monitored and barriers to adoption identified. Users will evaluate GRIN-Global's impact and suggest improvements following implementation.

Trends in ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources: a review of global crop and regional conservation strategies

In 2005, the newly established Global Crop Diversity Trust initiated a consultation process leading to the development of over 30 global crop and regional strategies for the ex situ conservation and utilisation of crop diversity. These strategies represent a major undertaking the field of plant genetic resources, mobilizing experts to collaboratively plan for the more efficient and effective conservation and use of crop diversity. The strategies are reviewed for eight themes: regeneration, crop wild relatives, collecting, crop descriptors, information systems, user priorities, new technologies and research, and challenges to building a strategy for rational conservation. The themes shed light upon the status, constraints, and promising directions regarding ex situ conservation and utilization of plant genetic resources globally, and provide insight into the current challenges to planning for an efficient and effective global system. The primary constraints affecting conservation, use, and planning are the quality and availability of accession-level information, and availability of resources for regeneration, collecting, and research. A series of connected organizations working at the global level are addressing some of the major constraints in regeneration, collecting, information systems, descriptors, user involvement, and new technology development, although certain crops and regions will need additional support beyond the activities currently funded, particularly in collecting and in the development of specific conservation technologies. Achieving an efficient and effective global system will depend on active support by stakeholders, and will be aided by continuing to develop the strategies and by supporting the strategies’ recommendations for efficient and effective practices in plant genetic resources.

GLOBAL CONSERVATION OF STRAWBERRIES: A STRATEGY IS FORMED

Strawberry was listed in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources, Annex 1, as a crop of global horticultural significance. The Global Crop Diversity Trust and Bioversity International requested that a global conservation strategy be developed for strawberry. A coordinator was appointed and an international expert committee meeting was held July 5 to 8, 2006, at the US Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Clonal Germplasm Repository, Corvallis, Oregon. A questionnaire about strawberry holdings was sent to 537 international strawberry contacts. Responses were received from 37 locations in 27 countries. More than 12,000 accessions of species and cultivated strawberries are maintained at respondent locations. Roughly half of the accessions represent advanced breeding lines of the cultivated hybrid strawberry, F. ×ananassa. Six major genebanks (US, Canada, Russian Federation, Chile, Germany, and Spain) of the 20 genebanks respondents had collections of 500 accessions or more. Private corporations maintain >15,000 proprietary strawberries for internal use that are unavailable for distribution. Primary collections at national genebanks consist of living plants protected in containers in greenhouses, screenhouses, tube structures, or planted in fields. Secondary backup collections are maintained in vitro under refrigeration. Long-term backup collections of meristems are placed in cryogenic storage at remote locations to provide decades of security. Species diversity is represented by seedlots stored in -18°C or backed-up in cryogenics. The committee recommended that the capacity building of two genebanks be supported in Asia and South America. Limited resources are constraining genebanks from sufficient personnel, pathogen-free plants, secure backup, adequate facilities, and equipment. The committee also recommended that a granting system to improve facilities for and health of accessible genebank strawberries, funding for training of genebank staff in standard protocols, and coordination of characterization data using a common ontology and a web-accessible inventory should also be supported.

Genetic Conservation in a Climate of Loss: Thinking with Val Plumwood

In February 2008 the Svalbard Global Seed Vault had its official opening. The vault is a co-operative project: while its construction was largely funded by the Norwegian Government, its management also involves the Global Crop Diversity Trust and others, and its seed samples are being provided by governments and organisations all over the world. The vault is located in the Svalbard Archipelago, and has been dug into a mountainside. The project’s architects hope that the location’s remoteness—alongside a thick layer of rock and permafrost—will ensure the survival of the seed samples in the face of any political conflict or environmental catastrophes that may occur elsewhere in the world. In short, the facility aims to provide seed insurance in a time of uncertainty, instability and change. According to accounts in the press, this bank is a ‘doomsday vault carved into a frozen mountainside on a secluded Arctic island ready to serve as a Noah's Ark for seeds in case of a global catastrophe’ (Mellgren).

A 'Forever' Seed Bank Takes Root in the Arctic

SPECIES CONSERVATION LONGYEARBYEN, NORWAY— The prime ministers of five Nordic countries gathered here on the arctic archipelago of Svalbard last week to mark the beginning of a unique bunker: an underground vault that will hold up to 3 million seeds. Launched with $3 million from Norway, the project seeks to preserve the DNA of agricultural crops—the most complete such collection in the world by far. “It will contribute to ensuring our food security [and] protect our cultural heritage,” says Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. ![Figure][1] Deep freeze. Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg marks the launch of a mountainside seed vault. CREDIT: DAN CHARLES The seed bank is intended as a backup for existing collections, which have proven to be vulnerable. Collections of seeds in Afghanistan and Iraq, for example, were destroyed by war, and some of the oldest seed banks in the world, including one in Russia and a collection of apple varieties in Kazakhstan, are deteriorating. The Svalbard vault, carved into the side of a rocky, snow-streaked mountain near the town of Longyearbyen, will be built to withstand everything from nuclear war and bomb threats to global climate change. Its chief advantage is its location. Longyearbyen (population 1900) sits just 1120 km from the North Pole. During the winter, residents endure complete darkness for almost 4 months. Thanks to the Gulf Stream, temperatures in summer usually rise a few degrees above freezing, but under the surface, the earth remains permanently frozen, easing the task of keeping seeds refrigerated at −18°C. Even if equipment fails, it would be many weeks or even months before the vault reached −3°C, the temperature of the surrounding sandstone. The vault eventually will hold seeds representing almost the entire gene pool of the world's agricultural crops. Cary Fowler, executive director of the Global Crop Diversity Trust, calls the genetic diversity in existing seed collections “the most valuable natural resource in the world.” Most of those varieties vanished from fields over the past century as farmers adopted the products of modern breeding programs. So when plant breeders are looking for genetic resistance to emerging plant diseases, or for genes that may improve yields further, they often are forced to turn to the gene banks. But there will be a few gaping holes in the collection: China and a few African countries refused to include soybeans and peanuts in a recent international treaty that protects the free exchange of seeds among plant breeders. Those nations aren't likely to contribute copies of their important collections of those crops. The first seeds to arrive at Longyearbyen will come from international centers such as the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines or the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, located in Syria. After that, gene banks run by national governments will contribute additional samples. “We will limit this to unique seeds and try to avoid duplication,” says Grethe Evjen of Norway's ministry of agriculture and food. But that may be difficult because many collections aren't well cataloged. Fowler's group plans to raise $100,000 a year to operate the seed bank. Some scientists believe that preserving and deepening knowledge of these collections is as important as preserving the seeds themselves. “If the people who know about the collections are gone, I would say that 75% of the utility will be gone,” said Major Goodman, a specialist on maize at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Of the half-dozen top maize specialists worldwide, he said, almost all are nearing retirement: “For maize, we need at least eight young people trained in this area.” The prospects for so many positions appear bleak. But the Svalbard vault may help. “It's extremely good publicity,” says Geoffrey Hawtin, former director of the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute in Rome. “It captures the public's imagination.” [1]: pending:yes

The global crop diversity trust: developping strategies towards efficient and effective ex situ PGR conservation

The Global Crop Diversity Trust (the Trust) aims to support the long-term maintenance of an efficient and effective arrangement for the ex situ conservation of the most important crop collections around the world. To achieve this goal, the Trust is supporting the development of conservation strategies that will guide the allocation of resources to the most important and needy crop diversity collections. The strategies are identifying appropriate roles for the holders of collections as well as for other individuals and institutions concerned with the conservation, regeneration, documentation and distribution of crop diversity. The Trust is supporting two complementary and mutually reinforcing approaches. One is to identify key ex situ collections of globally important crops (Annex 1 of the ITPGRFA) on a region-by-region basis. The other is to prioritize collections on a crop-by-crop basis at the global level. This process brings together the managers of plant genetic resources and other experts to develop and implement the most cost efficient and effective strategies for ensuring the long-term conservation and availability of the crops that are vital to the world’s food security. The strategy should consider the most appropriate approach to managing the eligible collections, given their location and available resources, and the standards they should be expected to fulfill in the management of the given crop. Finally, it will propose a model for sharing responsibilities for certain activities amongst collection holders and service providers, and identify and prioritize collections for long-term conservation support. In addition, they will identify priority needs for upgrading support.