IPGRI in Europe

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The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) is aninternational scientific organization, supported by the ConsultativeGroup on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IPGRI’s mandateis to advance the conservation and use of plant genetic resources forthe benefit of present and future generations. IPGRI’s headquarters arein Maccarese near Rome, Italy, with offices in another 22 countriesworldwide. It operates through three programmes:

• the Plant Genetic Resources Programme• the CGIAR Genetic Resources Support Programme• the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and

Plantain (INIBAP)

Cover illustration:Fruit and vegetables market in Bucharest.Ilona de Boreghyi

Citation:IPGRI. 2001. Regional Report Europe 1999–2000. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy.

ISBN 92-9043-492-9

IPGRI, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00057 Maccarese, Rome, Italy© International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 2001

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IPGRI in Europe

Europe 1999–2000

Foreword 1

The Europe region 2

IPGRI in Europe 4

European networks 5

Research in Europe 15

IPGRI staff in Europe 22

Acronyms 23

Contents

About this report

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The report highlights some particularly significant achievements ofIPGRI’s activities in Europe in 1999–2000 and describes the impact thatthis work is having.

Past achievements of IPGRI in Europe are detailed in IPGRI’s pre-1999series of Annual Reports. Further information is available from IPGRI’sWeb site, http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org

A tradition of collaboration has always characterized the genetic resources communityin Europe, with an open and free exchange of genetic material and related information,in line with the original principles outlined in the Food and Agriculture Organization ofthe United Nations (FAO) agreement called the International Undertaking on PlantGenetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) in 1983, now the InternationalTreaty. Most east and west European countries support a multilateral system for theopen access to PGRFA.

Farmers, plant breeders, forest owners, researchers, non-governmental organizations,government agencies and private companies all contribute to and benefit from theconservation and sustainable use of genetic resources. The multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral nature of plant genetic resources, and the importance of coordinating activitiesamong the different stakeholders, is well recognized throughout Europe. Most countrieshave in place either a national programme or a mechanism to coordinate work andresponsibilities.

The CBD and other major international agreements emphasize that the strategic needsof countries can only be met if national genetic resources programmes bring togetherthe full range of expertise and knowledge of all stakeholders. National coordination isvery important to make the best use of available human, financial and technicalresources and to maximize the overall effectiveness of efforts throughout the country.National coordination is essential for raising awareness of decision-makers about theimportance of genetic resources, and for providing the country with a unified voice ininternational fora. Efficient international collaboration can make an importantcontribution in creating synergies among the different sectors and communitiesconcerned with promoting the conservation of plant diversity in each country. The spiritof collaboration that currently prevails among national programmes in Europe presentsthe opportunity to seek a regional approach to this challenge.

Jozef Turok Geoffrey HawtinRegional Director Director General

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As early as the 1920s, the Russian plant explorer Nicolai Ivanovich Vavilov firstnoted that diversity of domesticated crops was not uniformly distributed around theworld. While most areas of high plant diversity are located in the sub-tropical andtropical regions, Europe hosts primary centres of diversity for a number of crops,including cereals, legumes, fruits, vegetables, industrial crops, oil crops, forages,medicinal and aromatic plants. Of these species, several are important cropscommonly grown in other parts of the world. Europe is also a secondary centre ofdiversity for species brought there in classical times (e.g. citrus) or in later periods(e.g. tomatoes). These species have since developed distinct properties through theselection work of breeders and farmers. Europe is also home to a great diversity of‘potentially’ useful plants, which could make a substantial contribution to agriculturaldiversification and provide people with a more varied diet, for example rocket,capers, water cress and liquorice.

The main cause of genetic erosion in agriculture is the replacement of local varietiesby high-yielding commercial ones. In many east European countries, for instance,collectivization and the establishment of large farms accelerated the replacement of

traditional varieties. The success of plant breeding in producing new varieties and the effects oflegislation in restricting seed trade to certified varieties resulted in the almost totaldisappearance of landraces and old cultivars of most crops in western Europe. The concernabout the continued maintenance of crop genetic diversity is, therefore, primarily a problem ofmodern agriculture. Urbanization, land drainage, large-scale irrigation and environmentaldegradation also contribute to the genetic erosion of both cultivated and wild species.Overgrazing has caused the impoverishment of native grasslands.

Most European countries have well-established genebanks that meet internationallyrecommended standards. In some countries the genebanks have national status and hold thecountry’s base collections for all or a large range of crops, for example in the Czech Republic,Greece, Hungary, Israel, the Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey. TheNordic Gene Bank, since its establishment in Alnarp, Sweden in 1979, has a regional mandateon behalf of the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden). In Austria,France, Switzerland and the UK, the genebanks have a mandate for the conservation ofparticular crops or crop groups. Most of the newly independent states of the former SovietUnion do not have a genebank. Until the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, the N.I. VavilovResearch Institute of Plant Industry in St. Petersburg, holding one of the largest germplasmcollections in the world (see story on page 19), directed activities throughout the former Union.Genebanks and other institutes in Europe maintain a total of over 2 million accessions,approximately one third of the global ex situ germplasm holdings. The sheer size of thecollections, the workload involved in maintaining and making them available for breeding, andthe uncertainty about the future needs of breeding programmes make it impossible for onesingle country to maintain and effectively exploit all potentially useful genetic resources.Documentation is a basic prerequisite for sharing responsibilities and for ensuring the better useof genetic resources. The use of collections by breeders, research and other users is the explicitgoal of most genebanks. Systems promoting access to data about the collections are in placeonly in a limited number of countries, even though the number of countries with establisheddocumentation systems has doubled during the past 10 years. A well-managed, computerizeddocumentation system facilitates cooperation among countries and institutions holdinggermplasm (see page 7).

Efforts to conserve diversity initially focused on collecting and storing seed samples ingenebanks. However, as a consequence of the increased recognition of the importance ofdynamic in situ conservation of biodiversity, especially following the adoption of the CBD in1993, many new initiatives for in situ conservation and on-farm management of geneticresources have been started in European countries. A wide diversity of wild relatives of cereals,grain legumes, fruits, vegetables, forages and medicinal and aromatic species is located in the

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Mediterranean and in the Caucasus, while the northern part of Europe harbours wild diversity offorages and industrial crops such as hops, oil and fibre crops. The in situ conservation of theseindigenous resources with agricultural importance so far mostly occurs as an incidental benefit ofmeasures to protect species or habitats within nature conservation systems. Practical approachesand techniques, linking nature protection with in situ conservation of genetic resources of usefulcrop plants, are still very rare (see page 10).

Forest genetic resources in the regionThe geographic region of Europe includes ecologically diverse, temperate, boreal andMediterranean types of ecosystems. Many of the tree species found in Europe have a widedistribution range across national boundaries. Even though the interdependence of countries inforest genetic resources may not be as explicit as in the area of plant genetic resources, Europeancountries have similar concerns and share the influence of similar traditions in forestmanagement. This provides a common basis for joint conservation efforts. Besides transboundaryatmospheric pollution and overall changes in the environment, principal reasons for the loss offorest genetic diversity include past intensive management and the effects of clearcutting,decreasing population sizes, artificial selection and uncontrolled movement of reproductivematerial. The introduction of genetic material from other regions to establish plantations has alsohad an impact on the patterns and structure of forest genetic diversity in the wild.Forest tree species typically have substantial levels of genetic diversity, thought to be the highestamong all plant organisms. These high average levels of intra-specific diversity enable populationsto adapt to the environmental conditions they face during their very long life cycles. Dynamic insitu conservation is, therefore, the main approach to conserving the genetic diversity of long-lived,largely outbreeding and undomesticated forest tree species.

Natural regeneration is the generally favoured silvicultural approach, both for conifers andbroadleaved forest tree species because it supports biological stability and maintains the broadgenetic diversity of stands. Forestry works overall with genetic material from the wild. Foreststands with superior phenotypic performance are certified as seed sources for reforestation ornew afforestation programmes. These seed stands are usually viewed as in situ conservation unitsby national regulations. A number of countries in Europe have identified and designated networksof stands with the specific purpose of gene conservation. Ex situ conservation measurescomplement this approach, and include establishing clonal archives and seed orchards of specificspecies, seed and pollen genebanks. The species conserved are generally those of economicimportance for timber production or for reforestation. Seed storage in seed banks is commonlyused in a few (conifer) species, and the possibilities of long-term storage are limited due totechnological constraints.

It is widely recognized that the efforts to conserve and enhance forest genetic resources forpresent-day and future use include three elements:

• the genetically sustainable management of productive forests• conservation of genetic diversity in protected areas• tree breeding.

Differences among races or ecotypes of trees growing in different ecogeographic areas suggestthat the geographic variation observed is due to hereditary factors: when grown together, treesfrom different origins, called provenances, differ in growth rate, branch habit, phenology and otheradaptive traits. Since the first trial was established decades ago, a lot of research work has beenundertaken to improve the theory and practice of provenance testing for a number of forest treespecies. The overwhelming result of provenance testing has been to demonstrate excellentadaptation of local provenances. In order to design forest genetic conservation strategies, reliableinformation is needed about the level, patterns and processes of genetic diversity. The geneticinformation can be obtained from field trials and genetic marker studies, but is still very limited formost tree species (see page 13).

IPGRI has a long history of activity in Europe, starting in 1974 when the Institute identifiedthe Mediterranean as an area for priority attention. The early emphasis of theMediterranean programme was on exploring and collecting crops most threatened bygenetic erosion, particularly food legumes, cereals and vegetables. Most of the directwork with Europe’s national programmes is concentrated within IPGRI’s Regional Officefor Europe, based in Rome. This Group is responsible for collaboration with all countriesof geographic Europe including Israel, and extending as far east as the RussianFederation and the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union. The activities ofthe Europe Group cover 54 countries located in the region.

IPGRI’s focus is on the promotion and development of national and regional strategies forplant genetic resources conservation and use. The Europe Group provides advice tocountries needing help in establishing and managing national genetic resourcesprogrammes. This includes providing detailed studies on the structure of existing nationalprogrammes and recommendations for their improvement. Another key dimension ofIPGRI’s European strategy is to promote training and the transfer of technology among

European institutions and national programmes indeveloping countries.

One of IPGRI’s three programmes, the InternationalNetwork for Banana and Plantain, INIBAP, which itselfhas a network structure (Web site, www.inibap.org/), is also located in Europe but focuses on nationalprogrammes in developing countries. INIBAP, with its very close links to Centre de CoopérationInternationale en Recherche Agronomique pour leDéveloppement, France (CIRAD), is based inMontpellier, France, with the INIBAP Transit Centre inHeverlee in Belgium (see page 18).

IPGRI, through its Europe Group, provides theinternational coordinating secretariat for the EuropeanCooperative Programme on Crop Genetic ResourcesNetworks (ECP/GR) and the European Forest GeneticResources Programme (EUFORGEN). Regional staffcontinue to provide direct support to national systems

through promoting, encouraging and participating in national workshops and seminars.National workshops in Bulgaria and Romania held during the years 1998–1999 broughttogether different groups and identified areas where urgent assistance was needed toensure the security of germplasm collections. As a result of these workshops, projectproposals were developed to raise funding for genetic conservation. A project associatingLuxembourg and three southeast European countries is already underway to conservebroad-leaved forest genetic resources. The Group participated in preparing projectproposals with partners in the countries of the Caucasus. While eastern Europe and theindependent states of the former Soviet Union continued to be a priority for IPGRI’sactivities in Europe, national coordination meetings were attended in Hungary, Italy andthe UK in 1999. Participation of east European countries in the European Union (EU)-funded projects actively supported by the ECP/GR and EUFORGEN programmescontributed to ensuring the continuity of national systems in the countries concerned.They include genetic diversity studies, surveying, collecting, characterization andevaluation of genetic resources, documentation and information.

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IPGRI has worked to develop an efficient networkingapproach to genetic resources since its early days. Networkslink members with common interests, allowing them to shareresources, information and technologies. IPGRI’s work inEurope is based on a number of networks, operating underthe umbrella of ECP/GR and EUFORGEN—two networkingprogrammes coordinated by IPGRI’s Regional Office forEurope.

ECP/GREstablished in 1980, ECP/GR is one of the oldest of the genetic resources networkingprogrammes. Its original objectives included creating a system to promote direct contactamong national programmes and institutions involved in crop genetic resources activities.Since then the initiative has gradually expanded its objectives to promote exchange of up-to-date information on genetic resources and to promote joint activities such as documentation,collecting expeditions, characterization and evaluation of germplasm. It provides a forum toassist its 34 member countries to implement the FAO’s Global Plan of Action (for theConservation and Sustainable Utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture)in the European region.

The Programme promotes an environment of permanent partnership among Europeancountries. ECP/GR has been a successful catalyst to allow diverse but highly motivatedindividuals and institutions to carry forward the conservation activities that ultimately constitutethe core of the Programme. For this reason, ECP/GR continues to serves as an excellentexample of an approach that IPGRI can utilize throughout its programmes.

Mode of operationECP/GR operates through 10 networks, of which seven are crop-specific and three have athematic focus. The networks act through 12 Working Groups, on Allium, Avena, barley, Beta,Brassica, forages, grain legumes, Malus/Pyrus, Prunus, umbellifer crops, potato and wheat.Central elements of these working groups are the European Central Crop Databases. Thereare currently 34 databases, each of them managed by an institute in one of the participatingcountries.

Making full use of the complementarity among the different networks, the past few years haveseen ECP/GR shift emphasis from establishing and standardizing databases to the morepressing work of characterizing and evaluating existing accessions and the effectivedistribution of related information. Network Coordinating Groups establish priorities for actionfor the extended range of crops covered by the network. Responsibilities are shared amonginstitutions and countries. Group members ensure effective links among ECP/GR and thestakeholders at the national level. The Programme also has an extensive Internet presencewith the Web site providing information on ECP/GR publications and reports, the contactdetails of all Working Group and Network members and, most importantly, on-line access tomost of the central crop databases.

ImpactECP/GR’s most significant achievement remains its development of the European central cropdatabases for 34 species, groups of species or genera of crop plants. The databases,currently located in 18 countries, have grown steadily through the different phases of the Euro

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Programme to become comprehensive inventories of thegermplasm held in European genebanks. They assembleinformation dispersed in many different locations of the regionconverge at a central location. The databases are widely used asthey all contain passport data and, to an increasing degree, alsoinclude characterization and evaluation data. In recent years, theProgramme has been making more and more of the databasesavailable over the Internet through the European InformationPlatform on Crop Genetic Resources (see p. 7). This initiative hasproven extremely useful to users, making up-to-date data onavailable accessions instantly available on-line.

IPGRI has produced more than 40 publications to disseminate the results of ECP/GR work,including meeting reports and germplasm catalogues. These publications are distributed freeof charge to the relevant Network members and through them, or directly by IPGRI, tointerested readers in national programmes. Information on ECP/GR activities is also availablefrom the Internet (http://www.cgiar.org/ecpgr). Communication and diffusion of results are alsofacilitated by the existence of the ECP/GR list servers (http://www.ngb.se/lists) managed bythe Nordic Gene Bank as an input in kind to the Programme.

Since its establishment, the Programme has been instrumental in the submission of a largenumber of collaborative project proposals to funding agencies, such as the EuropeanCommission. The impact of this well-established partnership among the ECP/GR stakeholdersis shown, for example, by the number of project applications by ECP/GR Network membersfor collaborative research that were successful. From 1998 to 2000, six projects worth1.5 million euros were funded. In particular, the project for a European Plant GeneticResources Information Infrastructure, submitted to the Fifth Framework Programme of the ECin 1999, and approved for funding in 2000, was developed within the ECP/GR Documentationand Information Network.

ECP/GR achievements and impact 1999–2000The so-called Cambridge Phaseolus collection has been partly regenerated by Italian institutesin an emergency action, required by the reduced level of viability reached by the seeds.Multiplied accessions were returned to Wellesbourne, UK and safety duplicates were sent toLinz, Austria, together with the germplasm information recorded during the rescue operation.

The Programme has led to a relatively high degree of harmonization of characterizationactivities on a crop-by-crop basis, by facilitating the preparation of international descriptorlists. In order to make data easier to exchange, between 1997 and 1999 all Networks adoptedthe FAO/IPGRI Multicrop Descriptors. This standardization speeds the flow of information. TheNetworks also took other decisions that make the data more useful. Recommended sets ofpriority Descriptors were identified for the Allium, Brassica, grain legumes, Malus and Prunusdatabases. Common standard varieties were identified for sunflower, forages and Prunus thatwill allow users to make meaningful comparison of the results of evaluation trials from differentlocations. The Malus/Pyrus Working Group drafted guidelines for standard evaluationprocedures; the Umbellifer Crops Group actively participated in the revision of the recentlypublished IPGRI carrot Descriptors. The Allium and the Prunus Groups are leading the effort toproduce new IPGRI Descriptors for Allium and almond.

The Forages Working Group, held in Portugal in November 1999, agreed on recommendedstandards for regenerating germplasm accessions.

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The ECP/GR Programme has promoted the use of a wider range of diversity in breeding andhas supported the development of international evaluation projects and the establishment ofcore collections. From 1998 onwards, the Working Groups have established core collections forAvena, Brassica and Lolium. All of the Groups continue to develop this concept and test itsusefulness: work that is allowing IPGRI to transfer this successful technology to otherinstitutions throughout the world.

The programme has promoted alliances among countries, by bringing together researchers ona more informal basis, or by actually supporting the collaboration of east and west Europeaninstitutes, e.g. within EU projects.

• Collaboration between Germany and Poland for research on cryopreservation and garlic• Collaboration between Germany and Russia in the area of documentation (Russian

database of the ECP/GR Glycine database trained and supported by ZADI).• Support for the participation of non-EU members in all of the projects on genetic resources

funded by the EC under regulation 1467/94.• Mobilization of the Forages Network to reconstitute the forages collection of Albania, which

was lost after the civil unrest in 1998 by identifying and sending to Albania forages samplesconserved in European genebanks.

ECP/GR has contributed significantly towards raising awareness of policy-makers and theagricultural research community on the importance of conserving genetic resources. This hasled to an increase in plant genetic resources related activities in the region, and an increase inthe number of countries participating in the Programme. In recent years member countrieshave increased from 30 to 34, with inclusion of Estonia, Macedonia, Slovenia and Armenia.

Scientists from other European countries, including Albania, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Latvia,Moldova, Russian Federation and Ukraine were supported to attend specific ECP/GR meetings.

ECP/GR’s information and documentation networkECP/GR established its Internet Advisory Group in 1997 to provide database managersthroughout Europe with technical advice on how to develop on-line central crop databases.As a result, it was possible to establish an information platform providing access to informationabout resources conserved in genebanks throughout the region. By making full use of the

ArmeniaAustria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany

Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Lithuania Macedonia (FYR) Malta Netherlands Norway Poland

Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey United Kingdom Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro)

Countries participating in ECP/GR (as of October 2000)

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opportunities given by continuing developments in communication and computer technology,all the crop databases will eventually be accessible. By mid-2000, on-line access wasavailable to databases on Agrostis, Allium, Avena, barley, Brassica, Bromus, Cicer, Dactylis,Festuca, Glycine, Lathyrus, Lolium, maize, Malus, perennial Medicago, Phalaris, Phaseolus,Phleum, Poa, Secale, Trifolium and wheat. The platform also provides access to other regionaland global crop-specific databases such as the System-wide Genetic Resources Programme(SGRP).

European plant genetic resources information infrastructure

Following a joint funding application, in 2000 the EuropeanCommission approved a project to establish the European PlantGenetic Resources Information Infrastructure (EPGRIS). This 3-year project is coordinated by the Center for Genetic ResourcesThe Netherlands (CGN). The project facilitates designation ofgenebank staff to act as national inventory focal persons for eachEU member or associated state. These staff, in consultation withECP/GR National Coordinators, are creating national inventoriesof PGR, which are maintained by the support centres in CGN.The Nordic Gene Bank (NGB) and ZADI will host selected projectstaff for individual countries, with their own resources, as part ofthe Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) of the CBD as well as partof the implementation of the Global Plan of Action.

The main objectives of the project are to build capacity innational programmes to develop national inventories and toestablish a search catalogue with passport information of plantgenetic resources maintained ex situ in Europe, which isfrequently updated and publicly accessible via Internet. Thiscatalogue will be called EURISCO, which stands for EuropeanInternet Search Catalogue, and in ancient Greek means ‘I find’.

At the end of the project EURISCO will contain data on at least 70% of the plant geneticresources accessions held in the EU and associated states.

The current situation in this field of genetic resources’ documentation in Europe is complex.Apart from the documentation systems maintained by individual institutes, there are severalsystems that combine data from a number of institutions. Some of these are accessible on-line; in particular the European central crop databases. These crop-based databases partlyoverlap with the institution-based databases. To overcome this, EURISCO will provide a singleentry point, guiding the user to the resources required within Europe. The system willcomplement the Genetic Resources Information System of the United States and the CGIARsystem SINGER. EURISCO will provide the European user with community access to most ofthe plant genetic resources maintained in European genebanks, thereby improving theconcept of the information platform.

Sharing responsibilities for conservationIn 1999, the Working Group on Beta decided to try implementing a mechanism for sharingresponsibility for conserving germplasm, in an attempt to increase the efficiency ofconservation activities and to reduce unnecessary duplication of efforts.

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The GPA recommends sharing the responsibilities forconserving plant genetic resources for food andagriculture among countries. The main optionsdiscussed within ECP/GR are sharing responsibilityon an accession basis, with each country takingresponsibility for a number of accessions, or on acrop-by-crop basis, where a few countries takeresponsibility for entire crop collections. A thirdoption would be to share responsibility in anintegrated way on a sub-regional basis. In fact, the crop-by-crop option was already being appliedunder the bilateral agreement between Germany andthe Netherlands, whereby CGN-Wageningenmaintains the responsibility for seed-propagatedpotato species, while BAZ-Braunschweig takes careof the Beta collections. If genebanks could focus their capacities and expertise on specificgenera this would contribute to a more efficient management of genebank holdings. However,a number of ECP/GR Crop Working Groups have begun to develop a decentralized system forsharing of conservation responsibilities on an accession basis among European institutions.This option would allow each country to develop and improve its own system of conservationand to ensure long-term conservation of the accessions of national origin. Advances incommunication and documentation technology make it possible for a very decentralizedsystem to be centrally accessible and user-friendly. As national programmes and institutionsadapt their priorities and activities accordingly, the system would gradually evolve into a morecentralized system with certain institutes becoming centres of excellence for particular crops.

In the case of the Beta Working Group, the agreed procedures begin with genebanksidentifying the most original samples (MOS) recorded in the crop database. The genebank withthe most original sample maintains the material under long-term conservation on behalf of allthe partners, ensures that it is duplicated elsewhere and provides unrestricted access to theaccessions. Subsequently, in 1999, the Forages Working Group also decided to adopt theMOS approach to sharing responsibility. This allows all the collection holders to focus theirpriorities on the original material for characterization, evaluation and multiplication fordistribution. The elements of any system of responsibility sharing depend, to a very largeextent, on goodwill and transparent procedures, areas in which ECP/GR has a distinct comparative advantage.

Collaborative links between ECP/GR and the EU In recent years, ECP/GR has been able to capitalize on its extensive Network links throughoutEurope and enable several non-EU countries to collaborate with projects supported within theframework of EU Regulation EC1467/94 aimed at genetic resources activities in membercountries of the Union. ECP/GR complemented the activities funded by the EU, by providingsupport for the participation of non-EU countries in the project meetings. In some cases fundswere also provided to carry out the actual project activities, such as translating existingpassport and characterization data into agreed European Central Crop Database format,characterizing, evaluating and computerizing passport data for accessions of national origin,and evaluating them for agronomic traits and resistance to disease, biotic and abiotic stresses.As a result, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey sentpassport, characterization and evaluation data to the European Prunus Database. The CzechRepublic, Poland and Russian Federation provided passport, characterization and evaluationdata to the International Database for Beta. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, RussianFederation and Ukraine provided passport, characterization and evaluation data for inclusionin the European Potato varieties database.

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Within an EU-funded project on Allium geneticresources, a collaborative activity wassupported among Poland and the IPK Instituteof Gatersleben, Germany on long-term in vitroconservation of European vegetativelypropagated Allium collections. The projectobtained some very interesting results oncryopreservation techniques for garlic. Thelong-term conservation of vegetatively

propagated Allium germplasm in field collections is expensive, labour intensive and unsafe inthe long-term because of the threat of disease. Using genotypes from Polish and Germancollections the project established optimal conditions for successful vitrification andregeneration of apices from bulbils and cloves of garlic. The cryopreservation techniqueestablished was successfully applied to garlic genotypes from both the German and the Polishcollections, and subsequently disseminated through ECP/GR members.

The impact and significance of these collaborative links is becoming more evident as workproceeds. The collaboration is allowing much highly significant data to be fed into an EU-sponsored project, to its benefit, as well as allowing a flow of valuable information to the non-EU collaborators.

Emergency assistance by ECP/GR partnersECP/GR is able to identify emergency situations throughout Europe and beyond with itsnetwork structure. Recently this ability proved its worth when ECP/GR was able to mobilizeemergency assistance to the Albanian forage collection. By the end of 1997 the Albaniancollection of forage genetic resources had been completely lost through civil unrest. TheWorking Group on Forages coordinated the request for material to reconstruct the Albaniancollection. The managers of the forage databases identified accessions of Albanian origin heldin a number of European genebanks. Subsequently, germplasm was sent to Albania by CGN,The Netherlands, the Israeli Gene Bank, the Lithuanian Gene Bank, the Nordic Gene Bank andthe Vavilov Institute (VIR). The Albanian forages collection rapidly recovered after the jointeffort. The Forage Research Institute at Fushë-Krujë is responsible for collecting, evaluatingand describing the material, in collaboration with the National Centre of Seed and Seedlings atTirana. The Forage Research Institute now holds accessions of Medicago, Trifolium, Melilotusofficinalis, Lotus corniculatus, Glycine, Vicia, Pisum, Lathyrus, Avena, Hordeum, Lolium,Festuca, Dactylis and Phleum.

In situ conservation and on-farm management In 1998, ECP/GR agreed to broaden its focus to encompass in situ conservation and on-farmmanagement of genetic resources in Europe. Both are complex areas but very relevant to thecurrent networking activities. Preliminary work has shown that the management of wildspecies in genetic reserves and on farms requires much more attention if they were not torepresent major weaknesses in the implementation of the GPA in Europe. In situ conservationis highly interdisciplinary because of its dynamic process and the interaction of wild relatives ofcrop species within the ecosystem. Managing genetic resources on farms is a wide-rangingand complex socioeconomic area. Successful approaches need to complement existingECP/GR ex situ conservation strategies. An In Situ and On-farm Conservation Network wascreated with two task forces dealing with wild species conservation in genetic reserves andon-farm management and conservation.

To look at wild species conservation, ECP/GR inventoried existing examples of in situconservation projects in Europe and neighbouring regions (see box). Task force members

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identified the most successful models to develop a consolidated list of guidelines andmethodologies for the practical implementation of in situ conservation of wild relatives. Basedon this work, project proposals were developed for genetic reserve conservation of wildcereals and wild Brassica. Another more strategic project will locate, catalogue and assist inthe genetic reserve conservation of PGRFA in Europe. The main outputs will be providingadvice for reserve management, enhanced use of economically important European flora anda pilot in situ conservation methodology.

In 2000 an inventory of European experiences of on-farm management by members ofECP/GR showed a wide range of approaches, species maintained, institutes involved,motivation for maintenance and types of support for this conservation strategy see box). Thesurvey confirmed that traditional agriculture did not survive in regions where modern cultivarshad been introduced. In most cases, landraces are cultivated in marginal areas as part ofsmall-scale traditional farming, but some cases were found where prime agricultural lands arebeing used to produce traditional varieties for specialized markets. Organic and biologicalproduction in particular is an increasingly important market in many European countries. Not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations and farmers’ associations are veryinterested in on-farm conservation, so both the formal and informal sectors can benefit greatlyfrom close collaboration. The on-farm task force identified several mechanisms for improving relations among formal and informal sector institutions, including greaterrepresentation and participation of NGOs in ECP/GR activities.

In 1998 Georgia established an agrobiodiversity protection society called ‘Dika’ to:

• preserve, recover and introduce endemic cultivated plant species and local varieties into Georgian agriculture

• disseminate information on agrobiodiversity protection and conservation and the utilization ofplant genetic resources

• train the human resources needed for the conservation and utilization of plant genetic resourcesin Georgia.

With the support of the German organization Renovabis, Dika is implementing a project on thepreservation and revival of Georgian agrobiodiversity that includes activities such as theidentification, collection, genebanking and reintroduction of original endangered local geneticresources into farmers’ fields. More than 50 small-scale farmers took part in the initiative and half ofthem selected varieties and landraces as their main production crops that the project had acquired.According to Dr Taiul Berisvili, the project leader at the Institute of Botany in Georgia, more than300 local varieties are now being successfully conserved in the genebank that would otherwise stillbe lost to agriculture.

Agrobiodiversity conservation in Georgia

The Plant Production Inspection Centre (KTTK), Seed Testing Department carried out a project in1997–1999. The project proposed a system of characterization, registration and on-farmmaintenance of landraces and old cultivars of cereals and forage grasses and legumes. Thissystem encouraged research, conservation and the sustainable use of landraces and old cultivars.The farms where the landraces have been cultivated for decades were listed in order of thesignificance of the material they were conserving. In the case of registered old cultivars, breedersprimarily maintain cultivars, although they may pass this task on to the farmers. Within the system,the KTTK Seed Testing Department acts as the registering authority, and is responsible for varietalresearch, registration, contracts, maintaining the official contract list and following up maintenancework. The farmers may apply for support for their on-farm management work.

Finland’s formal sector involved in on-farm management

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EUFORGENIPGRI is involved in forestry work in Europe mainly through the European Forest GeneticResources Programme (EUFORGEN). This programme began operation in 1994 and now has 34 member countries (see box). The second five-year phase (2000–2004) of the Programme was officially launched on 1 January 2000

How EUFORGEN worksIPGRI collaborates with FAO to coordinate the Programme. EUFORGEN is overseen by aSteering Committee that includes National Coordinators nominated by participating countries.These countries provide funding for the Programme through a membership contribution. The Programme’s objectives are to coordinate and promote the in situ and ex situ conservationof Europe’s forest genetic resources, to facilitate the exchange of genetic material andinformation, and to increase public awareness of the need to conserve forest genetic resources.

In its second phase, the Programme operates through five Networks:

• Mediterranean Oaks (which started as the Quercus suber Network)• Populus nigra (black poplar);• Conifers (originally the Picea abies Network);• Noble Hardwoods; and• Social Broadleaves (temperate oaks and beech).

The species selected reflect national conservation priorities and cover different ecogeographicaldistribution patterns and reproductive systems. Network members include forest geneticists andspecialists from member countries who work together to analyze national and regional needs,exchange experiences and develop conservation methods. The Programme is particularlyconcerned with providing guidance for the development of national policies and encouraginglong-term national strategies and activities on forest genetic resources.

The Networks focus on developing inventories of genetic resources, creating shared databases,technical guidelines and lists of descriptors, exchanging germplasm, and identifying commonresearch needs and joint projects. The EUFORGEN Networks also collaborate closely withnational conservation programmes to promote the establishment of national forest reserves. Cooperation is not restricted to Europe; Networks also liaise withIPGRI regional offices and FAO networks on species common to more than one region. For example, the Quercus suber network cooperated with north African countries on theconservation of cork oak and it is expected that the newly established Mediterranean OaksNetwork will continue to do so.

AlbaniaArmenia Austria Belarus BelgiumBulgaria CroatiaCyprusCzech RepublicDenmarkEstoniaFinland

FranceGermanyHungaryIrelandItalyLatviaLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMoldovaNorwayPoland

PortugalSlovakiaSloveniaSpainSwedenSwitzerlandThe NetherlandsTurkeyUkraineUnited Kingdom

EUFORGEN members (as of October 2000)

Selected Network activitiesThe Populus nigra Network has established an invaluable corecollection that includes representative clones from the entiredistribution area of the species. The collection is a particularlyuseful tool for the standardized evaluation of national collections. Itcan be propagated and sent to interested institutes along withinformation about the material.

Network members often work together on externally fundedprojects. The Quercus suber (Cork Oak) Network successfullydeveloped an EU-funded project to evaluate the genetic resourcesof this species, which was completed in 2000.The project made itpossible to establish provenance tests in seven countriesthroughout the distribution area. Close collaboration existsbetween the Populus nigra (Black Poplar) Network and another EUproject on genetic diversity in riparian ecosystems called‘EUROPOP’.

One of the most successful activities conducted by the EUFORGEN Networks has been todevelop gene conservation strategies and technical guidelines. These have been developed for a number of tree species during the year 2000, including: noble hardwoods—maples (Acer spp.), elms (Ulmus sp.), ash (Fraxinus spp.), alder (Alnus spp.), rowan (Sorbus spp.),chestnut (Castanea sativa) and walnut (Juglan regia); rare wild fruit trees such as wild cherry,pear and apple; Conifers—Norway spruce (Picea abies); Mediterranean Oaks—cork oak(Quercus suber); and black poplar (Populus nigra). The strategies provide guidance to Networkmembers and stimulate activities at the national level.

The Pan-European strategy on elms (see Box) that was jointly developed by the EUFORGENNoble Hardwoods Network and the EU-funded project on elms is a good example of the levelof detail that is required for a successful effort at conserving these valuable genetic resources.The case study of elms can be viewed as a condensed example of the many kinds of difficultiesthat can be met when undertaking the genetic conservation of forest tree species.

Strategy for the conservation of the genetic resources of European elmsThe European elms are three ‘large species’ with different biological andecological features that require different gene conservation strategies. Thepresent knowledge of the taxonomic and geographic partitioning of geneticvariation within each of these large species is fragmentary and sometimescontroversial. However, it provides a basis for a pragmatic combination of insitu and ex situ conservation measures as well as indications for furtherresearch. In elms, rarity and endangerment do not occur at the species levelbut rather at intra-specific level. Just as for other common noblehardwoods, the goal is to ensure the conservation of the evolutionarypotential of the elm species rather than strictly preserve the present state oftheir genepools. Dutch elm disease poses probably the most criticalproblem, but certainly not the only one. Habitat fragmentation is also amajor issue in the conservation of marginal populations of the Europeanwhite elm (U. laevis).

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A comprehensive strategyResearch, breeding, conservation and forest management are not consideredindependently in developing a strategy for elm conservation. Progress in one of theseactivities enables progress in the other fields as well. The link between research andconservation activities should particularly be emphasized, such that sampling forconservation and genetic studies are coordinated and reinforce each other. The samesituation applies for geographic scale. Gene conservation programmes can be undertakenseparately in different countries, but they are certainly more efficient when coordinated.

Two different and complementary courses of action are urgently needed: to collect andimprove genetic knowledge on elms and to implement and rationalize conservationactivities in a pan-European perspective. Such actions need to be decided and carried outat country level, but it is the task of the EUFORGEN Noble Hardwoods Network to identifyneed and indicate priorities.

In spite of today’s facilities for exchange of information, existing knowledge is not alwaysfully disseminated. The Network can encourage translations and literature reviews wherenecessary. The Network can also highlight research fields of major importance and assist indeveloping project proposals. Applied research, such as developing resource inventoriesand monitoring of changes in genetic diversity, is also be promoted.

It is the role of the Network to contribute to the rationalization of sampling throughout thedistribution range and to hold record of all relevant general data on conservation units andcontact persons or services. Links with other EUFORGEN Networks should be encouragedfor the development of a common ‘habitat’ approach. Awareness must also be raisedthrough publications and the Internet.

At country level, research and conservation activities must necessarily be a compromisebetween the needs already identified and the funds allocated to the projects. Prioritiesshould be given to preserving endangered natural populations and existing ex situcollections (if any). Inventories and preselection of conservation units should come next,together with raising awareness about genetic conservation methods among forestmanagers and environmentalist organizations. If possible, this preliminary phase shouldinclude studies of genetic variation. Finally, long term conservation management should beensured in carefully selected populations, representative of a significant portion of elm

diversity in the country and from a Europeanperspective.

Ex situ conservation must be regarded ascomplementary to in situ conservation. In the caseof elms, it will mainly consist in the conservation ofclonal copies of genotypes, and be employed whenemergency measures are needed for rareendangered populations (e.g. U. glabra in Sicily) andwhen populations are too small to be managed insitu (e.g. risks of genetic drift). It will also beconvenient for U. minor, which generally does notform real ‘populations’ but complex mixtures ofclonal populations in which taxonomic diversity andtolerance to Dutch elm disease can be targetedusing stratified sampling methods. In addition, exsitu conservation is an excellent means for buildingcollections easily available for research work.

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This section highlights some of IPGRI’s most interesting research that has been done in theregion in 1999–2000. Firstly, some very successful work from Armenia is described onconserving wild relatives of the country’s food crops. Secondly, this section describes howscientists from Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania have been developing conservationstrategies for broadleaved tree species in the Balkans. Southeastern Europe harboursglacial refuge zones characterized by high within-species diversity values for a multitude oftree species. Finally, some groundbreaking work is detailed on molecular markers in thegenus Fraxinus that is allowing easy assessment of genetic diversity in the trees, leadingon to more efficient in situ conservation.

Conserving wild relatives of crops in Armenia

Armenia possesses many species of wild relatives ofdomestic crops, including three of the four known wildspecies of wheat (Triticum boeticum, T. urartu and T.araraticum), many species belonging to the genusAegilops (i.e. Ae. tauschii, Ae. cylindrica, Ae. triuncialis)and wild relatives of rye and barley. Wild apple and pearspecies grow in most of the forest types in the country,together with wild forms of fruit and nut plants (e.g.quince, apricot, sweet and sour cherry, walnut, pistachioand fig). The Caucasus Mountains form a significantfeature of the country determining much of thecharacter of the biodiversity.

Land privatization, forest reclamation works and otherdevelopments have removed considerable areas of thehabitat of these species particularly in the mountainousareas of the Caucasus. A few natural parks and reserves have been established to protectthe habitats of these resources and Armenia’s natural endemic species. In the Koshrovreserve it is still possible to find wild pear species. Wild relatives of cereals occur in theErebuni national reserve. Hundreds of species of crop wild relatives are under protection inthe Yekhegnadzor protected zone including ancestors of wheat and other cereals and ofimportant fruit tree species.

Despite these achievements, Armenia still lacks adequate information on its biodiversityand natural resources, particularly on the status and distribution of wild crop relatives.Because of this need, Armenia is taking part in a Global Environment Fund (GEF)/UnitedNations Environment Programme (UNEP) project that is looking at how to secure theseimportant resources in five ‘pilot’ countries (Armenia, Bolivia, Madagascar, Sri Lanka andUzbekistan). The one-year project development phase (starting at the end of 2000) willinitiate the design of a full GEF project to strengthen the conservation and use of crop wildrelatives, involving major stakeholders at all levels. It will also develop a system forinformation access and management with worldwide application for conservation actions.The first component will be to create an information management and access systemcapable of linking together data held by the partner countries and by a number ofinternational agencies. The project will be an important contribution to the implementationof national action plans and international agreements such as the CBD and the GPA.The project has taken its unique approach because of the difficulties that have beenencountered in developing and implementing effective plans to conserve crop wildrelatives. Several thousand species make up the most important 200 crops in the world

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and therefore it is difficult to determine species status or conservation priorities at nationalor global levels. Furthermore, the amount of diversity present in the crop wild relatives islarge and needs different handling techniques compared to their related crops. There arealso taxonomic problems and lack of knowledge of species characteristics necessary todeveloping conservation plans. The information required to develop effective programmesis highly dispersed both at national and international levels and often in turn dispersedamong the agricultural, forestry and environmental sectors. It is therefore fundamental to asuccessful project to bring together all the relevant partners, often from differentgovernment ministries, to develop effective conservation plans. The Armenian partnersinvolved in the project are the Ministry of Nature Protection, the Laboratory for PlantGenetic Resources Armenian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Institute of Botany ofthe National Academy of Sciences and the Forest Research and Experimental Center ofthe Ministry of Nature Protection. Armenia has a strong commitment to the implementationof this project, being signatories of the Convention on Biological Diversity, having acommitment to plant genetic resources conservation and use, and recognizing the centralimportance of stakeholder involvement in conservation and involving communities andlocal NGOs in the work.

Broadleaved forest tree species in southeastern Europe

Southeastern Europe, in particular the Balkan Peninsula, is a region that is rich inindigenous broadleaved forest resources valued for their quality and natural diversity. Thisdiversity is due to the adaptation of populations to the very different ecological conditionsin several phytogeographic zones, as well as the mountainous nature of the region with itsgreat elevations and various soils.

A number of forest tree species are very common, like the economically importantEuropean broadleaves such as European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), sessile oak (Quercuspetraea (Matt.) Liebl.) and pedunculate oak (Q. robur L.), while other species of thesegenera such as Dalechamp’s oak (Q. dalechampii Ten.) and Italian oak (Q. frainetto Ten.)are endemic to the region and are quite rare. Other broadleaved species, e.g. maple andash (Acer campestre L., A. platanoides L., A. pseudoplatanus L., Fraxinus excelsior L., F. ornus L. and F. angustifolia Vahl), have scattered distribution patterns but arenevertheless particularly valuable for their ecological role in the species mixed ecosystemand for the high quality timber they provide.

Certain broadleaved tree species have received particular attention in conservation, treebreeding and afforestation programmes in Bulgaria, Moldova and Romania This is due totheir ecological and economic importance, and because of the growing threats to theirgenetic resources such as industrial air pollution, repeated extreme summer drought andsubsequent attack by pests and diseases

In 1997, IPGRI initiated a three-year collaborative project with Bulgaria, Moldova andRomania on genetic resources of broadleaved forest trees, funded by the Government ofLuxembourg. The project aimed at consolidating and further developing nationalprogrammes on the conservation and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in thethree countries, all of which share similar natural conditions and forest managementtraditions.

An integrated approach was chosen that included the in situ conservation of geneticdiversity in native forests, as well as further development and use of advanced

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technologies for ex situ conservation. This approach was the best way to maintain thegenetic diversity in long-lived, largely outbreeding and undomesticated forest tree species.The activities undertaken included developing maps of ecogeographic distribution areas for13 tree species, compiling databases of seed stands and gene conservation units, as wellas developing and applying micropropagation techniques for priority species (incollaboration with the Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann, Luxembourg).Databases of forest gene conservation units, including ecogeographic data, were alsocompiled. Seed stands and forest reserves currently represent around 2–3% of the totalforest area covered by the respective species.

The existing knowledge of the patterns of ecogeographic variation in the region had to becombined with genetic information from field trials or genetic marker studies. A pilot studywas started using microsatellite markers on common ash (Fraxinus excelsior) in Bulgaria.The study assessed microsatellite variation at six specific loci on the DNA molecule,because this technique is rapid, accurate, sensitive and straightforward to use. Samplingwas carried out in three natural regions with different environmental conditions in western,central and northeastern Bulgaria. All the areas revealed very high diversity within thepopulations, with no relationship among within-population diversity and age ormanagement type of a common ash stand. In fact, 93.1% of the total genetic diversity waslocated within populations; 36% of the rest was found among regions and 64% amongpopulations. Further sampling was carried out in Romania and will also be done inMoldova to obtain a complete picture of the genetic diversity in the Region.

The knowledge obtained through the various project activities provides a solid basis fordeveloping and implementing integrated genetic conservation strategies by the nationalprogrammes in the countries involved. It helped to identify priorities for the conservation ofdiversity both within and among species, particularly for the rare and threatenedbroadleaved species, which have often been neglected in the forest management and treebreeding surveys. As result, several principles of the genetically sustainable managementof forest were developed and passed on to the national forest services:

• natural regeneration, which supports the biological and economic stability andcontinuity of forest stands, should be promoted where possible

• for artificial regeneration, planting stock should originate from mating within the samepopulation

• silvicultural management should give due attention to preserving the adaptability of theprincipal as well as important associated species

• due attention should also be given to evaluating and identifying new potential geneconservation units

• reproductive material should be collected from seed stands and used according to thenational rules and legislation.

The data related to risks and value of resources will need to be integrated into a decision-making framework that can be used for genetic conservation management in terms ofpriority species, populations and interventions in the future. The consolidation of the resultsobtained by the project will be the main task of Phase II of the project, which is expectedto start in early 2001. The main objective of this follow up phase will be to create theconditions for sustainable management of forest genetic resources in the participatingcountries. Intra-specific diversity of the different species will be characterized and mappedby using molecular tools and this will provide a measure of the level of genetic diversityand a baseline for monitoring how much genetic change over time or as a consequence ofdifferent management practices.

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INIBAPThe International Network for the Improvement of Bananaand Plantain (INIBAP), one of IPGRI’s three mainprogrammes has its headquarters in Montpellier, Franceand maintains the international Musa germplasm collectionat the Katholeik Universiteit Leuven (KUL) in Belgium.

The germplasm collection consists of over a thousandaccessions, with new samples added and distributedevery year.

Material transfer agreementsIn 1999, in line with CGIAR policy, INIBAP introduced a new material transfer agreementcovering the distribution of INIBAP’s ‘in trust’ germplasm collection designated by FAO. Atthe same time, INIBAP also introduced a germplasm acquisition agreement and a materialtransfer agreement for improved varieties acquired from breeding programmes. Theseagreements provide a framework within which improved germplasm can be distributed byINIBAP without restriction, while binding recipients to negotiate commercial use withgermplasm suppliers.

Research on Musa viruses Research on Banana streak virus (BSV) at the University of Minnesota and CIRAD’sDépartement des productions fruitières et horticoles (CIRAD-FLHOR) has proved that viralparticles are integrated into the Musa genome. Some apparently virus-free plants developinfections of BSV following propagation by tissue culture. In contrast to the virion DNArecovered from natural infections, which is highly variable, the virion DNA from tissue-culture-associated infections has been found to be highly similar, if not identical. Thisessential information will make future work on eliminating BSV much easier.

Other work on eradicating viruses from infected banana plants is being carried out at theUniversity of Gembloux, with funding from the Belgian Agency for DevelopmentCooperation. Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) was completely eradicated from the cultivarWilliams BSJ by using meristem cultures from in vitro plants. This avoids the need forthermotherapy, which reduces the survival of the meristems. Preliminary results indicate thatthe technique may be also be useful to eliminate the episomal form of BSV.

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INIBAP’s Musa Germplasm Information System (MGIS) provides a powerful to support geneticresources management. The results of characterization research from 11 national, regional andinternational collections are collated in a single database, which is administered by INIBAP. Thedatabase and its contents are available on CD-ROM and in various published forms, such asMusalogue.

A second version of MGIS (MGIS 2.0), incorporating improvements suggested by users, is nowavailable, together with an updated User’s guide. At the end of 1999, 3662 records ofaccessions were held, including 977 taxonomic descriptions, 1177 agronomic evaluations, 300evaluations to stress and 490 photos. Further developments to ensure access to MGIS via theInternet and to streamline data flow between MGIS and the SINGER database are planned for2000.

See also INIBAP’s Web site at: <http://www.inibap.org>

Providing information

M. Häkkinen

Genetic transformation to improve MusaINIBAP is sponsoring ground-breaking research to establish a way to transform bananaplants by introducing foreign genes into tissue cultures, So far, genetically transformingplants by introducing Agrobacterium into the culture has proved to be very efficient.Transgenic plants have been obtained by introducing the gusA reporter gene intoembryonic cell suspensions (ECS) of the Three Hand Planty variety. The average frequencyof transformation of cells in four independent experiments was close to 18 plants per co-cultivated plate, approximately 10 times the rate obtained by particle bombardment.Furthermore, analysis by Southern hybridization, picking up the correct integration of t-DNA, suggests that methods involving Agrobacterium achieved 100% levels oftransformation with low (one or two) numbers of insertion sites.

National programmesMost countries coordinate their activities on genetic resources through a national system,committee or programme. IPGRI has found it extremely efficient to collaborate directly withthese systems as they have a central role in conserving and using genetic diversity.

The far-reaching changes in eastern Europe since the break up of the Soviet Union havehad a dramatic effect on genetic resources programmes in the region. Under the SovietUnion, the N.I. Vavilov Institute in St. Petersburg coordinated an all-Union programmeamong the newly independent states. Following independence and under rapidly changingpolitical and economic conditions, many of these countries were faced with developingnew national genetic resources programmes and finding ways to fund them. Manyinstitutes holding germplasm were privatized or changed scope. The funding crisisthreatened a number of valuable germplasm collections and required urgent financial andtechnical assistance from the international community. From the beginning of the 1990sIPGRI was been working hard to assist affected countries to access international support.Over the past 10 years, IPGRI has made a great deal of progress towards establishingnational committees on genetic resources, but moving from there to implementing nationalprogrammes has been difficult due to lack of funds, facilities and personnel. To respond tothis situation, IPGRI provides varied kinds of support to national programmes in easternEurope. This section highlights two of the most significant recent activities: working withRussia to preserve the legacy of N.I. Vavilov and successfully building up a new nationalprogramme in Romania.

Vavilov’s legacyThe VIR in St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, is one of the world’s oldest and mostprestigious institutes dedicated to working on plant genetic resources. It holds a largecollection of crop germplasm, comprising more than 300 000 individual seed samples of2000 species. Named after the famous geneticist Nicolai I. Vavilov, the Institute has beencollecting, characterizing, conserving and using genetic diversity for more than 75 years.

Because of the particularly complex transition period in Russia, VIR has experiencedsevere reductions both of staff and infrastructure. The break-up of the former Soviet Unionmade it difficult to management the collections at the headquarters in St. Petersburg. Theeconomic crisis made the genebank more difficult to support so the quality of storagedeclined rapidly. In response to these difficulties, the international community providedeconomic aid in a series of rescue operations during the 1990s. Although this relieved VIRof the most immediate problems, many others remained.

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IPGRI led the efforts to provide urgent financial and technical assistance to VIR. As aresult, equipment had been provided to maintain the long-term viability of VIR’s collections,including field equipment required for seed processing and multiplication, as well as in vitroequipment to enable the storage of species that cannot be stored by the usual methods.Collections held in cold rooms at some VIR substations, for example Kuban in the south ofRussia, were under threat because of irregular electricity supplies. Therefore, emergencygenerators were purchased to provide an autonomous power supply. Most of theseactivities, undertaken during 1994–1997 were funded by the United States Agency forInternational Development (USAID) through IPGRI. In addition to securing the immediatesecurity of the most valuable collections, IPGRI advised VIR in developing new modes ofcollaboration among the Institute and its former stations located outside of Russia. Bilateralagreements were reached between VIR and Kazakstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan forthe regeneration of accessions. The documentation system of the Institute and itscommunication infrastructure were also significantly improved.

At a request made by VIR, aninternational taskforce was setup in 1997 to review the situationand to secure the collections inthe long term. In response to thisrequest and existing directcontacts among the RussianAcademy of AgriculturalSciences, VIR and IPGRI, anInternational Consultative Group(ICG) was established. Membersof the Group were identified witha range of expertise from variouscountries, including geneticresources management, plantbreeding, documentation and

business administration. Phase One, namely a detailed review of the current situation andmode of operation of the Institute was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers andchaired by the NGB in 1998. The report resulting from this review, which included a numberof missions to VIR’s stations in different parts of Russia, outlined several options to meetthe long-term needs of VIR.

During 2000, a new long-term storage facility was built in St. Petersburg, which will allowfor the long-term storage of around 10 000 accessions. Facilities for cryopreservation ofspecific parts of the collection are also under construction. This important upgrading of theInstitute’s storage facilities has been possible mainly due to the financial assistanceobtained from proceeds of a seed sale delivered to Russia as part of US economic aidpackage last year. Also in line with the recommendations provided by the ICG, the currentmanagement strategy of the Institute gives high priority to the need of rationalizing itscollections in terms of national priorities and priorities for the Commonwealth ofIndependent States of the former Soviet Union, and to restructuring the current extensivenetwork of field stations.

Emergency assistance to the Romanian National Genebank Romania and IPGRI collaborated to address the threats that Romania’s economic andpolitical instability posed to the sustainable management and conservation of the

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The N.I. VavilovAll-RussianResearchInstitute ofPlant Industry,St. Petersburg,RussianFederation.

country’s valuable genetic resources. Facing serious staff and budget cuts, the NationalGenebank in Suceava and other Romanian institutions organized an IPGRI-fundedworkshop in 1998 that highlighted the need for urgent action to conserve the uniquegenetic resources of Romania.

Storage conditions at the Romanian National Genebank in Suceava were threateningthe conservation of the irreplaceable national collection, with over 10 000 uniqueaccessions, 74% indigenous and 68% landraces. The high electricity consumption ofthe ancient refrigeration system meant that running just one of the four available coldstorage chambers consumed the whole budget. Meanwhile, staff were forced toneglect the urgent regeneration of the majority of the stored accessions. Acomprehensive project to improve the collection and upgrade the storage anddocumentation facilities was prepared by genebank staff with IPGRI assistance andsubmitted to FAO in 1999. While this was being considered, IPGRI financed somecritical measures because the need to immediately begin protecting the valuableaccessions was urgent.

IPGRI upgraded the long-term storage facilities of the national genebank by installing acooling unit and insulating one cell at –20°C duplicated recently regenerated materialinto long-term conditions to reduce the high regeneration load, improved thedocumentation of the collections and standardized the databases with the otherbreeding institutes in Romania to allow easier exchange of information. These initiativesensured a minimum level of conservation of Romanian germplasm while long-termsolutions were developed. This project successfully triggered international interest inthe critical situation of the National Genebank. A technical cooperation project wasapproved by FAO in 2000 for this project application.

The capacity of the Romanian national programme has also been enhanced throughregional collaboration and information exchange within the ECP/GR Networks. Romaniais a participating member in five crop Working Groups of ECP/GR and has recentlybecome involved in the newly formed In Situ and On-farm Conservation Network.An important aspect of Romania’s complementary conservation strategy is anincreased emphasis on on-farm conservation in areas of the country where traditionalagricultural practices are still commonplace. Discussions are taking place to develop aproject to document on-farm conservation practices, evaluate biodiversity withinfarmer’s varieties and establish a programme for monitoring changes in biodiversity andfarming practices as Romania’s rural communities are increasingly introduced tomodern farming methods. The project will be implemented in three different sites in theCarpathian Mountains where some relict and endangered crops such as Triticummonococcum, are still cultivated: Depresiunea Radauti—Obcina Brodinei (Bucovina),Valea Izei (Maramures) and Depresiunea Brad—Halmagiu (Apuseni Mountains).

The socioeconomic studies to be undertaken in the selected sites will provideinformation on farmer’s environments, knowledge and perception of the studied crops.It will also provide a better understanding of the importance of those crops to the localcommunities as well as the structure of such communities managing and conservingthese resources, such as wealth, age and gender. This is an important issueconsidering Romania’s long history of agricultural traditions. The expected impact ofthis project will be the long-term support and sustainability of agricultural systems, thatare particularly suited to smallholders, combining both the conservation of geneticdiversity, allowing important characteristics to evolve to their specific environment, andassuring a minimum level of productivity.

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Dr Jozef Turok Regional Director/EUFORGEN Coordinator

Mr Simone Borelli Scientific Assistant, Forest Genetic Resources

Ms Brigitte Laliberté Scientific Assistant, Crop Genetic Resources

Ms Elinor Lipman Scientific Assistant

Mr Lorenzo Maggioni Scientist, ECP/GR Coordinator

Ms Muriel Colas Programme Assistant to Regional Director

Ms Lidwina Koop Programme Assistant to ECP/GR (part time)

Ms Olga Spellman Programme Assistant to ECP/GR (part-time)

Ms Audrey Chaunac Programme Assistant to Regional Director (temporary)

Ms Marisa Sartore Programme Assistant to ECP/GR (temporary)

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BAZ Bundesanstalt für Züchtungsforschung an KulturpflanzenBBTV Banana bunchy top virusBSV Banana streak virusCBD Convention on Biological DiversityCGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural ResearchCGN Center for Genetic Resources, The NetherlandsCHM Clearing House MechanismCIRAD Centre de Coopération Internationale en

Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement, FranceCIRAD-FLHOR CIRAD’s Département des productions fruitières et horticolesEC European CommissionECP/GR European Cooperative Programme on Crop Genetic Resources NetworksECS Embryonic cell suspensionsEPGRIS European Plant Genetic Resources Information InfrastructureEU European UnionEUFORGEN European Forest Genetic Resources ProgrammeEURISCO European Internet Search CatalogueFAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United NationsGEF Global Environment FundGPA Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and

Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and AgricultureICG International Consultative GroupINIBAP International Network for the Improvement Banana and PlantainKTTK Plant Production Inspection CentreKUL Katholeik Universiteit LeuvenMGIS Musa Germplasm Information SystemMOS Most original samplesNGB Nordic Gene BankNGO Non-governmental organizationPGRFA International Undertaking on Plant Genetic

Resources for Food and AgricultureSGRP System-wide Genetic Resources Programmet-DNA transferred DNAUNEP United Nations Environment ProgrammeUSAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentVIR N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Research Institute of Plant IndustryZADI Zentralstelle für Agrardokumentation und -information

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ISBN 92-9043-492-9