Plant Genetic resources: Advancing conservation and use through

Biotechnology

ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic ResourcesNew Delhi 110012

Jyoti Kumari

Plant Genetic Resources• Plant genetic resources

– Genotypes of particular species, collected from different sources and geographical origins, for use in plant breeding to develop new cultivars

• Germplasm of a crop may be defined as – The sum total of hereditary material i.e. all the

alleles of various genes, present in a crop species and its wild relatives

Plant Genetic Resources

Plant Genetic Resources

• Basic raw material for genetic improvement including designer species

• Reservoir of useful genes

• Critical component for food, nutrition, environmental and household security

Global vs. Indian scenario

Importance

One of the 12 world mega biodiversity centers and 17 mega diverse nations One of the 8 centers of origin of crop plants

Three of the 34 Hot Spots of Biodiversity- Himalayas, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats

India: facts

Role of Genetic Resources in Increasing Food Production

NETWORK COLLABORATORS

NBPGR and its 10 Regional Stations

59 National Active Germplasm Sites (NAGS) comprising ICAR Institutes, Project Directorates, NRCs, AICRPs, SAUs

Other National Stakeholders

International Collaborators

NBPGR(The Nodal Institute)

Plant Genetic Resources Management Plant Genetic Resources Management SystemSystem

Second largest base collection in NGB (~0. 4 m accessions of over 1300 crop species)

PGR management activities

GENETIC DIVERSITY COLLECTEDGENETIC DIVERSITY COLLECTED

Genetic Variability

Trait Specific

Wild Relatives

CHARACTERIZATION AND EVALUATIONGermplasm characterized/evaluated: 1,90,000Biochemical evaluation: 10,000

Samples given to researchers for utilization: 3, 75,000

Field days

~3,000 Promising genetic stocks

Multi-location/Collaborative evaluation- 10 cropsMinimal Descriptor list published43 field crops and 148 Hort. crops

Catalogue published87 catalogues in 45 crops

Core setsSesame, brinjal, okra, mungbean, wheat and chickpea

• To screen for traits related to biotic stress and abiotic stresses

• The facility is being created to cater to the researchers of NARS

• It will add value to the genetic resources and hence increase their utilization particularly to address the issues emerging from climate change

Phenotyping and Agricultural Phenomics

PGR USED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF VARIETIESAgricultural Crops : 3300

Horticultural Crops : 1407

Core collectionsCore collections

Method

• A core collection is a subsample of a larger germplasm collection that contains, with a minimum of repetitiveness, the maximum possible genetic diversity of a species

• Provide an effective approach to improved the access to a diverse genepool particularly to that comprise large genebank collections

Core Collection5% - 10%

Main Collection1000s accs

Exploration: An alternative approach - FIGSExploration: An alternative approach - FIGS

• Focused Focused • Identification of Identification of • Germplasm Germplasm • StrategyStrategy

Underlying concept Underlying concept Distribution of genetic variation is a function of the Distribution of genetic variation is a function of the relationship between genotype, environment and relationship between genotype, environment and conscious or un-conscious selection - evolutionary conscious or un-conscious selection - evolutionary processes.processes.

Pre-breeding

Pre-breeding is the step before practical breeding. Its aim is “To introduce new desirable traits/genes

into an adapted genetic background. This will broaden the genetic base in a breeding material in pace with environmental changes.”

A vital contribution of pre-breeding is increasing the total genetic diversity in crops and finding specific genes and traits.

It is vital link between conservation of PGR in gene bank collections and utilisation of these resources in agriculture and horticulture.

Application of Biotech Tools

•Exploration & Collection: Tissue culture, Molecular markers•Conservation: Molecular markers, Tissue culture and cryo-preservation•Genomic resources: Gene clonong, genetic engineering, molecular markers•Quarantine: Molecular markers for pathogen detection•Utilization of germplasm- marker techniques, embryo rescue (prebreeding), cloning

PGR Management through Molecular Markers

• Isozyme markers• RFLP• RAPD• ISSR• AFLP• Microsatellite markers• Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNPs)• Sequence based markers

Use of Molecular Markers in PGR Management

• Diversity analysis of Germplasm Phylogenetic relationship Development of core collection Gene flow study

• DNA Fingerprinting Germplasm identification Genetic purity/ Genetic stability Identification of duplicates• Gene discovery Association mapping Allele mining• Trait specific germplasm Identification and Validation

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DNA FINGERPRINTINGDNA FINGERPRINTING

DNA fingerprinting protocols have been developed using STMS, AFLP, ISSR, RAPD and SRAP techniques in 34 crops and 2215 cultivars have been fingerprinted.

Specific molecular markers for seed purity testing of commercial hybrids of cotton, pearl millet and sorghum and identification of citrus rootstocks developed

DNA fingerprinting protocols have been developed using STMS, AFLP, ISSR, RAPD and SRAP techniques in 34 crops and 2215 cultivars have been fingerprinted.

Specific molecular markers for seed purity testing of commercial hybrids of cotton, pearl millet and sorghum and identification of citrus rootstocks developed

• Genetic resources are basic to gene discovery and their use in crop improvement including transgenic development

• TILLING & ECOTILLING

Search for Gene is a Continuous Process

Gene prospecting and Allele mining

Indian Rice Germplasm as Source of Important Genes (Identified through SNPs)

TraitTrait SourceSource GeneGene

Submergence toleranceSubmergence tolerance FR-13FR-13 Sub 1Sub 1

Salt toleranceSalt tolerance PokkaliPokkali

Nona BokraNona BokraSaltolSaltol

SKC1SKC1

Drought toleraneDrought tolerane Nagina-22Nagina-22

Kala KeriKala Keri

-(gene not -(gene not characterized)characterized)

BLB resistanceBLB resistance O. LongistaminataO. Longistaminata

Bhog Jeera 1Bhog Jeera 1Xa 21Xa 21

Xa 13Xa 13

BPH resistanceBPH resistance O. nivaraO. nivara --

• It will comprise of genomic DNA including DNA of rare and endangered species, genomic & cDNA libraries, BAC libraries, gene constructs and promoters etc.

• A single-window system for sharing genomic resources

• Efficient utilization of genomic resources

• A mechanism to check biopiracy

National Genomic Resource Repository

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Conclusion

Genetic resource is a gold mine and we have to make substantial long term investment for exploiting its full potential

Without an intelligent and judicious use of PGR it will be difficult to achieve sustainable advances in agricultural production

in vitro culture and cryopreservation – important tools to collect and conserve genetic resources in difficult crops

Molecular markers techniques – strong tool for PGR management in conservation, collection, utilization of PGR

"Every time we lose a species we break a life chain which has

evolved over 3.5 billion years," -- Jeffrey McNeely, IUCN Chief

Scientist.

Thank you