Global Strategy for the Ex Situ Conservation of Potato - Global Crop ...

facilities and storage methods vary substantially between collections. Finally, the health
status of the potato germplasm is not always adequate, and safety duplication is not a
common practice yet (see 5.4.6, 5.4.7 and 5.4.9). The questionnaire also revealed that
general management practices have seldom been documented in written procedures and
protocols as part of some form of a quality management system (see 5.4.10). The
participants in the Lima workshop recognized this deficiency and formulated during the
workshop a project to establish minimum conservation standards (see 7.2)
6.5 Networks and partnerships
As summarized above, a number of networks and partnerships in potato genetic resources
exist, in particular APIC, ECP/GR, and specific project-oriented partnerships involving CIP
and other genebanks (see 5.5). Participants in the networks and partnerships meet
irregularly. Participants of the Lima workshop stressed the importance of improving the
existing networks and increasing the number of partners. In addition to these networks and
partnerships, it was suggested to establish a global Consortium to oversee the
implementation of the potato conservation strategy, at least consisting of the organisations
represented in the Lima workshop. At the the workshop such Consortium was established. It
was decided that all curators of the participating genebanks (see list Annex 2b) in the Lima
workshop would be members of the Consortium. In addition, representatives of other
relevant potato collections, notably those held in Poland, Hungary, Spain, China, India and
Japan could join the Consortium Regular meetings, organized once in every 3 to 4 years,
similar to the Planning Conferences organised by CIP before 1987. Such consortium would
be a useful tool to further develop and implement a rational potato conservation system and
could advise if appropriate on the implementation of the activities supported by the Trust.
6.6 Proposed steps towards a rational potato conservation system
During the Lima workshop the discussions focussed on major elements of a rational system.
Initially, nine major elements were discussed.
1. Improvement and extension of the documentation in existing international and regional
databases as developed by APIC and ECP/GR; data of not yet incorporated collections
should be included, and the information of already included potato collections should be
updated.
2. Rationalisation of collections, using passport data and other relevant information obtained
from phenotypic and molecular characterisation
3. Collaboration in setting standards for conservation, including regeneration, storage
(facilities and safety distribution), and health aspects.
4. Need for urgent regeneration of endangered accessions.
5. Health screening in order to improve the health of potato germplasm to allow safe
distribution; production and distribution of test kits for virus detection is regarded an
important prerequisite in improving germplasm health.
6. Training in genetic resources management, including in health aspects.
7. Filling gaps in the collections, concerning species of the genepool not yet represented at
all or under-represented in the collections.
8. Improving the safety duplication of the collections.
9. Repatriation of germplasm and associated information to countries of origin.
In the process, the participants of the workshop determined an order of priority for these nine
elements from the perspective of urgency. Five priority elements were identified for further
elaboration into proposals for future projects to be submitted for support by the Trust (see
Chapter 7).
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