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

The above researchers agreed to take up their positions in the Consortium’s advisory group.
It is at the discretion of the Trust how the Trust wishes to make use of this structure in
implementing its own potato conservation strategy and to manage project funding.
The Solanaceae meeting to be held from 23-28 July 2006 in Madison could be extended
with two days for a meeting of the advisory group. The finally selected pre-proposals could
be elaborated in more detail at this meeting. Support of the Trust for the participation in the
Madison meeting of potato curators, who have no own funding to participate, would be most
welcome. In this meeting a coordinator acting as the focal contact person for the Trust could
be appointed at the request of the Trust. Considering the funding policy of the Trust (see box
7.2) there will be a need for counterpart contributions to realize the projects described in the
pre-proposals. The advisory group could take the lead in getting counterpart contributions. A
possibility for financial support may be EU funding (INTAS programme), necessitating the
inclusion of European partners (genebanks) in projects to be supported.
8.2 Implementation of capacity building and upgrading of individual collections.
Chapter 7.2 provides information on the needs for capacity building and upgrading of seven
genebanks in Latin America and Russia. With regard to training in major genebank functions
as listed in Table 2, CIP and several genebanks in Europe and North America are willing to
play a role. They have already offered to assist in capacity building (Annex 6b). The widely
reported needs for improvement of health screening was only met by offers from two
institutions. In the past, CIP has trained young researchers in this field and it has knowledge
and facilities for this activity. The Trust may thus consider supporting a course in this field
organised by CIP. However, implementation of improved health screening requires facilities
in the genebanks concerned. Five out of the seven genebanks indicated that their facilities
for health screening and maintenance of the collections are suboptimal. It did not become
sufficiently clear which exact requirements these genebanks have. However, the Trust may
consider support for these genebanks in improving facilities for the conservation of native
cultivars. Further investigation of these needs is suggested.
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