Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres

What distinctions can one usefully draw? In my view, the most useful characteristics concern the
time scale over which genetic resources are conserved. For the formal sector, exemplified by gene
banks, long-term storage is the goal. In that the plant material is usually not growing (accepting
exceptions such as clonal orchards and in-vitro collections), this is the closest one comes in crop
plants to ex-situ conservation. The informal sector, by contrast, is generally concerned with
relatively short-term conservation, and more with ensuring that genetic material remains available
for use by growers. In that the plants spend most of their time in their natural, cultivated habitat,
this is the crop plant equivalent of in-situ conservation. But, as I say, the distinction is sterile, and
I would hope that it will soon be replaced by a distinction between long-term and short-term
conservation, while accepting that the notion of short-term conservation will take some getting
used to.
HDRA Heritage Seed Programme
I come now to examine in more detail the work of one element of the informal sector. The Henry
Doubleday Research Association is dedicated to researching, demonstrating and promoting
environmentally friendly growing techniques. It claims to be Europe's largest organic
organisation, with some 20,000 members. The Department of Genetic Resources is the smallest
of HDRA's five departments, but has a historic link with HDRA's founder, Lawrence Hills. He
campaigned vociferously for the conservation of plant genetic resources starting in the 1960s, and
later was instrumental in gaining support for a National Vegetable Seed Bank at Wellesbourne.
At the same time, Lawrence Hills established a Seed Library for members of the HDRA, a library
that I now manage.
The Seed Library contains more than 500 accessions from about 50 crops; it is hard to be more
accurate because some of the accessions I discovered when I took over the Seed Library have not
yet proved themselves to be viable. We have three main sources for our accessions. The minority
come from seed companies who were the registered maintainers of commercially available
varieties. When these companies drop a variety from the National List they sometimes supply a
sample for our Seed Library. Another small group of accessions are varieties that are
commercially available somewhere in the world. By far the largest proportion, however, come
to us from other seed savers in the UK and elsewhere in the world. Some of these are definitely
commercial varieties that have been maintained by amateurs. Others are definitely heirlooms that,
as far as their donors know, have never been offered commercially. And a few have been treated
as heirlooms but are probably (or possibly) of commercial origin. As a general rule, we do not
turn down any variety we are offered.
The Genetic Resources department's stated mission is: to conserve as much crop biodiversity as
possible and to make as many varieties available as we can. This formally embodies the joint goal
that typifies the informal sector, of conservation through utilisation. However, the very legislation
that makes the existence of the Seed Library necessary also makes it impossible easily to fulfil our
mission, because the simple sale of seeds of unregistered varieties is illegal. For that reason, the
department operates what is essentially a club, the Heritage Seed Programme. For an annual fee,
members receive a quarterly newsletter and other information, discounts on publications and
activities, and the choice of up to five varieties each year.
We frankly acknowledge that many members regard the Heritage Seed Programme as no more
than a somewhat unusual seed supply merchant, and no more, a source for varieties that happen