Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres
Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres Integration of Conservation Strategies of Plant Genetic ... - Genres
K. Ham m er evaluated, in vegetables there is still a lot of work to be done. An overview on the intensive evaluation work in the Gatersleben collection is presented by Hammer et al. (1993). Further evaluations are the precondition for the use of genebank material in plant breeding. Table 7 shows the number of released cultivars in eastern Germany for which material of the Gatersleben genebank was used during the breeding process. There are quite similar relations between the crop groups as in table 6 stressing the close connection between further evaluation and released cultivars. The brief demonstration of the main activities of the Gatersleben genebank shows that they are concentrated toward collecting, maintaining and use of plant genetic resources for plant breeding although there has been developed a considerable part of research for genebanking itself (see Hammer et al. 1993) which, in turn, is useful and necessary for all programmes that deal with the maintaining of biodiversity. The paradigma of plant genetic resources work A critical survey of ex situ conservation (Hammer 1993a) is necessary to develop a new and more integrated approach toward conservation and use of plant genetic resources. The main facts of criticism are connected with what has been described as the paradigm of plant genetic resources (Hammer 1993c). This paradigm is based on the fact that the diversity of landraces is displaced with increasing speed by a few modern and uniform cultivars. Accordingly the only possibility for conserving the tremendous variation in cultivated plants threatened by genetic erosion should be the inclusion of the material in genebanks. Even at the beginning of the 80ies there have been prognoses that landraces and local material under farm cultivation will have disappeared by the end of our century. Now we known that this prediction has been guided by the paradigm and gradual change was already visible in the second half of the 80ies mainly because of the activities of the NGOs and the growing awareness of genebanks that the future of plant genetic resources is not exclusively connected with ex situ reproduction. Some critical issues of genebank activities Critical issues of genebank activities cover a broad spectrum from political-economical and sociological to natural-scientific reasons. Only a few will be mentioned here which seem to be of importance in the context of this paper. 1. Genebanks are extremely dependent on the financial possibilities (Shands 1991) and willingness of the state. A political and/or economic change can destabilize whole genebank systems as it could be recently observed in eastern Europe. 2. In many cases the ex situ conservation of material in genebanks had to be concentrated on long-term cold storage of seeds simply because of financial constraints. Accordingly other methods of ex situ conservation have been neglected, e.g. the proper handling of cross pollinating crops and of races propagated vegetatively. 3. There was too much optimism at the beginning of the 80ies (because of the paradigm) concerning the amount of material present in genebanks. Unfortunately this was a time when genetic erosion proceeded extremely fast and therefore additional material was lost.
Ex sit u an d on f ar m con ser v at ion an d t h e f or m al sect or 4. There are more than 5.000 crop speciesTable 4: globally but only a few hundred areThe Index Seminum Gaterslebensis through the years present in genebanks. Additionally the number of species with a more or less Year No. pages Year No. pages sufficient variation maintained in genebanks is rather limited. Another Supplementum cultivarorum, no pages problem in this direction is the ever 1948 32 1971 161 increasing possibility for using material 1949 45 1973 170 from the secondary and even tertiary 1951 54 1975 182 genepools. Only a global concept of in 1953 1955 situ including on farm conservation 1957 complementary to genebank collections 1959 can meet the growing demands. 1961 56 60 70 84 87 1977 1979 1981 1983 1985 189 193 41 62 73 174 166 5. Maintaining of material in genebanks 1963 103 1987 78 should exclude, in the ideal case, further 1965 120 1989 82 173 evolutionary changes (Hammer 1993a). 1967 1969 On the other hand, evolution of new adaptations (e.g. disease resistances) 135 150 1991 87 should be allowed in crop plants. HereSource: Hammer (1993b) we find another reason for in situ and specifically on farm conservation. Table 5: At least the last two of these five points canAccessions provided by the Gatersleben genebank, 1991 be much better handled by inclusion of the informal sector and should be, therefore, discussed in more detail. Receiving institutions Country No. accessions Botanical gardens Germany Other countries 742 2.414 The amount of plant genetic resources Research institutions, Germany 4.043 collections etc. When Mansfeld published his "Verzeichnis" Other countries 3.990 (Mansfeld 1959), which contained aboutPlant breeders Germany 494 1.430 species he estimated the total amount Other countries 26 of cultivated plant species (excluding Other departments of the ornamentals and forest trees) with 1.700 to Gatersleben institute 1.800. The new edition of the "Verzeichnis" Germany 148 (Schultze-Motel 1986) contains about 4.800Subtotal Germany 5.427 species and meanwhile further information Other countries 6.430 was obtained particularly by field work inTotal formerly neglected areas (Hammer 1993c). 11.857 It became clear that our global information Source: Hammer (1993b) was quite comprehensive but area dependent studies (e.g. Hanelt and Beridze 1991) were rare. The developing of the checklist-method for selected for selected areas (Hammer 1991a) resulted in new input also on the species level as can be seen from table 8. More than 1.000 cultivated species have been found in Cuba alone, i.e. more than one fifth of the known global number from a comparatively small area.
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K. Ham m er<br />
evaluated, in vegetables there is still a lot <strong>of</strong> work to be done. An overview on the intensive evaluation<br />
work in the Gatersleben collection is presented by Hammer et al. (1993).<br />
Further evaluations are the precondition for the use <strong>of</strong> genebank material in plant breeding. Table 7<br />
shows the number <strong>of</strong> released cultivars in eastern Germany for which material <strong>of</strong> the Gatersleben<br />
genebank was used during the breeding process. There are quite similar relations between the crop<br />
groups as in table 6 stressing the close connection between further evaluation and released cultivars.<br />
The brief demonstration <strong>of</strong> the main activities <strong>of</strong> the Gatersleben genebank shows that they are<br />
concentrated toward collecting, maintaining and use <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources for plant breeding<br />
although there has been developed a considerable part <strong>of</strong> research for genebanking itself (see Hammer<br />
et al. 1993) which, in turn, is useful and necessary for all programmes that deal with the maintaining <strong>of</strong><br />
biodiversity.<br />
The paradigma <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources work<br />
A critical survey <strong>of</strong> ex situ conservation (Hammer 1993a) is necessary to develop a new and more<br />
integrated approach toward conservation and use <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources. The main facts <strong>of</strong> criticism<br />
are connected with what has been described as the paradigm <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources (Hammer 1993c).<br />
This paradigm is based on the fact that the diversity <strong>of</strong> landraces is displaced with increasing speed by<br />
a few modern and uniform cultivars. Accordingly the only possibility for conserving the tremendous<br />
variation in cultivated plants threatened by genetic erosion should be the inclusion <strong>of</strong> the material in<br />
genebanks. Even at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the 80ies there have been prognoses that landraces and local<br />
material under farm cultivation will have disappeared by the end <strong>of</strong> our century. Now we known that<br />
this prediction has been guided by the paradigm and gradual change was already visible in the second<br />
half <strong>of</strong> the 80ies mainly because <strong>of</strong> the activities <strong>of</strong> the NGOs and the growing awareness <strong>of</strong> genebanks<br />
that the future <strong>of</strong> plant genetic resources is not exclusively connected with ex situ reproduction.<br />
Some critical issues <strong>of</strong> genebank activities<br />
Critical issues <strong>of</strong> genebank activities cover a broad spectrum from political-economical and sociological<br />
to natural-scientific reasons. Only a few will be mentioned here which seem to be <strong>of</strong> importance in the<br />
context <strong>of</strong> this paper.<br />
1. Genebanks are extremely dependent on the financial possibilities (Shands 1991) and willingness <strong>of</strong><br />
the state. A political and/or economic change can destabilize whole genebank systems as it could<br />
be recently observed in eastern Europe.<br />
2. In many cases the ex situ conservation <strong>of</strong> material in genebanks had to be concentrated on long-term<br />
cold storage <strong>of</strong> seeds simply because <strong>of</strong> financial constraints. Accordingly other methods <strong>of</strong> ex situ<br />
conservation have been neglected, e.g. the proper handling <strong>of</strong> cross pollinating crops and <strong>of</strong> races<br />
propagated vegetatively.<br />
3. There was too much optimism at the beginning <strong>of</strong> the 80ies (because <strong>of</strong> the paradigm) concerning<br />
the amount <strong>of</strong> material present in genebanks. Unfortunately this was a time when genetic erosion<br />
proceeded extremely fast and therefore additional material was lost.