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

From 1977, a growing effort was devoted to ex situ conservation, of seeds gathered in collecting
missions performed in the Azores Islands (Bettencourt & Gusm o, 1981) and the continental territory
(Mota et. al., 1981, 1982). Since this period, a large number of Institutions implemented seed
conservation facilities, in particular for germplasm directly involved in their breeding or genetic studies
(active collections).
The relevance of the ex situ seed conservation, within the international efforts in this matter, was
officially recognized and, in 1985, the Portuguese Germplasm Bank was created, in Braga (Ministry of
Agriculture), with financial support from FAO/IBPGR. These facilities, however, are far from being fully
(or rationally) utilized, due to the lack of a national programme which takes into account a policy of safe
duplications or even a National data base for plant genetic resources.
At present, we can identify in Portugal 20 Institutions (comprising 45 different working groups) with
seed conservation programmes for domesticated and wild relatives of cereal, forage and horticultural
crops and also aromatic and medicinal species.
In vitro conservation of virus free germplasm material is carried out in a few institutions, particularly for
Vitis.
The ex situ field conservation, particularly suited to perennial species, is mainly performed in field
collections of fruit and forest trees (namely, genus Pyrus, Malus, Prunus, Juglans, Castanea, Corylus
and Citrus, and species Olea europaea, Amygdalus communis, Poncirus trifoliatus, Ficus carica,
Quercus suber and Pinus pinaster) and shrub plants (as Vitis vinifera and Coffea spp.).
Ex situ field conservation is also performed in Botanical Gardens, within the Universities' domain and
in the "Tropical Agricultural Museum-Garden" (where endangered perennial plant species from ex-
Portuguese overseas territories/former colonies are due to be preserved).
As reported by Palhinha (1947), the first Portuguese Botanical Garden, was founded in 1772, for exotic
plants. However, Paiva (1981) refers to the establishment of a botanical garden for medicinal plants in
Goa, by Garcia de Orta, in the middle of the XVI century. According to Paiva (op. cit.), the Botanical
Garden of the Coimbra University was also established in 1772, mainly for medicinal plants. The modern
Botanical Gardens are progressively paid a growing concern to endemic or otherwise endangered
Portuguese species, as a repository of existing germplasm collections.
Another way for ex situ field conservation, which was put in practice in several Portuguese counties, was
proposed by Vasconcellos (1943), and is the maintenance of the autoctonous species in public gardens.
Some of the work in ex situ conservation is carried out in collaboration with International
Organizations, such as FAO and IBPGR.
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