No 12 December 1997

NEWSLETTERfor Europe

Inte

rnat

ional

Plant Genetic Resources Institute

IPGRI

Appeal for collaborative research partnersEuropean Platform

S T ince June 1997, a home page called‘European Information Platform on

Crop Genetic Resources’ has beenaccessible on the Internet (http://www.cgiar.org/ecpgr/platform). This isone of the outcomes resulting from therecommendations of the Documentationmeeting in October 1996 in Budapest,Hungary (see issue 9, page 3).

The Platform is the result of thecoordinated efforts of the ECP/GR InternetAdvisory Group (Dr P. Campo, Groupementd’Etude des Variétés et des Semences(GEVES), Dr Th. van Hintum, Centre forGenetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN),Dr M. Hulden, Nordic Gene Bank (NGB),Dr D. Jiménez Krause, Centre forAgricultural Documentation andInformation (ZADI), Mr K. Painting and MrL. Maggioni, IPGRI. The Platform wascreated to strengthen the nationalprogrammes and serve their needs byproviding a wide array of information andlinks to the relevant Internet sites acrossEurope. It offers on-line access to severalECP/GR Central Crop Databases (currentlyAgrostis, Avena, Barley, Brassica, Glycine,Phalaris, Phaseolus, Phleum and Poa) andto other regional and internationaldatabases (i.e. Beta, Lathyrus, Minor fruittree species, potato, Triticum and Vitis).Access to the ECP/GR Allium, Lolium,Prunus and Trifolium databases is currentlyunder construction. Additional informationand services include the Directory ofEuropean PGR Collections, the provisionallist of FAO Institution Codes, the IPGRI/FAO Multi-crop Passport Descriptors, andthe outcome documents of the TrainingWorkshop on on-line central cropdatabases (Bonn, June 1997).

he Institute of Evolution, University ofHaifa, Israel, is seeking partners

interested in undertaking collaborativeresearch efforts concerning the geneticcontrol and exogenous recombination indistant crosses of barley.

Recombinogenic treatments, such asheat stress and x-rays at the early meioticphases in distant crosses of barley, mayinduce an increased rate of recombinationevents. This could be the basis for a moreefficient technique of gene introgressionfrom wild barley to elite cultivars. A firststep in this direction is the detailed analysisof biological factors affecting the potentialsuccess of gene introgression.

The research will be based on wildsources of Hordeum spontaneum fromgeographically distant regions,including the Middle East, CentralAsia, Spain and Morocco, andecologically contrastingpopulations (e.g. mesic versusdesert) and derivatives of H.bulbosum x H. spontaneum incrosses to H. vulgare. Rates ofspontaneous versus inducedrecombination events will becompared using cytological,morphological and molecularmarkers. Specific objectives of thework are to compare the frequencyand genomic distribution ofrecombination events inintraspecific and interspecifichybrids of barley (F1 and F2-F3) as well as to evaluate thegenetic variation in therecombination patterns inhybrids obtained from thedifferent sources.

Establishment of a successfulrecombination strategy may pave the wayto a new technology of acceleratedintrogression. As a result, wild barleycollections in the genebanks could increasetheir potential value for rapid and effectiveutilization. Induced recombination mayalso enable increased efficiency of physicalmapping and of positional cloning ofgenes, due to an increased rate ofrecombination events in genomic regionswith suppressed recombinations.

Institutes and individuals interested injoining this collaborative research should

contact Dr A. Korol, Institute ofEvolution, Haifa University, 21905Haifa, Israel. Tel: +972-4

840499; Fax: +972-48246554; Email:Korol@esti.haifa.ac.il.

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ountries in southeastern Europe are covered with indigenous forest

resources valued for their quality andnatural diversity. Nevertheless, geneticresources of broadleaved forest trees areparticularly threatened. The negativeimpact of rapid environmental change,excessive logging, atmospheric pollutionand often improper silviculturalmanagement are strongly felt. Numerousstands of ash, beech, elm, lime, maple,oak and other species are consequentlyattacked by disease and suffer from severedrought throughout southeastern Europe.

In the past, much work has beendedicated to forest genetic research in

EUFORGEN

2

http://www.cgiar.org/ipgri/euforgen

EUFORGEN

he first EUFORGEN meeting on SocialBroadleaves was held 23-25 October

1997 at the Station de RecherchesForestières, Institut National de laRecherche Agronomique (INRA), Bordeaux-Cestas, France. Participants representing23 countries identified common needsrelating to gene conservation of SocialBroadleaves in Europe and agreed on ajoint Workplan. For the immediate future,the scope of the Network will includeQuercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescensand related white oak species, as well asbeech (Fagus sylvatica and F. orientalis).Despite activities and projects in many

countries, the lack of an adequateinformation flow is a major constraint.This new Network aims at contributing toa better exchange of expertise andexperience among countries. In additionto country reports and statistics, a synthesisof legislation and other regulations relatedto genetic resources of Social Broadleavesand an overview of ongoing research willbe compiled as a priority and distributedas part of the report of the meeting.

Further common tasks includeterminology definition, descriptor lists anddatabases, plus the development of joint,long-term, practically oriented gene

conservation strategies. The knowledgeexisting in individual countries will beassessed using a questionnaire to providea basis for the above mentioned strategies.The ultimate goal is to provide technicalguidelines for the sampling, design andmanagement of gene conservation unitsof oak and beech in Europe. The Networkwill also raise awareness about theimportance of the genetic resources ofthese species as cultural heritage, througha public awareness leaflet and a slidecollection.

Dr A. Kremer from the Station deRecherches Forestières was elected asChair and Drs T. Geburek and L. Paulewill act as Vice-Chairs of the Network fora period of two years. It was agreed thatthe coverage of species by this Networkand its title be readdressed at the nextmeeting to be held in early 1999.

The Network meeting was heldimmediately after the meeting of the FrenchNational Commission on forest generesources. This enabled participants ofboth meetings to interact closely, andNetwork members were particularlyinterested in the new Charter on ForestGenetic Resources which had beenadopted by the Commission.

A report on this Charter and thecoordination of activities on FGR in Francewill be included in the next issue of theNewsletter for Europe.

this part of Europe but the current economicsituation does not allow the fullimplementation of national plans for theinvestigation, conservation and sustainableuse of genetic resources. A project involvingBulgaria, Moldova and Romania hasrecently been launched to address the insitu conservation of genetic diversity ofnative forests, to further develop and useex situ conservation technologies and topromote an integrated approach to theconservation and use of genetic resourcesin the forestry practice of these countries.The project is carried out with the financialassistance of Luxembourg, which alsoactively participates in the project through

the Environment and BiotechnologyResearch Unit of its University Centre.

During the span of this three yearproject, inventories of forest geneticresources of native broadleaved specieswill be undertaken and recommendationsdeveloped for the conservation andrational use of broadleaved geneticresources. Additionally, capacities willbe developed for micropropagationtechniques. An important secondaryoutcome of the project will be thestrengthening of links between institutionsand scientists from the sub-region withtheir counterparts in other Europeancountries.

C

First EUFORGEN Meeting on Social Broadleaves

T

Broadleaved forests in southeastern Europe

Euro

pean

Oak

(Pho

to: J

. Tur

ok).

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IPGRI Newsletter for Europe

3

http://www.cgiar.org/ipgri/euforgen

IUFRO Symposium on Norway Spruce

number of new representatives were present at the fourth Populus nigra Networkmeeting 3- 5 October 1997 at the Institute for Forestry and Game Management in

Geraardsbergen, Belgium. For the first time, participants from Moldova, Poland,Russian Federation, Ukraine and the Fed. Rep. Yugoslavia attended a meeting of thisNetwork. This provided an opportunity to develop further links and extend the ongoingactivities of the Network. Considering the extension of natural riparian P. nigra standsin eastern Europe, this broad attendance was very timely for developing the Network’sstrategy on in situ conservation.

An overview of existing knowledge and ongoing research projectson dynamic processes in riparian ecosystems was presented. Theimplications of these factors for developing gene conservationstrategies in P. nigra were discussed and a number of objectives,methods and criteria for designating in situ gene conservationstands were agreed upon. New tasks will be developed topromote further establishment and management of a networkof in situ stands throughout Europe (i.e. an inventory ofecosystem management effects, technical recommendationsfor the restoration of riparian ecosystems, and monitoring ofdiversity). A list of minimum standard descriptors for inventoriesof P. nigra stands was endorsed, and a synthesis of in situactivities currently undertaken in European countries waspresented. It was agreed that P. alba be included in future jointactivities.

A new project on genetic diversity in riparian ecosystems (EU/FAIRShared Cost) partly developed during previous Network meetings waspresented by the coordinator Dr B. van Dam of the Institute for Forestry and NatureResearch (IBN/DLO), the Netherlands. The complementarity and close collaborationbetween this project and the Network should ensure broad dissemination of theresearch results and effective implementation of strategies and guidelines for thepractical gene conservation activities in all interested countries.

The ongoing Network tasks (European clone database, improving informationflow, exchange of reference clones, EU collection, literature reviews and publicawareness) were also reviewed. The Network continues to seek collaboration withcountries in the entire distribution area of P. nigra, beyond the confines of Europe.

APopulus nigra Network: focus on in situ conservation

recent symposium of the International

Union of ForestryResearch Organizations(IUFRO) Working Partyon ‘Norway sprucebreeding and geneticresources’ was held in

Stará Lesná, Slovakia, during the firstweek of September 1997. This WorkingParty has a long tradition in facilitatingtree breeding and genetic resourcesactivities on Norway spruce in Europe.Close links exist with the EUFORGENPicea abies (Norway spruce) Network (seeIssue 9, page 7).

Up-to-date research results forongoing projects were presented andcontributions summarized the history andsuggested perspectives for Norway spruceprovenance research. Rapid progress inthe application of molecular DNA markersfor determining phylogeography drew theattention of around 60 participants at theSymposium. Aspects of distribution,ecology, phenology, breeding and geneconservation were presented by speakersfrom various parts of the distribution area.The genetic adaptability of the species toa changing environment, an obvious topicassociated with Norway spruce, wasdiscussed in detail.

During a field trip, participantsdiscussed first hand various aspects oftree breeding and genetic resources ofNorway spruce in Slovakia, the CzechRepublic and Poland.

Major issues raised for developmentby the Working Party in the future includea research bibliography, a monographon Norway spruce genetics and breeding,evaluation of data from internationalprovenance experiments, regular updatingof the database and new research projects.

For further information contact the unitcoordinator, Dr T. Skröppa, NorwegianForest Research Institute, Fax: +47-64942980;Email: tore.skroppa@nisk.nlh.no.

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National Symposium on Genetic Resources: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

T he winter resort of mountain Zlatibor, Fed. Rep. Yugoslavia, was the venue

of the first national Symposium on GeneticResources held 30 September - 3 October1997, organized by the Serbian ScientificSociety and the Federal Institute for Plantand Animal Genetic Resources. In additionto national participants, the 147participants included representatives fromBelarus, Czech Republic, Greece, RussianFederation, the Ukraine and IPGRI.

Two working groups establishedduring the Symposium focused on plantand animal genetic resources. Over 100papers dealing with genetic resourceswere presented during the Symposium,and these will be published in a specialsix-volume edition of the Yugoslav journal‘Contemporary Agriculture’ in 1998.

A significant event of the Symposiumwas the review of the strategic federalproject entitled ‘Establishment of theYugoslav Plant Gene Bank’. Unfortunately,although initiated in 1989, this projecthas been suspended due to the civil war.Delegates emphasized the need tocomplete the construction of the NationalGene Bank facilities. The importance of

the newly established Federal Institute forPlant and Animal Genetic Resources washighlighted, as well as the need forconsolidating its duties in the nationalPGR programme. With the ease on internalsanctions and new interest of thegovernment in genetic resources andbiodiversity issues, it is expected that thisproject will be completed soon.

The Federal Institute for Plant andAnimal Genetic Resources coordinatesand partly finances the activities of allnational institutes engaged in conductingresearch. This includes the Institute ofField and Vegetable Crops at Novi Sad,which focuses on wheat, maize, sugarbeet, sunflower, vegetables, hops andmedicinal herbs; the ‘Srbija’ Institute withnumerous branches on fruit and grapes,small grains, vegetables, potato, forages,grape and vines and technology; theMaize Research Institute ‘Zemun Polje’and the Agricultural Institute at Podgotica.

The meeting also prompted intensivediscussions on the need for more effectiveactions in the conservation of forest andanimal genetic resources. A number ofactivities were agreed upon at the

Symposium, including a series of measuresto be taken to strengthen the nationalgenetic resources programme involvingthe relevant national institutions. Theseproposals call to intensify the effortsinvested in conserving genetic resourcesand agrobiodiversity and to strengtheninginternational collaboration throughprogrammes such as EUFORGEN andECP/GR. Yugoslavia has activelyparticipated in ECP/GR since itsestablishment in 1980. Networking willalso be promoted at a national level, tostrengthen the links between institutes anda scientific council will be created tooversee the programme and to furtherintegrate national efforts within the regionand in the international community.

Dr M. PencicECP/GR National coordinator

Fed. Rep. Yugoslavia&

Dr J. KisgeciDirector, Federal Institute for

Plant & Animal Genetic Resources of

Yugoslavia,Fed. Rep. Yugoslavia

three year demonstration projectfunded by the Biotechnology

Programme of the European Union (EU)has recently been initiated, involving theCentre for Plant Breeding and ReproductionResearch (CPRO-DLO), the Netherlands;IPGRI; the Botanisk Institut, Denmark; theInstitute for Arable Crops Research (IARC)- Long Ashton Research Station, UK andKeygene and Perkin Elmer BV, both in theNetherlands. The objective is todemonstrate the application of molecularmarker technology for improvinggenebank methodology. The entire CPRO-DLO lettuce collection of 2118 accessionswill be characterized using AmplifiedFragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs)and Sequence Tagged Microsatellites(STMSs). The results will be used to describethe genetic structure of the collection andto identify correlations between the markersobserved and useful traits or origin data.

This will allow the composition and use ofthe collection to be optimized and willalso validate the multiplication andregeneration techniques currently used.

There has been substantial progressin the development of molecularapproaches in the study of geneticresources and biodiversity, and the EUfunded programs of DG XII are makingsubstantial contributions in this area. Withthis project, this research area enters intoa new and more challenging phase ofapplying the technologies directly togenebank management problems.

Dr Th. Van HintumCentre for Genetic Resources

Wageningen, the Netherlands&

Dr T. HodgkinIPGRI HQ

Rome, Italy

Applying molecular markers to ex situ collections

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Lettuce samples being taken for DNA extraction(photo: Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands).

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IPGRI Newsletter for Europe

XI World Forestry Congress: Towards the XXI Century

T

hat factors influence farmer decisionmaking in the maintenance of

local cultivars? How do these decisionsreflect in the distribution of geneticdiversity? How can value be added tolocal cultivars to encourage theircontinued production and use? Theseare among the questions facing theparticipants of a multi-donor projectaimed at developing in situ conservationstrategies for crop plants and their wildrelatives. The goal of the second projectmeeting, 25-29 August 1997, in Rome,Italy, was to develop a strategy forresearch and to clearly outline the typesof data needed to link farmer decision-making to genetic diversity, collectionmethodologies and analysis techniques.

The national PGR programmes ofall nine participating countries, includingBurkina Faso, Ethiopia, Hungary, Mexico,Morocco, Nepal, Peru, Turkey andVietnam have recently widened their focusfrom traditional ex situ conservation forcrop genetic resources towards in situconservation strategies. In this project,they have placed particular emphasis onparticipatory approaches, both in theresearch and in activities, to add value tolocal cultivars, in order to ensuresustainability and relevance to the needsof farmers.

he state and future of the world's forests and the need to improve

their management for the benefit of allpeople was considered by 4200participants from 145 countries gathered13-22 October 1997 in Antalya, Turkey.Specific discussions were devoted to theconservation and utilization of ForestGenetic Resources (FGR), following apresentation of an invited paper by theForest Genetic Resources Officer fromIPGRI. From the discussions the followingpoints emerged:

● Concerted actions are needed tostrengthen national, regional andglobal activities and to enhancecountry capacities through informationand technology transfer, networkingand support of collaboration betweencountries and institutes.

● Concrete examples are required todemonstrate the compatibility ofgenetic conservation with manageduse of forest resources. These shouldinclude full cost benefit analyzes oftree improvement and the cost oflosing resources and taking remedialaction. Such studies should be carriedout at the national, regional andglobal levels and results should beconsolidated and widely disseminated.

● Balanced and integrated strategiesfor conservation, management anduse need to be developed to ensurethe continued adaptation to prevailingand dynamically changingenvironmental conditions, fulfilmentof human needs and the productionof the full range of goods, servicesand values that forests provide.

● Research on identifying patterns ofgenetic variation, understandingunderlying evolutionary changes inforest ecosystems and developmentof practical conservation procedures.Conservation strategies should beflexible enough to incorporate newfindings as research results becomeavailable.

The participants welcomed FAO’splans to assist countries to develop country-driven action-oriented sub-regional andregional workshops on the conservation,management and sustainable use andenhancement of forest genetic resources.This will be carried out in collaborationwith the International Council for Researchin Agroforestry (ICRAF), the Center forInternational Forestry Research (CIFOR),IPGRI and the International Union of ForestryResearch Organizations (IUFRO).

The final declaration of the Congressstressed some of the major needs in theforestry sector, including an increasedpolitical will, more social forestry andrenewed emphasis on the value of forests.

The need for research to improve forestmanagement practices was alsoemphasized. In follow up to the Congress,these issues will now be taken up by thenational, regional and internationalpartners involved in the conservation ofFGR and will be implemented in theirprogrammes.

Dr A. OuedraogoForest Genetic Resources

OfficerIPGRI Headquarters

&Mr A. Lengkeek

Associate Professional OfficerIPGRI Regional Office for

Sub-Saharan Africa

At the meeting, Working Groupscomposed of the country representatives,a wide range of technical advisors andrepresentatives from FAO, IPGRI, otherCGIAR centres and donor organizations,analyzed and integrated data collectingmethodologies on factors related tofarmer maintenance of genetic diversity.These include socioeconomic andcultural issues, the dynamics of geneticpopulations, environmental selectionfactors, agromorphological characterdescription and seed/germplasmexchange and storage systems. Thereport of this meeting, to be publishedin 1998, includes an analysis ofmeasures to support the continuedproduction and use of local cultivars,including changes in nationalagricultural policy, participatory plantbreeding and other market or non-market value-adding activities. Oneimportant outcome of the meeting wasthe agreement between participants onthe use of standard units of measurementand research methodologies, which willgreatly facilitate the sharing ofinformation and the scope of projectimpact.

Strengthening the scientific basis of in situ

W

Ms. A. B. KingIntern, IPGRI HQ

Rome, Italy

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n extraordinary meeting of the ECP/GR Prunus Working Group was held

jointly with the Second CoordinationMeeting of the EU Project Gen/Res 61 atthe ‘Servicio de InvestigacionAgroalimentaria’ (SIA), 13-15 November1997 in Zaragoza, Spain. The structure ofa new searchable European PrunusDatabase (EPDB) was presented by Dr A.Zanetto, Institut National de la RechercheAgronomique (INRA), Bordeaux, France.The list of passport, specific characterizationand evaluation descriptors to be used inthe EPDB is now complete.

By the end of 1998, all passport dataand specific descriptor data of the majorityof European accessions will should beincluded in the database. Internet accesswill be facilitated through the EuropeanInformation Platform on Crop GeneticResources (see page 1). A report of theactivities carried out in non EU countrieswith partial support from IPGRI (see Issue9), demonstrated the complementary

ctivities on genetic resources of nine genera of the family Umbelliferae

(Anethum, Apium, Carum, Chaerophyllum,Coriandrum, Daucus, Foeniculum, Pastinacaand Petroselinum) will be the focus of anew ECP/GR Group on Umbellifers. Thiswide scope of interest was defined by 17participants, representing 13 ECP/GRcountries during an ad hoc meeting onDaucus genetic resources, held 31 August1997 in Poland. This meeting was heldjointly with the V Meeting of the EUCARPIACarrot Working Group, hosted by theDepartment of Genetics, Plant Breedingand Seed Production of the University ofAgriculture, Kraków.

A European Umbellifers Databasewill be developed under the managementof Horticulture Research International (HRI),Wellesbourne, UK. The IPGRI/FAO Multi-crop Passport Descriptors will be used fordata exchange and further characterizationand evaluation descriptors will beelaborated by sub-groups.

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ECP /GRECP/GR

http://www.cgiar.org/ecpgr

Collaborative efforts on theregeneration of landraces and old varietiesof carrot were offered by several institutesin response to a specific request for helpmade by the Russian participant from theN. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry(VIR). The urgency of organizing collectingexpeditions to fill gaps in the EuropeanUmbelliferae collections was alsoemphasized. This need will be highlightedin the project proposal to be submitted bymembers of this Group to the third call ofEC 1467/94. A Daucus collecting

expedition in 1999-2000 is beingorganized by Dr P. Simon of the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture (USDA) insoutheast Europe, and members of theGroup were invited to join this effort.Several areas of potential collaborationwere also identified, including safety-duplication, taxonomical investigationsand molecular marker studies.

The Group recommended that theSteering Committee of ECP/GR formallyendorse the establishment of a standingUmbellifers Working Group.

Ad hoc meeting of the ECP/GR Group on Umbellifers

Participants at the Daucus meeting (Photo: M. Kolasinski)

ECP/GR Prunus Working Group and Gen/Res 61 Meeting

A nature of the ECP/GR and Gen/Resactivities on Prunus.

The concept of a ‘European Prunuscollection’ was discussed and the Groupagreed upon the value of defining adecentralized collection, made up of Prunusaccessions that European genebankswould agree to maintain on behalf of allECP/GR member countries. This wouldensure safe and cost effective conservation,a reduced workload for each country andcontinued access to the genetic material.

Dr P. Arós of Institut de Recerca iTecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA),Cabrils, Spain, reported on the results ofan EU funded Prunus project in which amap of 250 molecular markers has beendeveloped. Results from this are nowmaking it possible to fingerprint cultivars.The Group acknowledged that the inclusionof molecular data in the database shouldbe a target for the near future. A report ofthe meeting and a list of descriptors willsoon be available from IPGRI.

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IPGRI Newsletter for Europe

Sixth meeting of the ECP/GR Allium Working Group

http://www.cgiar.org/ecpgr

7

he complete revision of descriptorsfor Allium is now in an advanced

stage thanks to the efforts of the ECP/GRAllium Working Group to defineappropriate minimum characterizationdescriptors for onion, garlic, leek, shallotand chives in the European Allium Database(EADB) and the agreed use of the IPGRI/FAO Multi-crop Passport Descriptors.During the sixth meeting of the WorkingGroup, held 23-25 October 1997 inPlovdiv, Bulgaria, it was agreed that theEuropean Union (EU) Allium project (Gen/Res 20), which funds the EU membercountries of the Group, has the sameobjectives as the wider ECP/GR WorkingGroup. Since these efforts arecomplementary, the integration of the twoprojects will enable the rapid developmentof the EADB.

These data will be made availableon the Internet by Horticultural ResearchInternational (HRI), Wellesbourne, UK andfacilitated through the EuropeanInformation Platform on Crop GeneticResources (see page 1). An agreementbetween the Gen/Res 20 Coordinator,ECP/GR and the Research Institute ofVegetable Crops, Skierniewice, Polandenabled a Polish in vitro specialist to bebased at the Institut fòr Pflanzengenetik undKulturpflanzenforschòng (IPK) Gatersleben

for six months to collaborate in thedevelopment of Allium cryopreservationtechniques using Polish garlic accessions.It is expected that with the expertise gainedthrough this collaboration a laboratorywill be developed for in vitro conservationand ultimately cryopreservation of thegarlic collection at Skierniewice, Poland.

The value of the European fieldcollections of long and short-day Alliumwas stressed, along with the importanttaxonomic collection at IPK and thedecorative Allium collection maintainedin Israel. A lack of available funds is stilla major constraint for the genebanks,particularly when regeneration of wildtaxa is needed. A commitment was madeto safety duplicating seed material underformal bilateral agreements, and severalgenebanks offered space for ‘blackboxes’. A formal exchange of vegetativematerial between countries for safety-duplication reasons still requires theappropriate mechanisms to guaranteesafe and disease free movement.

The Group stressed the need tosupport the broad application ofdeveloped molecular marker techniquesto characterize the collections and torationalize them with the elimination ofidentifiable duplicates. The report of thismeeting will be published in 1998.

Extraordinary ECP/GR Meeting and ISHS Symposium on Brassica

Allium altaicum Pallas, compact with shortened, robustleaves, is one of the endangered Allium species fromWest Siberia. This edible relative to A. fistulosum hasbeen collected by the Altai people for its medicinal andculinary properties, and occasionally cultivated for itshigh vitamin C content. Due to its decorative appearance,it was used for planting on the roofs of primitive hutsof nomadic Altaians and frequently planted in theirburial grounds.The above example originates fromHigh Altai - Chita Region, collected by E. G. Grinberg,and is duplicated in the Allium field collection atOlomouc, Czech Republic. (Photo: P. Havránek).

T

he European Brassica Database (Bras-EDB) is now available for

downloading from the Internet via theEuropean Information Platform on CropGenetic Resources (see page 1) or directlyfrom the site of the Centre for GeneticResources the Netherlands (CGN) (http://www.bib.wau.nl/cgn/brasedb).

An on-line demonstration of the Bras-EDB was given by Dr I. W. Boukema,CGN, during the International Society forHorticultural Science (ISHS) Symposiumon Brassica, held 23-27 September 1997in Rennes, France. In the same session, anoverview of the six years of activities of theECP/GR Brassica Working Group was

given by the ECP/GR Coordinator, Mr L.Maggioni. During this six year period, theBras-EDB has been developed and nowincludes data for around 13 000accessions, distributed in 20 countries.Bras-EDB has become an essential toolfor the rational management and utilizationof the collections, and it was alsoinstrumental in the establishment of a B.oleracea core collection.

An extraordinary meeting of the ECP/GR Brassica Working Group attended byrepresentatives from 12 ECP/GR membercountries was held in Rennes prior to theISHS Symposium. The Group decided touse the IPGRI/FAO Multi-crop Passport

Descriptors and a minimum list ofcharacterization descriptors. In view ofthe third call for proposals of EC 1467/94, a project proposal aimed at evaluatingaccessions belonging to core collectionsof B. oleracea, B. napus and B. rapa indifferent European locations will becoordinated by CGN. A commitment toestablish formal agreements for safety-duplication of accessions was also madeand several institutes offered space for‘black boxes’ in their genebanks. Acompilation of the existing regenerationpractices in genebanks will be preparedby the Nordic Gene Bank (NGB). A reportof this meeting will be available in 1998.

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mproving the access to information on plant genetic resources collections

is a major objective of the ECP/GR and theEU 1467/94 programmes. TheInternational Database for Beta (IDBB)and the ECP/GR Avena Database (EADB)are now available on the Internet (for URLsee below). Access to these databases hasalso been improved through thedevelopment of a home page in English atthe Federal Centre for Breeding Researchon Cultivated Plants (BAZ) Gene Bank,Braunschweig, Germany.

It is now possible to download thepassport data of both databases from theInternet or to search the databases on-

rom 1-3 July 1997 the first meetingof the European Union (EU) project

on the development of a ‘EuropeanNetwork for Grapevine Genetic ResourcesConservation and Characterization’ (Gen/Res 81) was held at the Institute forGrapevine Breeding Geilweilerhof,Siebeldingen, Germany. Of the 15project partners from some ten countriesincluding Austria, Bulgaria, France,Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy,Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, 13participated in the Workshop.

Discussions focused upon issuesrelating to the European GrapevineDatabase which is to be establishedwithin the next five years and will include23 000 accessions of the 15 partners.Specific issues covered include databasedesign, passport data, selection and thedefinition of the primary descriptors tobe applied, choice of the cultivars anddistribution of the results.

The outcomes of the workshopincluded agreement on the definition ofthe database structure, definition of acommon format for data exchange andaccession status within the databaseand for data recording. More specifically,definition and application of 31ampelographic and 22 ampelometricprimary descriptors for the descriptionof rare autochthonous and misnamed

cultivars was agreed upon, and the use oftwo isoenzymes, phosphoglucoisomerase(PGI) and phosphoglucomutase (PGM),Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNA(RAPD) and microsatellites to confirmhypotheses. All the specific accessiondata recorded within the next five yearswill be registered in the database. TheGerman Centre for AgriculturalDocumentation and Information/Information Centre for Genetic Resources(ZADI/IGR) which assisted in the workshopwill establish an Internet site for the Gen/Res 081 project available as a platformfor information on current activities (http://www.dainet.de/genres/vitis). ZADI/IGRwill also assist in formatting the Europeandatabase and make it available as anon-line retrievable database on theInternet.

The publication of the EuropeanGrapevine Database, including thepassport data of the 23 000 accessionsvia Internet and the publication of theprimary descriptor list both via Internetand as hardcopy were noted as themajor achievements of the first year ofthis project.

Update on databases for Avena and Beta

line. The on-line versions have beenestablished in close cooperation betweenthe BAZ Gene Bank and the InformationCentre for Genetic Resources (IGR) at theCentre for Agricultural Documentation andInformation (ZADI), Bonn, Germany. Theon-line version of the databases have theadvantage of predefined searches as wellas the possibility to work in an expertsearch mode.

The IDBB functions as the centralcrop database of the World Beta Network(WBN) organisation. The IDBB has beenavailable in an on-line searchable versionon the Internet since June 1997. Due to itssmall size, this database is also availableto download. The database wasdeveloped between 1987-1991 in closecooperation between the Centre for GeneticResources, the Netherlands (CGN),Wageningen and the former BraunschweigGenetic Resources Collection (BGRC).Today, the IDBB is maintained at the BAZGene Bank. It contains passport data on9469 accessions from 28 genebankcollections located mainly in Europe, theUSA and Asian countries.

The Avena database, now maintainedby the BAZ Gene Bank, was established atBGRC, Germany, on the initiative of ECP/GR in 1984. The database comprisespassport data of 19 315 accessionsrepresenting Avena collections from 20European contributors. The structure ofthe database has been converted to complywith the guidelines of the IPGRI/FAO Multi-crop Passport Descriptor list. An updateof the database is planned soon.

Further information about thesedatabases may be obtained from Mr S.Bücken, the BAZ Gene Bank documentationofficer, or directly from the BAZ Gene Bankhomepage (http://www.fal.de/bgrc/bgrc-e.html). Both are accessible via Gen/Res(http://www.dainet.de/genres/beta andwww.dainet.de/eccdb/avena), theEuropean Information Platform (http://www.cgiar.org/ecpgr/platform) and thehome page of the BAZ Gene Bank.

Gen/Res 81: Grapevine genetic resources

Dr E. DettweilerBAZ, Institute for Grapevine

Breeding GeilweilerhofSiebeldingen, Germany

F

I

Dr L. Frese & Mr S. Bücken,BAZ Gene Bank

Braunschweig, Germany

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http://www.cgiar.org/ecpgr

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IPGRI Newsletter for Europe

t the establishment of the Central Asian Network on Plant Genetic

Resources (CAN/PGR), October 1996 inTashkent, Uzbekistan, five Working Groupswere set up (see Issue 9, page 10).

This Working Group on Forest GeneticResources (FGR) met for the first time 21-23 August 1997 in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.The meeting was organized jointly with theForest and Walnut Research Institut andthe Swiss Support Programme to the KyrgyzForestry Sector. The link with the Swissprogramme helps to focus onincorporating genetic concerns into forestrypractice and overall forest managementplans in the five Newly Independent Statesof Central Asia, a major concernthroughout the region.

Forests in Central Asia are unevenlydistributed and cover a low proportion ofarea in the five countries (average forestcover is less than 5%). Despite this, foreststands fulfil very important ecological andsocioeconomic functions, particularly asa source of income for local people.Mountain forests are formed by a numberof coniferous and broadleaved specieswhich grow in a very wide ecologicalamplitude (arborescent junipers andspruce forests of Picea schrenkiana aredominant ). FGR threatened at the specieslevel include Abies semenovii, an endemicfor which there are few trees surviving inthe wild. In large areas of Central Asia,the forest land is concentrated in aridzones where forests provide valuablepasture lands.

The region is particularly rich in wildresources of fruit and nut trees. The naturalforests occurring at an altitude range of800-2000 m in the Tian Shan mountainsare charaterized by well differentiatedstands composed of walnut (Juglans regia),with Pistacia vera, Amygdalus, Malus,Prunus, Crataegus, Ribes and many othershrubs in the understorey. According tothe Forest and Walnut Research Institute inKyrgyzstan, more than 130 woody plantspecies are found in this ecosystem. Theseforests also provide a habitat for wildrelatives of many cultivated plants in oneof their main centres of origin.

Central Asiancountries join forces

Since 1945, a number of protectivemeasures and regulations have been inplace, but enforcing these has becomevery difficult due to the currentsocioeconomic situation. Grazing andgathering of firewood is unrestricted andalmost the complete nut crops areharvested, making the natural regenerationof walnut impossible. Commercial timberharvesting, often by joint venture enterpriseswith no clear approach to ensuringreproduction of the genetic diversity, isalso posing a great risk. Currently, thevery low level of financing, organizationalrestructuring, administrative restrictions,drain of qualified staff into other sectors ofthe economy and even civil unrest arehindering further development,implementation and effective integrationof the existing plans for in situ and ex situconservation of FGR.

Participants at the meetingrecommended that measures be developedin each of the countries to enhance theresearch, conservation and sustainableuse of the genetic diversity of forest

resources. These efforts should beundertaken through close cooperationamong all institutions and agenciesinvolved at a national level. The WorkingGroup also discussed and agreed oncommon guidelines for building upnational programmes on FGR.

The capacities of each country werereviewed, common needs identified and alist of priority species established forregional collaboration. Based on this, theWorking Group endorsed and initiatedimplementation of a workplan. The firsttask to consolidate information exchangeamong the five countries and to strengthenthe flow of information with other countrieswill be partially accomplished through thepublication of the country presentationsand other relevant data in the proceedingsof the meeting in early 1998.

Further workplan tasks includedeveloping a common gene conservationmethodology for selected species and adatabase on FGR. The Working Groupwill meet again in September 1998, inKazakstan.

Basel meeting: Integrating biologicaland landscape diversity issues

he Pan European Biological and Landscape Diversity Strategy was

approved at the Ministerial Conference‘Environment for Europe’ on 25October 1995 in Sofia, Bulgaria. Theobjective of the strategy is to reducethe current threat to Europe’s biologicaland landscape diversity, to increaseits resilience, to strengthen ecologicalcoherence in Europe as a whole, andto ensure full public involvement inthe process of conserving biologicaland landscape diversity.

The strategy is divided into 11fields of action, including the creationof a coherent European ecologicalnetwork, sensitizing decision makersand the public at large to the questionsof landscape and biological diversity,and those of forest and mountainecosystems.

The second theme of the strategy,the ‘Integration of biological and

landscape diversity considerations intosectors’ was the focus of a congressheld 22-26 October 1997 in Basel,Switzerland. The purpose of thiscongress was to prepare the groundfor the Fourth Ministerial Conference‘Environment for Europe’ scheduledto take place in 1998 in Aarhus,Denmark.

The Congress offered participantsa platform for presenting tried andtested approaches to cooperation andconflict resolution. The event focusedon the one hand on the question ofcooperation between users, authorities,and the commercial and conservationorganizations, and on the other, onthe theme of partnership betweeneastern and western Europe. Both ofthese are central to the achievement ofsustainable development and tocreating conditions within whichhumankind and nature can thrive.

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Meetings

National Symposium in Lille, France

T

he friendly atmosphere at the nationalmeeting 7-10 October 1997 by the

Bureau des Ressources Génétiques (BRG)at the Université de Lille, France,promoted lively discussions and debateamongst participants.

The Symposium or Le Colloque,served as a forum for reporting on anddiscussing results of research projectsfunded by the French Ministries ofResearch and of the Environment, theInstitut National de la RechercheAgronomique (INRA), the Institut Françaisde Recherche Scientifique pour leDéveloppement en Coopération(ORSTOM) and the Centre deCoopération Internationale en RechercheAgronomique pour le Développement(CIRAD). The Symposium broughttogether a broad range of professionalswith an interest in plant genetic resourcesranging from researchers, genebankcurators, breeders and scientists fromthe related field of animal and microbialgenetic resources. A series of presentations

reflected the diversity of the participantsand their interests, ranging from the‘Conservation of bees’ to ‘Improvementof long-term seed storage methods’.

Workshops discussed many of theparallels and common concerns sharedacross the fields of crop, forest, animaland microbial genetic resources. Thenature and extent of problems in both exsitu and in situ conservation strategiesand techniques were agreed, withdifferent perspectives and strategiescoming together to address theseproblems.

The Symposium also demonstratedhow a decentralized national geneticresources programme, involving a widerange of institutes with varying capacitiesand mandates, can function effectively.Full proceedings of this meeting will bepublished in the journal supplement of“Genetics Selection Evolution” in 1998.

he third meeting of the SubsidiaryBody on Scientific, Technical and

Technological Advice (SBSTTA) of theConvention on Biological Diversity (CBD)was held 1-5 September 1997, andimmediately preceded the Eighth GlobalBiodiversity Forum (GBF8) in Montréal,Canada.

With an aquatic theme, the agendaof this meeting focused on many of thedecisions and recommendations madeat the third session of the Conference ofthe Parties (COPIII) held in November1996 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.Agenda items included inland watersystems, coastal and marine biodiversity,forest biological diversity, agriculturalbiodiversity, development of criteria andindicators of biological diversity andimplementation of the pilot phase of theClearing House Mechanism (CHM).

The major focus of the meeting wasDecision III/13 of COPIII which requiredSBSTTA to report to COPIV on the statusand trends of biodiversity in inland waterecosystems and on options forconservation and sustainable use. Inresponse to this, a work programme wasdeveloped by a Working Group at themeeting which was adopted by SBSTTAfor submission to COPIV.

Another discussion point, muchexpected by the PGR community, was thedecision on Agricultural biodiversity(Decision III/11) made by COPIII. Thisincludes the establishment of aprogramme of activit ies onagrobiodiversity to maximise the benefitsof agricultural practices on biodiversityin agroecosystems; to promote theconservation and sustainable use ofgenetic resources and to promote the fair

and equitable sharing of benefits arisingout of the utilization of genetic resources.Implementation of this decision will befacilitated through FAO-CBD Secretariatcollaboration within the framework of aMemorandum of Cooperation.

In response to decision III/12 ofCOPIII on forest biodiversity, SBSTTArecommended a matrix structure for theorganization of the work programme tofocus on the advancing activities relatedto research, cooperation and thedevelopment of technologies. It was alsorecommended that there be a three yearprogramme, within which activities areselected according to the interests of theParties and that these activities arecomplementary to the Inter-agency TaskForce on Forests and future work of theIntergovernmental Forum on Forests.

Decision III/10 of COPIII on theidentification, Monitoring and Assessmentrelates to Article 7 of the CBD andrecognises the central importance ofidentifying indicators of biodiversity toensure that the Conventions objectivesare met. It calls for guidance onassessment and indicator methodologies,guidance from SBSTTA on thedevelopment of methodologies etc. Itwas emphasized by SBSTTA that theprimary role of indicators is as a tool forthe management of biodiversity at alocal and national level, and they are notfor the purpose of global comparison.

The progress made on theimplementation of the CHM which iscurrently in the pilot phase under thecoordination of the Secretariat, wasreviewed by SBSTTA. To date, a numberof COP decisions have resulted indefining the role of the CHM as a keyinstrument to promote and facilitate theimplementation of all aspects of theConvention. A number of recommendationswere made by SBSTTA, including the useof regional workshops to define the needsand priorities, and for an independentreview of CHM in 1998.The next SBSTTAmeeting will be in September 1998.

Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice

Ms H. FassilScientific Assistant

IPGRI HQ, Rome, Italy

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IPGRI Newsletter for Europe

Forthcoming Meetings16 - 20 February 1998International Conference onMedicinal Plants, Bangalore, India.

12-13 March 1998Agriculture and the Environment,100

th Anniversary of the Agricultural

Institute of Slovenia, Festivalnadvorana, Slovenia.

1-4 April 1998EUCARPIA International Symposiumon Breeding of Protein and OilCrops, Pontevedra, Spain.

4-15 May 1998Fourth Session of the Conference ofthe Parties to the Convention onBiodiversity, Bratislava, Slovakia.

11-17 May 19989

th OPTIMA Meeting, Paris, France.

2-4 June 1998Third Ministerial Conference on theProtection of Forests in Europe,Lisbon, Portugal.

9-13 June 1998The 2

nd Planta Europa Conference,

Uppsala, Sweden.

17-19 June 1998ISHS-ASHS World Conference onHorticultural Research, Rome, Italy.

22-24 June 1998Bast Fibrous Plants Today andTomorrow, St Petersburg, Russia.

28 June - 2 July 1998European Society for Agronomy, FifthCongress, Nitra, Slovakia.

28 June-6 July 1998ECP/GR Steering Committee Meetingand European Symposiumon PGRFA, Braunschweig, Germany.

7-11 July 1998Cereals for Human Health andPreventative Nutrition, Brno, CzechRepublic.

20-26 July 19983

rd International Symposium on the

Taxonomy of Cultivated Plants,Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

2-7 August 1998XXV International HorticulturalCongress, Brussels, Belgium.

9-16 August 19987

th International Congress of Plant

Pathology, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

10-15 August 1998VII

IOPB Symposium: Evolution in

Man-Made Habitats, Amsterdam, theNetherlands.

7-11 September 1998X EUCARPIA Meeting on Geneticsand Breeding of Capsicum andEggplant, Avignon, France.

21-25 September 1998XV EUCARPIA General Congress:Genetics and Breeding for CropQuality and Resistance, Viterbo,Italy.

14-19 November 19983

rd European Conference on Grain

Legumes, Valladolid, Spain.

January 1999Sixth International Workshop onSeeds, Merida, Yucaton, Mexico.

A Regional Symposium will be held in Braunschweig, Germany from 30

June to 4 July 1998 to assess the progressmade at the European level inimplementing the Global Plan of Actionon Plant Genetic Resources for Food andAgriculture (PGRFA) adopted in 1996 inLeipzig, Germany. The aim is to convenedelegations from all European countries,including both technical and policyexpertise.

Specific objectives of this Symposiumare to: identify gaps and weaknesses inthe implementation process andrecommend solutions; to further enhanceand intensify international collaborationand complementarity in the managementof PGRFA; to discuss the role of Europeancountries in promoting conservation andsustainable management of PGR in otherregions; to provide an input into the

ontrary to the announcement made in Issue 11, the current

situation regarding the third call forproposals for EC 1467/94 is asfollows: On 17 December 1997the European Parliament votes onthe programme budget for 1998.Depending on the outcome of thisvote, the call will be made in early1998 for either shared-cost projectsor accompanying measures only,depending on the allocation.

Further information can beobtained from the Secretariat of theDivision for the Coordination ofAgricultural Research, Commissionof the European Communities (DGVI FII3), Brussels, Belgium, Fax:+32-2-2963029 ‘Attention plantgenetic resources’; Email:Richard.Hardwick@dg6.cec.be.

Further updateon EC 1467/94

C

priority setting and planning of initiativessuch as ECP/GR and the EC GeneticResources Programme etc.; to offer anopportunity for interactions and theenhancement of collaboration betweenthe formal sector, private sector and NGOs;and to contribute further to the publicawareness about the importance and valueof PGRFA.

European Symposium on PGRFA

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Publications of Interest

IPGRI

Inte

rnat

ional

Plant Genetic Resources Institute

IPGRI

Printed on environmentally friendly paper

About this Newsletter

The International Plant GeneticResources Institute (IPGRI) is one ofthe 16 Centres of the ConsultativeGroup on International Agricultur-al Research (CGIAR). IPGRI's goalsare to further the study, collection,preservation, documentation,evaluation and utilization of thegenetic diversity of useful plants forthe benefit of people throughout theworld. From its Headquarters inRome, Italy and its Regional Officesin Benin, China, Colombia, India,Kenya, Malaysia and Syria, IPGRIpromotes and coordinates the ac-tion needed for the conservation ofgenetic resources of these plants.

IPGRI publishes 5 RegionalNewsletters covering the differentregions of the world. They are in-tended to serve as an informal fo-rum for the exchange of news andviews, and to create closer ties be-tween national programme scien-tists, researchers and other geneticresources workers.

We invite you to send yourideas and contributions for thisnewsletter to IPGRI's Regional Of-fice for Europe. Please send allcontributions for Issue 13 by 6March 1998.

REGIONAL OFFICEFOR EUROPEVia delle Sette Chiese 14200145 Rome,ItalyFax: (39-6)5750309http://www.cgiar.org/ipgri

Lorenzo Maggioni,ECP/GR CoordinatorTel: 39-6-51892 231Email: l.maggioni@cgnet.com

Olga Spellman, Programme AssistantTel: 39-6-51892 411Email: o.spellman@cgnet.com

Jozef Turok, EUFORGEN CoordinatorTel: 39-6-51892 250Email: j.turok@cgnet.com

Thomas Gass,Regional DirectorTel: 39-6-51892 221Email: t.gass@cgnet.com

Helen Ager, Scientific AssistantTel: 39-6-51892 244Email: h.ager@cgnet.com

Muriel Colas,Senior Programme AssistantTel: 39-6-51892 229Email: m.colas@cgnet.com

Elinor Lipman, Scientific AssistantTel: 39-6-51892 251Email: e.lipman@cgnet.com

This newsletter is produced by the staff of the Regional Officefor Europe

Biodiversity II: understanding and protecting our biological resources. Reaka-Kudla, M. L., Wilson, D. E. and Wilson, E. O. (Eds.). 1997. Joseph Henry Press, USA.

Cereal Grain Quality. Henry, R. V. and Kettlewell, P. S. (Eds.). 1996. Chapman andHall, London, UK.

Ethics and equity in conservation and use of genetic resources for sustainablefood security. Proceedings of a workshop to develop guidelines for the CGIAR, 21-25 April, 1997, Foz do Iguacu, Brazil. IPGRI, Rome, Italy.

Farming Systems Approaches for the Sustainable Use and Conservation ofAgricultural Biodiversity and Agro-Ecosystems. A Technical Workshop 19-20 June1997. FAO, CBD Secretariat and Netherlands Ministry of Agriculture, NatureManagement and Fisheries.

Participatory Action Research and Social Change. Selener, D. 1997. DanielSelener, Ecuador.

Plant Biotechnology and Plant Genetic Resources for Sustainability andProductivity. Watanabe, K. N. and Pehu, E. 1997. R. G. Landes and Academic Press,Inc, USA.

Plant Breeding Systems. Richards, A. J. 1997. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.

Quantitative and Ecological Aspects of Plant Breeding. Plant Breeding Series4. Hill, J. and Tigerstedt, P. 1997. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.

Red Data Book of the Ukraine. Shelyak-Sosonka, Yu. R. 1996. UkrainskayaEnciklopedia, Kiev, Ukraine.

Seed Production: Principles and practices. McDonald, M. B. and Copeland, L.1997. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.

Statistical Methods for Plant Variety Evaluation. Kempton, R. A. and Fox, P. N.(Eds.). 1996. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.

The Laponian Area: A Swedish World Heritage Site. 1997. SwedishEnvironmental Protection Agency, Sweden.

Theory of Population Genetics and Evolutionary Ecology: An Introduction.Roughgarden, J. 1996. Prentice-Hall, USA.

World Vegetables. Principles, Production and Nutritive Values. Rubatzky, V. E.1997. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.