Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
high altitude. This incredible range of adaptation
refl ects the diversity of genes for adaptation that
has been concentrated by breeders over the past
150 years, but improvement work has been
ongoing for millennia. From the earliest times
people worked with the germplasm available to
them, usually only in their local areas. However,
when farmers traveled to new locations and coun-
tries, they carried seeds with them to plant in
their new environment. This led to new selection
pressures on plant populations and subsequent
development of new landraces or to new locally
adapted cultivars. Having a keen eye for new
types was as important then as now. Many of the
now famous explorers doubled as plant collectors,
gathering and exchanging seed during their visits.
As mobility increased, so did exchanges. Embas-
sies had agricultural attachés that sent seeds back
to their own country. Percival (1921) lists genetic
resources from every continent, including the
now known sources of the dwarfi ng gene
Rht-B1b
(formerly
Rht1
) in landrace 'Daruma' from
Japan.
As true today as it was throughout history,
having access to genetic materials is a key to
having a successful breeding program. The rec-
ognized importance of genetic resources led to the
establishment of gene banks in many countries.
The conservation, use, and exchange of genetic
resources have long been in international discus-
sions. Several international efforts have been
made to identify, protect, and use PGRFA. In
1983 the Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO) established an intergovernmental Com-
mission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agri-
culture (CGRFA). The CGRFA was the fi rst
international forum for the negotiation, develop-
ment, and monitoring of international PGRFA
agreements. The CGRFA has developed a com-
prehensive global system on PGRFA, which aims
to ensure international cooperation and avoid
duplication of efforts. Also in 1983, a nonbinding
International Undertaking on Plant Genetic
Resources was adopted by the FAO Conference
as an element of the FAO Global System on Plant
Genetic Resources. This was the forerunner of
the International Treaty for Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA)
(http://www.planttreaty.org/index_en.htm).
Also, the international agricultural research
centers (IARCs), in particular the International
Plant Genetic Resources Institute (established in
1974), have promoted and facilitated international
technical cooperation. Today th
e
IARCs conserve
more than 600,000 accessions
ex situ
in 11 gene
banks, which according to some estimates might
represent as much as 40% of the diversity that is
maintained
ex situ
for
the main crops (for wheat
see http://www.cimmyt.org).
In 1992 the UN Environment Program adopted
the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The CBD provided a framework for the conser-
vation and sustainable use of all biological diver-
sity. However, it did not provide specifi c solutions
for the unique features and problems that are
related to agricultural biodiversity. Consequently,
countries decided that the CGRFA should nego-
tiate a legally binding international agreement
that is specifi c to PGRFA and in harmony with
the CBD. In November 2001 the FAO Confer-
ence adopted the ITPGRFA. The treaty provides
a bridge between agriculture, commerce, and
preservation of the environment. The treaty came
into force on June 29, 2004. Its objectives are the
conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic
resources for food and agriculture and the fair and
equitable sharing of benefi ts that arise from their
use. The core of the treaty is its innovative Mul-
tilateral System of Access and Benefi t-Sharing
(MLS), which helps to ensure the availability of
important genetic resources for research and plant
breeding, as well as provide equitable sharing of
benefi ts, including monetary benefi ts derived
from commercialization. A key element of the
treaty and the MLS is the Standard Material and
Transfer Agreement (SMTA) that facilities the
international movement of PGRFA and sharing
of benefi ts.
A breeding program is a dynamic
in situ
gene
pool. Because not all genotypes can be grown
every year, the most valuable lines for a multiplic-
ity of traits, or for a unique trait, are stored for
future use. The storage of these materials is gen-
erally for a short period before placing them in
a gene bank for long-term storage. Breeders
conserve genetic resources by way of a working
