Crop genetic resource policy: the role of ex situ genebanks

Abstract

The world-wide capacity of genebanks for ex situ conservation of crop genetic resources has increased greatly since the 1970s, improving the access of crop breeders to landraces and wild and weedy relatives. But utilization of genebank resources has not kept pace. The set of popular cultivars in major crops is typically rather small, and their ancestry encompasses only a fraction of the genetic diversity currently available in other cultivars. Discussions of farmers' rights that focus on compensation for current incorporation of farmers' varieties in new cultivars have diverted attention from the question of why so little of the newly accessible genetic diversity is currently being utilized by public and private breeders. To optimize the future provision of genebank services, research is needed on the costs of genebanks, the market for their services, the use of genetic resources by breeders, and the implications of recognition of farmers' rights, evolving intellectual property rights, continued funding problems and developments in biotechnology.

Demand for Genetic Resources and the U.S. National Plant Germplasm System

“…Thus, a sizeable volume of material has been used in a breeding program, found worthy of further investigation, or has been useful in other ways. While certain materials may never be used, the number of samples estimated to be in use seemed to counter past assertions that the material in a genebank is rarely used (see Wright, 1997, andWidrlechner andBurke, 2003, for differing assessments).…”

“…Still, Widrlechner and Burke's (2003) analysis of distributions within selected NPGS collections found that "Contrary to commonly held views… many accessions are distributed frequently and few languish unrequested." However, some economists have asserted that the materials in genebanks are rarely used (Wright, 1997). This has led others to find that their worth is low ("negligible," in the words of Simpson and Sedjo, 1998).…”

Pearl millet

“…The use of available genetic resources in crop improvement is the most neglected part of germplasm conservation (de Wet, 1989). A very large gap exists between actual utilization of the germplasm and availability of collection in the genebanks (Wright, 1997;Upadhyaya et al, 2006). Germplasm resources would not be used if the information needed by crop improvement scientists is not readily available.…”

Development of a Mini Core Subset for Enhanced and Diversified Utilization of Pigeonpea Germplasm Resources

“…In spite of its multiple uses, pigeonpea germplasm has been used primarily for developing high grain yielding varieties of different maturity groups, as sources of resistance to major diseases and insect pests and for other simply inherited traits. Some economists have asserted that the materials in genebanks are rarely used (Wright, 1997). Usually the number of useful germplasm accessions for breeding is less than 5% and mostly less than 1% (Goodman, 1990) The prime reasons for the low use of diverse germplasm for improvement of quantitative traits in the plant breeding programs are the extended time and high costs involved in identifying these useful accessions.…”