Plant Production and Protection Division - AGP Seed and Plant Genetic Resources Service - AGPS

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Restoring farmers' seed systems in disaster situations
3 - 5 November 1998 FAO Rome.
This workshop was organised under FAO's mandate to facilitate the implementation of the Global Plan of Action (GPA) for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of crop genetic resources for food and agriculture, adopted by the International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, held in Leipzig, Germany in June, 1996.

Proceedings of the International Workshop on Developing Institutional Agreements and Capacity to Assist Farmers in Disaster Situations to Restore agricultural Systems and Seed Security Activities
3 - 5 November 1998 FAO Rome.
This workshop was organised under FAO's mandate to facilitate the implementation of the Global Plan of Action (GPA) for the conservation and sustainable utilisation of crop genetic resources for food and agriculture, adopted by the International Technical Conference on Plant Genetic Resources, held in Leipzig, Germany in June, 1996.

The Application of Biotechnology to the Conservation and Improvement of Tropical and Subtropical Fruit Species
November 1997  FAO Rome.
The need to apply modern biotechnologies to facilitate the conservation and use of plant genetic material, both plant cell and tissue culture, and more recently, plant molecular biology, have made available techniques that will greatly assist in the evaluation, collection and storage of plant genetic material.  The purpose of this document is to examine the role of plant biotechnology in the conservation and improvement of tropical and subtropical fruit species.

International Code of Conduct for plant germplasm collection and transfer
1994. 20 pages. ISBN 92-5-103571-7
The Code aims to promote the rational collection and sustainable use of genetic resources, to prevent genetic erosion, and to protect the interests of both donors and collectors of germplasm. Its primary function is to serve as a point of reference until individual countries establish their own codes or regulations for germplasm exploration and collection, conservation, exchange and utilization. The Code was adopted by the FAO Conference at its 27th session in November 1993. Available in hard copy and on disc.

PUBLISHED IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER INSTITUTIONS:

 The Plant Genetic Resources Newsletter

Genebank Standards
1994. 13 pages. ISBN 92-9043-236-5. A joint FAO/IPGRI publication.
FAO and IBPGR (now IPGRI) have been cooperating since the early 1970s to strengthen national capabilities in ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources. In 1991, the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources considered it "essential that appropriate standards be developed for genebanks operating within the international Network". The Commission requested the assessment and, if necessary, redefinition of genebank standards. Subsequently, an FAO/IBPGR Expert Consultation was convened in 1992 to discuss and update the genebank standards that IBPGR published in 1985. The Genebank Standards recommended by the Expert Consultation were then endorsed by the 5th Session of the Commission on Plant Genetic Resources which said this should be widely utilized as the international reference in national, regional and international genebanks. The Genebank Standards are concerned solely with the storage of seed of orthodox species. Arabic, Chinese, French and Spanish versions available in hard copy.

In situ conservation of wild relatives of cultivated plants: guiding principles and a case study
M. Gadgil, S.N. Singh, H. Nagendra, M.D.S. Chandran.
1996. 21 pages. A joint FAO/Indian Institute of Science publication.
Notes that in situ conservation needs to preserve the diversity of cultivated plants in a dispersed but managed fashion on farms in all regions and the diversity of their wild relatives in the landscapes in which they are found, in order to fully maintain evolutionary processes. This publication suggests how a strategy for this might be implemented with the active involvement of communities, working with scientists. Hard copy only.

Collecting Plant Genetic Diversity: Technical guidelines:
L. Guarino, V. Ramanatha Rao and R. Reid (editors)
1995. 748 pages. ISBN 0-85198-964-0
Available at GBP 65.00 (US$120.00 Americas only) from CAB International, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8DE, United Kingdom. In recent years it has become evident that there is no single publication that provides the prospective collector of plant germplasm with generic as well as specific, and theoretical as well as practical, information. It was to fill this gap that IPGRI, together with FAO, IUCN and UNEP, cooperated to produce this book. The volume is a comprehensive reference work and is aimed at both new and experienced collectors as well as those with a general interest in plant genetics, breeding and biodiversity. Hard copy.