[For further information on the Electronic Forum on Biotechnology in Food and
Agriculture see Forum website.
Note, participants are
assumed to be speaking on their own behalf, unless they
state otherwise.]
-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: 06 June 2005 17:03
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 1: Plant genetic resources - SADC countries
[Welcome everybody to this FAO e-mail conference on biotechnology and genetic resources for food and agriculture in developing countries !!! The four weeks available for this conference will go very fast, so we encourage you to participate actively right from the beginning to get the maximum benefit from it. Participants are also reminded to briefly introduce themselves in their first message to the conference. Note, some messages about GMOs have been received, so to avoid any confusion we will repeat what was written in the Introduction section of the Background Dcoument to the conference i.e. "The focus in this conference will be on biotechnology tools, such as molecular markers or cryopreservation and reproductive technologies, that can be used directly for the characterisation and/or conservation of genetic resources for food and agriculture. Genetic modification and GMOs will not be considered here" (http://www.fao.org/biotech/C13doc.htm) ...Moderator].
My name is Charles Nkhoma and I am currently acting Director of SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre (SPGRC) based in Zambia but with a mandate to cover the 13 member countries of SADC (Southern African Development Community). [SADC is a community of 13 Member States (Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe), with headquarters in Botswana (http://www.sadc.int/) ...Moderator].
SPGRC maintains the base collection on behalf of SADC countries while the active collections are maintained by each country at the National Plant Genetic Resources Centre (NPGRC). While the programme has succeeded fairly well with common cereals, legumes etc, we are completely incapacitated to work with our own indigenous materials when they happen to be difficult to cultivate for example. Ironically, we are forced to work on those crops which others with more resources than ourselves are already working on and we are unable to work on our plants which no one else is working on just because we lack the biotechnology facilities that would help us to tackle specific problems in these plants.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia there is a ground orchid that occurs in some habitats in these countries. The tubers of these orchids are edible and their popularity has increased steadly in recent years from being rural foods and are now found on the buffet table of Intercontinental Hotel! Yet they are still harvested only from the wild. There is not much knowledge about these orchids but we know that they belong to various species of Disa, Habenaria and Satyrium. Molecular marker techniques would be useful in studying the diversity in these orchids in order for us to determine the actual range of these species which are utilised, their diversity and thereby understand the extent to which the current methods of destructive harvesting is threatening these resources. Furthermore, studies that may lead to eventual domestication of these species require use of tissue culture facilities. In terms of the kinds of useful plant species that occur in the tropics and subtropics, its quite clear that developing countries need biotechnology to develop appropriate conservation methods and to promote species utilization maybe even more than developed countries.
Much of the genetic resources conserved in the genebanks of our network are landraces. Currently, we only record agronomic and morphological data in order to characterise our collections. This is, of course, very useful and will continue to be done. However, there are also many instances when use of molecular markers become inevitable in helping to remove unnecessary duplicates and also in those species that are agronomically difficult to propagate. I believe the issue at hand should be more on how to access use of biotechnology to support plant genetic resources work. I look forward to the day that we will manage to acquire facilities to be able to utilise molecular markers.
Charles Nkhoma, M Sc.,
SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre
Private Bag Ch6
Lusaka
Zambia
Fax: 260 1 233746
Phone: 260 1 233391/2
Email: spgrc (at) zamnet.zm
-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: 06 June 2005 17:06
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 2: Low cost options for tissue culture
My name is Edo Lin, independent consultant.
One of the issues raised in the Background Document to the conference are the high costs and high investments needed for the use of biotechnology.
Tissue culture and other forms of micropropagation are useful tools not only to provide disease-free planting material to farmers (for instance banana, sugarcane etc.) but are also used for the conservation and multiplication of plant species. These techniques are especially useful in species that do not normally produce seeds or, in the case of (fruit) trees, where seeds are only produced several years after planting. Facilities for micropropagation are expensive to build (need for sterile work environment, air conditioning, artificial lighting etc.) and expensive to operate (labour intensive and high cost of consumables like media, containers, hormones). These high costs are a problem in developing countries where, in addition, the cost of energy is high and the reliability of electricity supplies is low.
Fortunately there have been several initiatives to study low cost options for micropropagation using locally available materials (media, polybags) and the use of natural light and ventilation. For people interested to know more about low cost options, the Joint FAO/IAEA Division for nuclear techniques in Food and Agriculture has a document available on the internet: "Low cost options for tissue culture technology in developing countries" http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/te_1384_web.pdf
Edo Lin
Ceres Consulting International
309, rue de Bombon
77720 Breau
France
tel and fax: +33 164387844
e-mail: ceres.consult (at) free.fr
[The publication referred to here, provided free on the web about a year ago, was prepared on the basis of contributions made at a meeting on "Low cost tissue culture technology for developing countries", held on 26-30 August 2002 in Vienna, Austria. It describes options for reducing costs in the establishment and operation of plant tissue culture facilities and focuses primarily on plant micropropagation. It includes the basics of tissue culture technology, bioreactors, low-cost options in the design of laboratories, use of media and containers, energy and labour saving, integration and adoption of low cost options, increasing plant survival after propagation, and outreach of material to growers and farmers in developing countries...Moderator].
-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: 06 June 2005 17:08
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 3: Livestock - biotechnology - Pakistan
In developing countries (for example, Pakistan), the livestock production system is mostly of subsistence nature. Farmers have poor access to financial, technical and marketing resources. Their immediate need is income enhancement and poverty reduction. So they choose breeds which can give them quick financial return.
Selective breeding of animals is a time consuming and expensive process. So the farmers go for crossbreeding. On one hand, the state has failed to provide support for conservation of genetic resources and, on the other, genetic conservation is not a priority area for farmers. So it remains a neglected activity and someone else should take the task.
Through biotchnology, germplasm can be preserved in the form of gametes or embryos. This again needs sufficient resources in the form of highly trained manpower, equipment and supplies, and which is neither the priority of the states of the developing countries nor the farmers.
At university level, this dream can become true as the environment there is suitable for such type of jobs. The teachers and students possess sufficient enthusiasm and the task can be completed in a better way. Our group is working on genetic studies and preservation of some sheep breeds and would be pleased to collaborate with other fellow groups for this purpose.
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Subhan Qureshi,
In-Charge Animal Health Department
NWFP Agricultural University
Peshawar-25000,
Pakistan.
Tel.Office 9291-9216573-3087, Home 5842354
Mobile 92-300-5877933,
E.mail: drmsqureshi (at) yahoo.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: 06 June 2005 17:10
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 4: Apomixis and crop genetic resources
My name is Nagib Nassar, Professor with the University of Brasilia, geneticist and plant breeder, dealing principally with the maipulation of cassava genetic resources for improvement of the crop with emphasis on apomixis and interspecific hybridization (see my site: www.geneconserve.pro.br).
A question I have is: How much may apomixis contribute to conservation of a certain crop genetic resources?
Since it preserves genetic constitution, including clearly heterozygosity, it logically avoids any segregation that may lead to production of unfavoured and inferior genotypes. These inferior genotypes may be discarded by breeders and lost forever, consequently losing the genes from the gene pool of the crop.
I shall be happy to hear the comments of my colleage participants of this conference, certainly it will enrich our knowledge on the subject. We, at Brasilia, have produced for the first time apomictic cassava clones by transferring the gene from the wild followed by backcrosses. It was confirmed by molecular markers (satellite technique) - details can be seen in our site on the web www.geneconserve.pro.br
Nagib Nassar
Departamento de Genetica e Morfologia,
Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas,
Universidade de Brasilia,
Campus Universitario Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte.
CEP: 70910–900, Brasilia – DF,
Brazil.
Phone: (+55.61) 349.3253
Fax: (+55.61) 349.3562
nagnassa (at) rudah.com.br
[Regarding apomixis, Jefferson (1994) gives a nice definition, writing "Plant reproduction occurs by complex and diverse mechanisms. Sexual reproduction is most common in flowering plants of agricultural importance. Male and female gametes (the pollen and the egg cells respectively) are separately produced with half the normal chromosome number. These combine during fertilization and further develop to give rise to a seed. This seed contains genes derived from both parents in a form that is distinct from both parents so that once that seed germinates a plant of unique genetic constitution is generated. By contrast, apomixis produces seeds through asexual processes. The genetic makeup of the seeds is identical to that of the mother plant. If the mother plant is well adapted to a particular environment or purpose, so will be the offspring. Although many wild plants are naturally apomictic, for instance the common dandelion (Taraxacum sp.), very few crop species are apomictic" (http://www.biotech-monitor.nl/1906.htm) ...Moderator].
-----Original Message-----
From: Biotech-Mod1
Sent: 06 June 2005 17:13
To: 'biotech-room1@mailserv.fao.org'
Subject: 5: Interspecific hybridization - Cassava
This is Nagib Nassar, Brazil, again.
I wish to ask a question to colleagues of this conference - probably somebody has a similar experience of mine in certain crop. The question is how much does interspecific hybridization contribute in preserving the gene pool of a wild species threatened by extinction or that has come to extinction?
An interesting case cames from Manihot oligantha, a wild cassava possessing the highest protein content ever known in this crop, 9%, while it is 1.5% in common cassava cultivars. This species has become extinct but, early in the 1970s, we hybridized it with cassava and obtained a root productive hybrid that has 5% protein. When we planted its progeny (second generation), some progenies could be detected which have protein as high as 7%. True protein yes !! judged from evaluating amino acids. Is this is a proof that interspecific hybrids can preserve wild gene pools, where other methods fail? Can somebody tell me a similar case?, or may may disaccord? Fo more details on what I said, see www.geneconserve.pro.br.
A second question: Can we preserve genetic resources of a crop by re-introducing both wild relatives and their interspecific hybrids, and let them grow in small farmers properties? i.e conserve them through a participatory project.
We have a project in Brasilia to begin this season. It aims to re-introduce some wild cassava which had become extinct in their natural habitats into some small farmers properties. They will be acompanied by their interspecific hybrids. We will teach small farmers how important the conservation is. Since the interspecific hybrids are more productive than common ones, more resistant to predominant diseases, we expect farmers will adopt them as new varieties.
These interspecific hybrids, being grown close to the wild species, may hybridize with them and, who knows in the future, probably evolve new species like that what happened in maize and wheat. Our role in this process is to introduce this material and teach small farmers.
It took a lot of time and effort to break barriers between the wild species and cassava in our living collection, we used different techniques and methods, finally we have about 12 different hybrids. Another aspect of our role in this process is to have preserved the wild species which have become extinct in their natural habitat.
I shall be grateful to have comments from conference participants, certainly these comments will more refine this project. Kindly see details of this program and reprints in our site on the web www.geneconserve.pro.br
Nagib Nassar
Departamento de Genetica e Morfologia,
Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas,
Universidade de Brasilia,
Campus Universitario Darcy Ribeiro, Asa Norte.
CEP: 70910–900, Brasilia – DF,
Brazil.
Phone: (+55.61) 349.3253
Fax: (+55.61) 349.3562
nagnassa (at) rudah.com.br