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About the question | |
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| In this question, a distinction is made between non-domesticated plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), i.e. crop wild relatives and wild food plants, and cultivated species or crops (and in some cases, groups of crops). For cultivated species, the question addresses the number of varieties, i.e. landraces and farmers' varieties that have been surveyed or inventoried. | |
What is meant by "PGRFA"? | |
| Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) encompass all genetic material of plant origin of actual or potential value for food and agriculture. Such material could belong to any crop, crop wild relative or wild food plant. At the within-species level, PGRFA can be referring to a population, a farmers’ variety or landrace, a commercial variety, a breeding line, research material or even DNA in an adequate biological form. | |
What is meant by "name of taxon" (in plural "taxa")? | |
| "Name of taxon" refers to the Latin scientific name of a given plant according to its taxonomic classification. The taxon name as used in the Reporting Format refers to a genus, a species and any sub-ranking below the species level, e.g. subspecies. The taxon name may include only the genus name with the addition of the abbreviation "sp." or "spp." (species pluralis) for one or multiple unknown species, respectively. In case of an inter-specific hybrid, i.e. a cross between two species of the same genus, the genus name and the abbreviation "spp." is sometimes used to reflect that more than one species of the same genus have been crossed to produce a hybrid. | |
Use of "name of taxon" versus "name of crop" or "name of crop group" | |
| The "name of taxon" is the scientific or Latin name of a given plant. It should be used whenever possible to refer to a given wild plant or crop throughout the questionnaire, as it improves the accuracy of the information provided and facilitates the data analyses. If the taxon name (i.e. genus and species) is not known or it would be too cumbersome to detail the answers for each and every species, the genus only can be provided. Should this not be possible, the common "name of crop" or, when applicable, the "name of crop group" could be used. | |
What is a "crop variety"? | |
| "Crop variety" refer to a plant grouping, within a single botanical taxon of the lowest known rank, defined by the reproducible expression of its distinguishing and other genetic characteristics. Examples of crop varieties are traditional varieties, farmers' varieties or landraces, as well as improved varieties including hybrids. The term, unless otherwise specified, is used throughout the reporting format also as a synonym of cultivar (namely, cultivated variety). | |
What is a "crop wild relative"? | |
| A crop wild relative (CWR) is a wild plant that belongs to a species genetically related to a crop. It typically grows in a natural habitat (i.e. in the wild), in disturbed habitats (road sides), or as weeds in farmers’ fields. The CWRs that are most closely related to the crop and can cross, are defined as belonging to the crop "primary genepool". CWRs that can cross with the crop species yielding at least some fertile hybrids and offspring are defined as belonging to the "secondary genepool" of that crop. All other CWRs that spontaneously cannot cross with the related crop species belonging to the primary genepool are defined as belonging to the "tertiary genepool". | |
What is a "wild food plant"? | |
| A wild food plant is referred to as a non-domesticated species that typically grows in a natural habitat and is being used by the local people as food. | |
What is meant by species or varieties being "threatened"? | |
| For the purpose of this Priority Activity, "threatened PGRFA" are considered to be any crops, crop varieties, crop wild relatives or wild food plants which are no longer cultivated or no longer occur in situ in most of their previous areas of cultivation or occurrence. | |
Is it possible to provide additional information on the types of threats? | |
| Any major type of threat to a given species or variety could be mentioned in the "Comment" box on the page of the indicator associated with this question. Examples of types of threat are disturbance of natural habitat (i.e. deforestation; infrastructure development; conversion into cultivated land; desertification; urbanization; etc.) and the replacement of crops and varieties with new ones. | |