Diapozitiv 1

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AGRI GEN RES TARGETED ACTION LEAFY VEGETABLES
GERMPLASM, STIMULATING USE
Project leader Chris Kik, Centre for Genetic
Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), Wageningen
University and Research Centre, Bornsesteeg 65,
7608 PD Wageningen, the Netherlands Project
consortium Agricultural Institute of Slovenia
(KIS). Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna
(UNIBO). Henry Doubleday Research Association
(HDRA). Union of Slovenian Organic Farmers
Association (USOFA). ProspecieRara
(PROSPECIERARA). Arche Noah, Gesellschaft zur
Erforschung der Kulturpflanzenvielfalt, deren
Erhaltung und Entwicklung (ARCHE NOAH). Institut
National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA),
Unité Génétique et amélioration des Fruits et
Légumes (GAFL). Nordic Gene Bank (NGB). Palacky
University in Olomouc (PALACKY).
Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop
Plant Research (IPK). Groupe d'Etudes et de
Contrôle des Variétés Et des Semences (GEVES).
Warwick-HRI, University of Warwick.
Overall objective The overall objective of the
proposed action is the establishment of a network
of partners active in the conservation and
utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) of
the leafy vegetables most important for Europe
lettuce (Lactuca spp.), spinach (Spinacia spp.)
and chicory (Cichorium spp.), and also
increasingly important minor crops like lambs
lettuce (Valerianella locusta) and rucola (Eruca
sativa and Diplotaxis spp.).
Specific objectives During the four-year period
the major objectives of the proposed action will
be The development of European databases
of the target leafy vegetables, which will
greatly improve access to these collections.
The characterization and regeneration of more
than 1200 accessions of the different leafy
vegetables, thus improving their
conservation and availability for potential
utilisation. Evaluation of leafy
vegetable material for important properties of
almost 750 accessions, allowing breeders to
utilize the most promising germplasm in
their programs to develop in the future improved
varieties. Marketing and utilisation
activities of the NGO's to contribute to an
increased utilisation of the collections by
farmers (incl. organic producers) and
consumers. The NGO's will stimulate the
utilisation of selected material for restaurants,
supermarkets, farmers markets
Safety duplication of leafy vegetables in Europe
to be substantially improved. Gaps in the
collection to be identified at the end of the
project period. Dissemination of results
and information by means of publications and
presentations. Information on passport,
characterisation and evaluation data of
the European leafy vegetables to be placed on the
Internet. Organizing a workshop for stakeholders
at the end of the action where the results
on the four leafy vegetable groups will be
presented.
Leafy vegetables collections The genebanks and
other collection holders participating in this
proposal, maintain the majority of the European
leafy vegetable collections (Table 1). The table
also indicates that there is a need for further
computerisation of the collections of spinach,
chicory and minor leafy vegetables. The
International Lactuca database (ILDB) includes
8980 accessions (Stavelikova et al, 2002) from
Europe and the USA and table 1 shows that the
holdings of the project members comprise a
substantial part of the ILDB and EURISCO. The
conclusion of the present investigation is that
there is a need to establish crop databases of
spinach, chicory and minor leafy vegetables and
further updating of the ILDB. In the past only
parts of the collections have been characterised
and evaluated. Evaluation of lettuce accessions
was given high priority in the past, therefore
the project will also focus on the evaluation for
important properties of some of the other crops.
Regeneration is a permanent task of genebanks and
the partners indicated that approximately 30 of
the holdings require regeneration in the near
future.
Conclusions To meet the objectives of the Leafy
Vegetables project, a consortium of fourteen
European partners was established, which covers
all the necessary knowledge to make this project
a success. Five workpackages, namely
Documentation, Characterization Regeneration,
Evaluation, Utilization Marketing and
Coordination were developed. This major
investment in EU Leafy Vegetable genetic
resources will result in the upgrading of the EU
leafy vegetable databases and will allow for a
considerably improved utilization of collections
by breeders and also by NGOs active in the area
of promoting regionally produced products.
Furthermore the improved databases will allow the
EU leafy vegetable genebanks to analyse gaps in
their collections and to safeguard them in a
better way via the improvement of their safety
duplications.
http//documents.plant.wur.nl/cgn/pgr/leafyveg/de
fault.htm