Country Report on the State of PGRFA. NAFRI, December 2007

The State of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Lao PDR Country Report NAFRI Vientiane December 2007 CONTENT CONTENT..........................................................................................................................................................1 LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ..........................................................................................................3 SECTION I.............................................................................................................................................................4 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .........................................................................................................................................4 SECTION II ...........................................................................................................................................................6 INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................................6 1. Trend in Population Development..............................................................................................................6 2. Geographical Information..........................................................................................................................6 3. Diversity in Climate....................................................................................................................................6 4. Pre-dominant Farming Systems, Major Crops and Seasons......................................................................7 5. Economy Based on Agricultural Products .................................................................................................8 6. Food Security and Future Trend ................................................................................................................8 7. Recent Trends in Agriculture Sector in Lao PDR ......................................................................................9 SECTION III........................................................................................................................................................10 CHAPTER 1.........................................................................................................................................................10 THE STATE OF DIVERSITY ..................................................................................................................................10 1. Introduction..............................................................................................................................................10 1.1. The Main Values of Plant Genetic Resources.................................................................................................... 10 1.2. Diversity Within and Between Crops ................................................................................................................ 10 1.2.1. The State of Diversity in Major Crops....................................................................................................... 11 1.2.2. The State of Diversity in Minor and Underutilized Crops......................................................................... 14 1.2.3. The State of Diversity in Wild Plants for Food ......................................................................................... 14 1.2.4. The Diversity Changes in Modern Varieties and Landraces..................................................................... 15 1.3. Factors Influencing the State of Plant Genetic Diversity ................................................................................... 15 1.3.1. Changing Consumer Preference for Food.................................................................................................. 15 1.3.2. Factors Creating Genetic Erosion in Lao PDR .......................................................................................... 15 1.4. Future Needs and Priorities for Increasing Awareness of PGRFA .................................................................... 16 1.5. Priority for Capacity Building Needs................................................................................................................. 16 1.6. Priorities for Better Understanding the Role and Value of PGR in Lao PDR.................................................... 17 1.7. Priorities for Improved Monitoring of Genetic Resources................................................................................. 17 CHAPTER 2.........................................................................................................................................................18 THE STATE OF IN SITU MANAGEMENT ...............................................................................................................18 2. Introduction..............................................................................................................................................18 2.1. Surveys and Inventories of PGRFA................................................................................................................... 18 2.1.1. Rice ........................................................................................................................................................... 18 2.1.2. Vegetables ................................................................................................................................................. 21 2.1.3. Other Annual and Perennial Crops............................................................................................................ 22 2.1.4. Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP).......................................................................................................... 22 2.1.5. Medicinal Plants........................................................................................................................................ 22 2.2. On-farm Management and Improvement of PGRFA......................................................................................... 23 2.3. Restoring Agriculture Systems after Disaster .................................................................................................... 23 2.4. Non-cultivated Forest Product for Food Security in Lao PDR .......................................................................... 24 2.5. Priorities and Needs for Improvement of In situ Management .......................................................................... 25 2.6. The Major Constraints Identified for In situ Management................................................................................. 25 CHAPTER 3.........................................................................................................................................................18 THE STATE OF EX SITU MANAGEMENT ..............................................................................................................27 3. Introduction..............................................................................................................................................27 3.1. Sustaining and Expanding Ex situ Collections................................................................................................... 27 3.1.1. Main Ex situ Collections ........................................................................................................................... 27 3.1.2. National Genebanks in Lao PDR............................................................................................................... 27 3.1.3. Vegetable Genebank at HHRC.................................................................................................................. 29 3.1.4. Ex situ Conservation of Other Annual and Perennial Crops...................................................................... 29 3.1.5. Documentation and Characterization of ex situ Conservation................................................................... 30 3.1.6. Germplasm Movement Within Lao PDR .................................................................................................. 31 3.2. Planned and Targeted Collecting....................................................................................................................... 31 3.3. Assessment of Ex situ Need............................................................................................................................... 32 1 CHAPTER 4.........................................................................................................................................................33 THE STATE OF UTILIZATION ..............................................................................................................................33 4. Introduction..............................................................................................................................................33 4.1. Distribution of Plant Genetic Resources............................................................................................................ 33 4.2. Utilization and Enhancing the Use of Plant Genetic Resources......................................................................... 33 4.2.1. Action Taken to Improve the Use of PGRFA............................................................................................ 33 4.2.2. Characterization and Evaluation of PGRFA.............................................................................................

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