Crop Wild Relative 7
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ISSN 1742-3627 (Print) www.cwrsg.org ISSN 1742-3694 (Online) Crop wild relative Issue 7 April 2009 d Relative Specialist Group The newsletter of the Crop Wil Conserving plant genetic diversity for use now and in the future 2 Crop wild relative Issue 7 April 2009 Editors: Nigel Maxted Editorial ...................................................................................................................................... 3 Ehsan Dulloo CWR in crop improvement Assistant editor: Determination of salt tolerance in wild einkorn wheat (Triticum boeoticum Boiss.) Shelagh Kell under in vitro conditions A.H. Yesayan, K.V. Grigorian, A.M. Danielian and N.A. Hovhannisyan .............................. 4 Design and layout: CWR in crop improvement: to what extent are they used? Shelagh Kell N. Maxted and S. Kell ........................................................................................................... 7 Front cover: Coffea Regional report mauritiana Lam, Black River Gorges National Park, CWR in Asia and the Pacific Mauritius A. Lane and T. Kete ............................................................................................................. 9 Photo: Ehsan Dulloo, National projects Bioversity International Development of conservation technologies for Australian rainforest fruits and CWR K. Hamilton, S.E. Ashmore and C.A Offord .......................................................................... 10 Conservation of Caesalpinia bonduc (L.) Roxb. In Benin, West Africa A.E. Assogbadjo .................................................................................................................. 12 Conservation of CWR in Denmark G. Poulsen ........................................................................................................................... 13 First step towards CWR conservation in Switzerland R. Häner and B. Schierscher ............................................................................................... 14 Crop wild relative Issue 7 has been supported by the Crop wild relative features European Cooperative On some wild relatives of cultivated sainfoin (Onobrychis L.) from the flora of Armenia Programme for Plant Genetic J.A. Akopian ......................................................................................................................... 17 Resources (ECPGR). The wild relatives of the tree tomato (Cyphomandra betacea) in Bolivia: distribution, ecology and uses S. A. Altarmirano-Azurduy ................................................................................................... 19 Collecting wild coffee species in Mauritius M.E. Dulloo and E. Couturon ................................................................................................ 21 Wild olive, Olea oleaster in the Maltese Islands: history, current status and conservation measures R. Lia .................................................................................................................................... 23 Correspondence address: Nigel Maxted, School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK Email: [email protected] Copyright © University of Birmingham 2009. All rights reserved. Published on behalf of the IUCN/SSC Crop Wild Relative Specialist Group. Above: Nikolai Vavilov. Photo: N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR). Crop wild relative Issue 7 April 2009 3 elcome to issue 7 of Crop wild relative—the news- bers of the CWRSG who were present in Barcelona also had the letter of the Crop Wild Relative Specialist Group opportunity to meet and discuss the activities of the CWRSG (CWRSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commis- and many suggestions have been made to take the group for- W sion (SSC). These are exciting times for CWR sci- ward. ence—CWR conservation and use is a complex, interdiscipli- Looking ahead to future activities in 2009, we await the formal nary, global issue that is increasingly being addressed by a reconstitution of the Specialist Groups. We had a productive number of national, regional and international initiatives; notably meeting to discuss the CWRSG and its future with the new SSC two Global Environment Facility projects (‘In Situ Conservation Chair, Simon Stuart, and accepted his invitation to continue as of Crop Wild Relatives through Enhanced Information Manage- co-Chairs of the CWRSG. Our next objective is to formally re- ment and Field Application’ and ‘Design, Testing and Evaluation constitute the membership of the new CWRSG for the new of Best Practices for In Situ Conservation of Economically Im- quadrennium (2009–2012). We hope you will be willing to join us portant Wild Species’), the European Community-funded pro- in continuing to contribute to achieving the vision and goals of jects, ‘European Crop Wild Relative Diversity Assessment and the CWRSG. A major initiative that we will be looking to mem- Conservation Forum (PGR Forum)’ and ‘An Integrated European bers to assist with over the coming year is the Red Listing of 500 In Situ Management Work Plan: Implementing Genetic Reserve –600 European CWR species—a project funded by the EU. Red and On Farm Concepts (AEGRO)’, the FAO commissioned Listing is a key role of the Specialist Groups and this project study, ‘Establishment of a global network for the in situ conser- provides an important boost to raise the profile of CWR, both vation of crop wild relatives: status and needs’, and activities of within and outside of Europe. the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Re- sources (ECPGR) ‘In Situ and On Farm Conservation Network’. Some important meetings are coming up that will provide an Several of these major initiatives have reached or are currently opportunity to spread the word about the importance of CWR; reaching fruition, but publication of their conclusions is very notably ‘Plant conservation for the next decade: a celebration of timely owing to the growing concern over the predicted devastat- Kew’s 250th Anniversary’, 12–16 October 2009, Royal Botanic ing impacts of climate change, the massively growing world Gardens, Kew and the FAO 12th Regular Session of the Com- population, and the negative implications for biodiversity and mission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (19–23 food security. October 2009), where CWR will be firmly on the agenda. 2010 will be the year of biodiversity and the ECPGR In Situ and On- CWR diversity will undoubtedly be negatively impacted by the farm Conservation Network, together with the EC-funded project pressures resulting from the increasing human population and AEGRO will be organizing a joint meeting in Madeira, Portugal climate change; yet, at the same time, this diversity is likely to on CWR and landrace conservation methodologies at which we be critical for crop improvement and food security in the future. It expect many CWRSG members to offer papers on their re- is therefore surprising that the importance of CWR has not been search. Watch the CWRSG website for further developments widely recognized, particularly in the agricultural community and (http://www.cwrsg.org/) and please remember to send us news that they have not been given a higher profile. The effective and updated information to keep the website current. conservation and use of CWR diversity is no longer an option—it is clearly a priority. They are a critical component of plant ge- In this issue we review the extent of use of CWR in crop im- netic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), have already provement (p. 7), with a special feature on the potential for Triti- made major contributions to crop production and are vital for cum boeoticum as a gene donor for salt tolerance in wheat (p. future food security. Their systematic conservation in ways that 4). A regional report from Asia and the Pacific describes the ensure their continuing availability for use is therefore impera- significance of the region as the centre of diversity and domesti- tive. cation of a range of important food crops (p. 9), while articles on three national CWR projects in Australia, Denmark and Switzer- In the first quadrennium (2005–2008), the members of the land illustrate the increasing recognition of the importance of CWRSG have made a significant contribution to addressing the CWR by national agencies and NGOs, many of whom are now challenge facing CWR diversity, not least by raising the value bringing CWR to the forefront of their conservation action plans and profile of CWR diversity within the IUCN Species Pro- (pp. 10–16). Pages 17–24 cover a range of CWR features from gramme, first in a meeting of the Specialist Group Chairs in Al around the globe: tree tomato in Bolivia, coffee in Mauritius, Ain, Abu Dhabi in February 2008 and secondly at the World sainfoin in Armenia and wild olive in Malta. Many thanks to all Conservation Congress held in Barcelona in October 2008, the contributors. where the CWRSG and CWR-related issues were given high visibility. During the Congress, CWR featured prominently, with We hope you will enjoy this issue of Crop wild relative and we a knowledge café, an exhibition and several Alliance workshops look forward to receiving contributions to the next issue, both dedicated to discussions of CWR conservation and use. Mem- from members and non-members alike. Crop wild relative Issue 7 April 2009 4 CWR in crop improvement Determination of salt tolerance in wild einkorn wheat (Triticum boeoticum Boiss.) under in vitro conditions Yesayan A.H.1, Grigorian K.V.1, Danielian A.M.2 and Hovhannisyan,