BACK-TO-OFFICE REPORT I. Submitted by: Chikelu Mba, Agricultural Officer (Plant Genetic Resources Use) II. Registry and Budget Code: Pl 6/1 Mba III. Countries Visited: Azerbaijan (Baku) IV. Tasks undertaken for other FAO: None Units: V. Inclusive dates: 04 to 06 October 2011 VI. Co-Travelers: Nil VII. Reason for travel: I travelled to Baku, Azerbaijan, as LTU Officer for the Technical Cooperation Project (TCP), TCP/AZE/3202, Strengthening utilization of plant genetic resources in Azerbaijan through enhancing conventional plant breeding and associated biotechnology capacity to: o Participate in the International Conference on “Diversity, characterization and utilization of plant genetic resources for enhanced resilience to climate change” organized under the auspices of the TCP; and o Provide technical backstopping for the TCP. VIII. Brief recommendations and follow-up actions: An output of the conference was a set of two recommendations for: o the establishment of a regional network (Central Asia and the Caucasus countries – CAC) for the sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA); and o The countries of the CAC region to request the assistance of FAO and other partners in the development of national strategies for PGRFA. Both aspects of PGRFA work in the region deserve support especially with regard to enhanced adaptation and resilience of crop production systems to the threats of climate change and variations. Being relevant to FAO’s mandate and work, the sought assistance should be provided. • Project implementation has gone well with the supplied equipment evidently having been put to excellent use especially in the Molecular Biology. It is recommended that the procurement of the balance project equipment be completed with utmost dispatch. IX. Future Attendance: Not applicable. Cleared by Kakoli Ghosh, APGMG Distribution: Pandey, AGPD Sinaceur, FAOSEC AGPMG Officers, Cakmak, FAOSEC Mba Chrono, AGPMG Beltramme, AGPD AG-Reg X. Summary 1. International Conference on “Diversity, characterization and utilization of plant genetic resources for enhanced resilience to climate change ” Combined, climate change and variations, demographic and economic factors and the ever increasing diversion of foodstuff and arable land to bioenergy and animal feed production imperil global food security. It is currently estimated that 70% increase in food production over current levels must be attained within 40 years in order to feed adequately the expected nine billion people that will inhabit planet earth by the year 2050. With available natural resources, especially land and water, either fixed or dwindling, a significant portion of the needed increases in crop production must come from greater efficiencies in the harnessing of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA). It was therefore with the aim of devising means for enhanced capacities for reaping sustainable optimum benefits from PGRFA that the international Conference on “Diversity, characterization and utilization of plant genetic resources for enhanced resilience to climate change” was convened under the auspices of this FAO-supported TCP. Staff of the Genetic Resources Institute of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences; the Ministry of Agriculture of Azerbaijan Republic; FAO, Rome, Italy; International Center for the Improvement of Wheat and Maize (CIMMYT), Mexico; International Center for Agricultural Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA), Aleppo, Syria; Global Crop Diversity Trust (GCDT), Rome, Italy; Bioversity International Rome, Italy and other international, regional and national organizations and their regional offices provided significant intellectual inputs to the organization of the conference. The members of the Organizing Committee are listed in the Conference brochure appended to this report as Annex I. More than 140 scientists from 12 countries and 5 International organizations – FAO, CIMMYT, ICARDA, Bioversity International and the GCDT (Annex II; List of participants) took part in the two-day event. These participants included well-known scientists from both local and foreign institutions including the National Academy of Sciences, the Ministry of Agriculture. Also, professors and other staff of universities, members and corresponding members of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan participated in this conference. The National Coordinators for PGRFA from neighbouring countries, especially of Central Asia and the Caucasus, were in attendance. The conference consisted of two main parts, presentations by the participants and deliberations in breakout sessions (Annex III: Conference Programme). Participants made presentations that ranged from the conservation of PGRFA through their use in crop improvement to the delivery systems for seeds and planting materials for the priority crops of the region. The two work groups during the breakout sessions worked on the respective themes: • National and regional activities on the characterization and utilization of PGRFA; and • Strategy, Networking and Documentation; The recommendations of these two groups are appended as Annexes IV and V, respectively. The salient elements of the recommendations included the: • Expression of strong need for support to CAC countries in setting up a regional network on the utilization of PGRFA; a tentative work programme with assignment of responsibilities to the envisaged partner countries was drawn up (Annex IV). • Recommendation for the development of overarching national PGRFA strategies to link conservation through use to dissemination. Other recommendations dealt with the need to support the documentation systems and the upgrade of the requisite information technology platforms. 2. Review of status of project implementation. RO along with Drs. A. Morgounov (CIMMYT), Z. Akparov (National Project Coordinator) and A. Mammadov (National Consultant, PGR Network) reviewed the status of implementation. The unanimous conclusion was that project implementation has gone very well and the balance of activities was well on track to satisfactory implementation. Also, project counterparts who had benefitted from capacity building activities seemed to be applying the new skills very fruitfully. Since return from the mission, field purchase orders had been issued for the balance of the project’s procurements. A summary of the status of project implementation is appended to this BTOR as Annex Annex I. Members of the Organizing Committee of the Conference Name Role Affiliation, Country Academician Ahliman Chairman Azerbaijan Amiraslanov Dr. Asad Musayev Co-Chairman Dr.Sc. Zeynal Akparov Dr. Afig Mammadov Conference Secretary Dr. Ahmadov Mohtasim Member Dr. Abbasov Mehraj Dr. Bashirova Tarana Dr. Mammadova Sevinj Dr. Mammadova Ruhangiz Dr. Muhabbat Turdieva Bioversity International Dr. Mba Chikelu FAO Dr. Morgounov Alexey CIMMYT Dr. Khalikulov Zakir ICARDA Dr. Turok Jozef Annex II. List of Participants International Conference on “Diversity, characterization and utilization of PGR for enhanced resilience to climate change” October 3-4, 2011, Baku, Azerbaijan Organizations and Institutions from Abroad № Name Country Organization 1. Alexey Morgounov Turkey CIMMYT, Ankara 2. Luigi Guarino Italy Crop Diversity Trust, Rome 3. Chikelu Mba Italy FAO, Rome 4. Ram Sharma Uzbekistan ICARDA-CAC, Tashkent 5. Muhabbat Turdieva Uzbekistan Bioversity International, Tashkent 6. Zakir Khalikulov Uzbekistan ICARDA-CAC, PFU, Tashkent 7. Shukhrat Ahmedov Uzbekistan Отдел плодово-ягодных культур и винограда, Узбекский Научно-исследовательский институт растениеводства 8. Saidmurot Baboev Uzbekistan Институт Генетики и ЭБР АН РУз. 9. Mansurbey Uzbekistan Кафедра лесоводства, Ташкентский Государственный Khalmuratov Аграрный Университет 10. Ayfer Tan Turkey Aegean Agriculture Research Institute 11. Mesut Keser Turkey ICARDA-Turkey 12. Mustafa Kan Turkey Central Anatolian Bahri Dagdas Agricultural Research Institute 13. Bayan Alimgazinova Kazakhstan Национальный координатор по ГРР, АО «КазАгроИнновация» 14. Isatay Nurpeisov Kazakhstan Казахский НИИ земледелия и растениеводства, АО «КАИ », МСХ РК 15. Aygul Abugaliyeva Kazakhstan Казахский НИИ земледелия и растениеводства 16. Anatoliy Sedlovskiy Kazakhstan Институт биологии и биотехнологии растений МОН РК 17. Minura Esimbekova Kazakhstan Казахский НИИ земледелия и растениеводства, АО «КАИ », МСХ РК 18. Kubanichbek Kyrgyzstan Kirghiz National Agrarian University named after Turgunbaev K.I. Skryabin 19. Aibek Dolotbakov Kyrgyzstan Инновационный центр фитотехнологий НАН КР 20. Kayirkul Shalpykov Kyrgyzstan Инновационный Центр Фитотехнологии Национальной Академии Наук Кыргызской Республики 21. Mavluda Ergasheva Tajikistan Лаборатория биохимии плодов и овощей, Сугдский филиал Института садоводства и овощеводства Таджикской Академии Сельскохозяйственных Наук 22. Zulfira Imamkulova Tajikistan Институт садоводства и овощеводства Таджикской Академии Сельскохозяйственных Наук 23. David Bedoshvili Georgia Agrarian University of Georgia 24. Mirian Chokheli Georgia 25. Zoia Sikharulidze Georgia Institute of Phytopathology 26. Galina Meparishvili Georgia Institute of Phytopathology 27. Tinatin Epitsahvili Georgia Georgian Agrarian University 28. Viktor Ryabchun Ukraine Институт растениеводства им . В.Я. Юрьева НААН Национальный центр генетических ресурсов растений Украины 29. Sergey Martynov Russia VIR named after N.Vavilov 30. Hassan Teymourpour Iran East Azarbaijan Research Center of Agriculture and Natural Resources 31. Gholamreza Iran