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.............................................................................................