Author
 |
Hummer, Kim |
|
Submitted to: Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 2/7/2006 Publication Date: 8/9/2006 Citation: Hummer, K.E. 2006. Development of a global conservation strategy for strawberries. Meeting Proceedings. Interpretive Summary: The strawberry is a horticultural crop of global economic significance. In 2004, about 3.5 million MT of strawberries were produced in 75 countries. Centers for strawberry diversity include Asia, Europe, North and South America. Landraces are being replaced with new types. Plant geneticists have bred new strawberry cultivars for 300 years but the available genes for strawberry development has been restricted. A global conservation strategy will be developed to reduce the loss of diverse wild strawberries and insure long-term preservation. An international team of strawberry genebank managers, geneticists and researchers will define ways to specify to keep strawberries secure in perpetuity. A survey of international genebanks will identify good procedures and identify an inventory of strawberries. Vulnerable wild collections will be identified for future preservation. Primary collections at national genebanks will consist of living plants protected in green- or screenhouses. Secondary backup will be in tissue culture under refrigeration. Long-term backup of plants will be in liquid nitrogen. Species diversity will be represented by seed lots stored in freezers. Technical guidelines for the safe movement of Fragaria germplasm will be updated. Criteria for genebanks to be recognized as part of the global conservation system will be established. Databases of web accessible information will be linked. A unified approach for the global conservation of strawberries will be defined. Technical Abstract: The strawberry, Fragaria L., is a horticultural crop of global economic significance and is listed in the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Annex 1. In 2004, about 3.5 million MT of strawberries were produced in 75 countries. Centers for strawberry diversity include Asia, Europe, North and South America. Fragaria includes diploid, tetraploid, pentaploid, hexaploid and octoploid genomes. The primary cultivated gene pool is octoploid. Landraces are being lost by replacement with new cultivars. Plant geneticists have bred new strawberry cultivars for 300 years but the cultivated strawberry gene pool has been restricted. A global conservation strategy will be developed to reduce the erosion of diversity in wild genetic resources and to insure the availability and accessibility of the wild and cultivated strawberry gene pool. An international team of strawberry genebank managers, geneticists and researchers will define protocols to specify adequate techniques for the sustainable and secure conservation of strawberries in perpetuity. A survey of international genebanks will identify maintenance activities and provide an inventory of protected Fragaria. Vulnerable wild collections will be identified for future preservation. Primary collections at national genebanks will consist of living plants protected in green- or screenhouses. Secondary backup will be maintained in vitro under refrigeration. Long-term backup of meristems will be in cryogenic storage at remote locations to provide decades of security. Species diversity will be represented by seed lots stored in -18 C or backed up in cryogenics. Technical guidelines for the safe movement of Fragaria germplasm will be updated. Eligibility criteria for genebanks to be recognized as part of the global conservation system will be established. Databases of genebank web accessible information will be linked. A unified approach for the global conservation of Fragaria will be defined. |
