Ensuring the future of the Ensuring the future of the diversity of date palm ( diversity of date palm ( Phoenix Phoenix dactylifera) dactylifera) in the face of in the face of devastation by the red palm weevil devastation by the red palm weevil ( ( Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Rhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier): Olivier): biotechnology can sustain future biotechnology can sustain future options options Research idea January 2010 Jozef Turok, Bioversity International
Transcript
Ensuring the future of the diversity of date Ensuring the future of the diversity of date palm (palm (Phoenix dactylifera)Phoenix dactylifera) in the face of in the face of
devastation by the red palm weevil devastation by the red palm weevil ((Rhynchophorus ferrugineusRhynchophorus ferrugineus Olivier): Olivier):
biotechnology can sustain future optionsbiotechnology can sustain future options
Research ideaJanuary 2010
Jozef Turok, Bioversity International
Structure of presentation
• Goal, objectives, outputs, partnerships and overall
approach
• Biotechnology at the service of conservation –
some experiences from Bioversity’s work on
cryopreservation
• Date Palm Project in the oases of North Africa –
some experiences from the project implemented
in 2001-2005
• Points for today’s discussion
Goal
to secure the future of the diversity of date palm (Phoenix dactylifera) from the imminent threat posed by the red palm weevil through the development and use of cryopreservation technology.
Purpose
work closely with the Date Palm Global Network (DPGN) established under the umbrella of AARINENA in order to develop a global strategy for ex situ conservation of date palm germplasm, meant to strengthen existing field collections through in vitro and cryopreservation technologies. Such a strategy will also include a management plan to ensure the long term security of the date palm collections in the Region.
Specific objectives• developing a conservation strategy to secure the existing
date palm genetic diversity, including the identification of diversity hotspots, collecting and filling of gaps in collections
• establishing clean (contamination free) and regenerable, true-to-type in vitro cultures that can be used for (i) mass multiplication of elite germplasm and (ii) cryopreservation
• developing/refining cryopreservation protocols for date palm in vitro cultured materials and transferring the technologies to relevant partners, including international network of researchers and users of cryopreservation for date palm germplasm long-term conservation
• establishing a monitoring system to track the spread of the red palm weevil and its impact on date palm diversity
• establishing regional date palm cryopreserved collections with safety back up collections
Outputs• Date palm genetic resources conservation strategy • Protocols for in vitro culture of date palm • Protocols for cryopreservation of date palm • Full-purpose in vitro banks/cryobanks established, with
required equipment and genebank staff trained in management of in vitro or cryopreserved collections and transfer of in vitro germplasm to cryopreservation
• Early Warning System for threats on date palms• Collaborative strategy for date palm cryopreservation
developed with stakeholders• Awareness of DPGN and other key stakeholders regarding
the benefits of cryopreservation
Beneficiaries
Date palm growers across the Region, genebank staff (recipients of knowledge, capacity and training), Date Palm Global Network members – beneficiaries and partners, researchers on cryopreservation of germplasm.
PartnersDate Palm Global Network members
Plant Genetic Resources Network members
ICARDA
Other partners who have expressed interest in participating include: Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD), France
University of Sfax, Tunisia
Houari Boumediene University, Algeria
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
Biotechnology at the service of conservation
• Biotechnology provides alternatives for conserving difficult seeds
• Tissue culture techniques – slow growth and cryopreservation
• At Bioversity, research focused on a list of 21 priority species set up by an Advisory committee on in vitro storage
• Research on cryopreservation initiated on 17 crops, as well as forest trees
• More than 200 plants species – cryopreservation protocols developed
Cryo temperate fruit trees Changli Institute of Pomology, China 1998-2001 IPGRI core
Cryo Trichilia Univ. Natal 1998-2003 IPGRI core
In vitro conservation chayote ITC, Costa Rica 1998-2002 IPGRI core
In vitro conservation ARTs Univ. Legon, Ghana 1998-99 IPGRI core
CRYMCEPT 6 European institutes 2002-2004 EU
Cryo projects supported by Bioversity
A cryoprotocol for coffee
Efforts made by IRD to investigate the LN sensitivity of coffee seeds
Led to successful development of cryopreservation protocol for coffee
With support from Bioversity, protocol was applied to a core set of CATIE coffee field collection in Costa Rica – 63 accessions were cryopreserved
Comparison of cost of cryopreservation with the field collection at CATIE
Cost per accessions in different size cryo-collections
Costs Per Accessions
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
2% 4% 6%
Discount Rate
US
$
300 500 1000 2000 1992 in Field Accessions
Training courses
• In vitro techniques and cryopreservation, University of Legon, Ghana
• CRYMCEPT cryopreservation training course, Leuven and Montpellier, 2005
• In Vitro and Cryopreservation Techniques for Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources – Nov. 2008, NBPGR, India – 16 participants; practical hands-on course
• HZAU/Bioversity Post-Doctoral Programme on Molecular Characterization for Use of Genetic Resources - Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China; 2 scholarships (18-24 months)
Publication on in vitro and cryopreservation
Information on in vitro conservation techniques
has been widely disseminated through
the production of numerous scientific and technical publications
and the delivery of oral and poster presentation
during scientific conferences.
CGIAR project on rehabilitation of Global public goods
Refinement and standardization of storage procedures for clonal crops
Review in vitro protocols applied to clonal crops (sweet potato, yam, Ulluco, Oca, and other in-trust crops)
Develop and implement a programme of technology transfer and capacity building to refine and standardize in vitro conservation for clonal crops
Expert group – compilation and analysis of in vitro protocols in use for slow growth and long-term conservation
enhance income generation in oasesChallenges: • Replacement by few commercial varieties • Spreading of ‘Bayoud’ in Morocco and Algeria • Market forces preference of commercial varieties by Farmers to the
exclusion of PGR• Sand dunes encroachment, e.g. ‘Fezouata Oasis in Algeria’• Soil salinity due to inefficient traditional irrigation practices
Project objectives & beneficiaries
Project title: Participatory management of date palm genetic resources in Oases of the Maghreb (IPGRI/UNDP-GEF, Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia)
Objectives: Mitigating genetic erosion arising mainly from replacement by commercial varieties e.g. ‘Deglet Nour’ and the spread of Bayoud disease in Morocco and Algeria
Beneficiaries:
Farmers are the primary stakeholders, they:
Create Genetic Diversity through seed and vegetative reproduction and select primitive varieties
Use traditional knowledge and practices in the management and selection of primitive varieties
Activities
In situ prescreening to speed up the process of variety selection for multiplication
Adapting techniques to multiply a greater number of date palm varieties
Develop alternative markets for date palm products creating value for wider range of phenotypic characteristics and the incentive to grow more varieties
Develop national capacity to negotiate genetic property rights
Replicate project best practices at other sites
Achievements
• SIPALM diversity field survey methodology developed and used
• Farmers selected 40 local varieties for multiplication and further dissemination
• Enhanced public awareness about Date Palm GR through Radio and TV programs, News papers articles, established Website for the project, fact sheets, newsletter, posters
• Descriptor list developed for the collection, characterization and evaluation of Date Palm
• Policy makers in Tunisia agreed to introduce amendments to the code of subsidies to the benefit of growing local varieties of Date Palm
• 60 trainees including Framers were trained on Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) in all three countries
• Workshops organized in all three countries on ‘ Participatory diagnosis to analyze biodiversity and plan rehabilitation by scenarios’
Partnerships
Some constraints identified:Sustainability is difficult to achieveNeeds greater coordination effortsUntimely delivery of outputsVaried level of quality of outputs
How are these constraints to overcome?Better capacity building approach Enhancing effectiveness of Public AwarenessImproving ways and means of coordinationImproving accountability and commitment of partnersTeam approach
nature reserves managed areas introduction to reserves
field gene banks
pollen banks DNA libraries
on- farm management
on- farm conservation
seed gene banks
in vitro gene banks
Ex situ
In situ
Farmers’ exchange, new introductions
Community gene banks
Short-term/ long-term conservation
Slow growth, cryopreservation
Complementary Approaches
The Project was implemented within an agro-ecosystem concept. Date Palm is the key species of the oases agro-ecosystem providing soil stabilisation, humidity, shade and shelter from high wind, effectively contributing to the prevention of desertification within oases, and the preservation of locally adapted landraces and cultivars of major crops (wheat, barley, sorghum, millet, olive, almond, apricot, grape, alfalfa, beans) and underutilized species such as fig, pomegranate, okra, millet, henna, safflower, etc.
Points for discussion
• Overall approach
• Extent and patterns of the threat
• Status of date palm diversity, collections in the
