Towards European/global base populations
Aper Jonas 1
1
Plant Sciences Unit, Applied Genetics and Breeding, Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research,
Caritasstraat 21, B-9090 Melle, Belgium, jonas.aper@ilvo.vlaanderen.be
□ Yes, my idea can be published in the conference proceedings
■ No, my idea cannot be published in the conference proceedings
Problem situation
A high number of different accessions of each crop can now readily be found in several genebanks across the world. Often it is difficult to make a thorough selection of the material due to a lack of information
(origin, specific characteristics, …). In addition, germination is sometimes unknown and can be problematic, despite conservation measures. The different accessions are multiplied in isolation, so no gene exchange between these accessions is possible, restricting the number of new allele combinations.
Breeding idea
Genebanks, research institutes and seed companies are geographically separated in Europe and in the world and each has its own specific region/climate/agricultural environment. These organisations could send small seed samples of elite breeding material of a certain (cross-pollinating) crop originating from their breeding programs towards a central organisation. This organisation mixes all samples of seeds belonging to the same arbitrary flowering/maturity group and distributes small subsamples of each seed mixture to the different participants. The seed mixtures are multiplied in isolation plots, where the best adapted individuals for a certain region will have the largest share in the offspring (a mild negative human selection may also be possible). The harvested seeds on these plots are sent back to the central organisation and are available for all the other participants. The next cycle, each participant receives new seed mixtures for multiplication, composed of new donations and fractions of the different previously harvested seeds.
Scheme or illustration
Summary: the benefit of the application of this breeding idea lies in the creation of up-to-date, diverse, adapted and panmict base populations