Summary
Nowadays there is an increasing global concern over the loss of genetic resources of crop plants. The progress in crop improvement and food security largely depends on fast conservation of the rapidly endangered crop gene resources and their effective utilisation by plant breeders. Therefore, the need for conserving genetic resources of crop plants for their current use and for future posterity is increasing globally as well.
The central objective of plant genetic resources conservation is the maintenance of broad-based intra-specific genetic diversity with a known or potential value in order to ensure availability for its exploitation by present and future generations.
The principles and procedures of in-situ and ex-situ conservation of orthodox seeds as active and base collections in the genebanks are discussed in this learning material. Special emphasis is laid on genetic resources conservation centres management, performed to regulate and coordinate the activities involved in conservation of germplasm resources and dissemination of this information to interested professionals.
The procedures/regulations of plant introduction and exchange – import and export of plant (crop) germplasm under phytosanitary conditions (seed, plants, plant products, planting materials), have been described and discussed.
Authors & affiliations
Trayana Nedeva
Educational goals/tools
To present the objectives of plant genetic resources conservation for maintenance of intra-specific genetic diversity to be exploited nowadays and in future;
To explain the principles and procedures of in-situ and ex-situ conservation of active and base collections;
To disclose the management approches of genetic resources conservation centres;
To discuss the procedures/regulations of plant introduction and exchange;
To support the educational concept and content with ppts, videos, and project work materials.
Key words/phrases
in-situ/ex-situ conservation, plant genetic resources, genbanks