For further information contact: Angela Marcela Hernández

Central American Award Granted to CIAT

Several researchers of CIAT's Genetic Resources Unit (GRU), headed by Dr. Daniel Debouck, won first prize as best contribution in Biotechnology and Natural Resources, within the framework of the annual meeting of the Central American Cooperative Program for Crop and Animal Improvement (PCCMCA, its Spanish acronym).

The winning team presented a summary of the research on gene flow between species of phaseoli bean in Colombia and Costa Rica, using microsatellite markers. This work, carried out jointly by CIAT and the University of Costa Rica, was funded by the German agency GTZ.

Download the related poster (302 kb).

Contact: Rosa Inés González

E-Learning Course on Germplasm Conservation

A new multi-institutional distance education course on ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources has proved to be an exciting learning experience, not just for participants, but for the staff conducting the course. Launched in August of this year, the pilot learning venture was developed jointly by CIAT, Bioversity International (formerly the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute), Colombia's National University in Palmira, and REDCAPA, an e-learning provider with over 10 years of experience. The course employs a Web-based method called computer-supported collaborative learning, which allows busy professionals to organize their participation in the course around other activities. Participants log into the work space, download documents related to course assignments, upload the work completed, and communicate with fellow students and tutors via e-mail.

A preliminary report on lessons learned from this experience is available at www.ciat.cgiar.org/inforcom/pdf/ex_situ_report.pdf

Please direct any comments or questions to Edith Hesse (e.hesse@cgiar.org)

About the Plant Genetic Resources

CIAT operates a large, state-of-the-art plant gene bank—the Genetic Resources Unit (GRU)—at its headquarters in Cali, Colombia. Three additional sites in the country provide seed multiplication services to systematically replenish the collection. The job of the GRU is to safeguard the genetic diversity of beans, cassava, forages, and their wild relatives through a mix of conservation methods, both in situ (in a natural outdoor habitat) and ex situ (in the controlled environment of a gene bank). This work is essential to global agriculture, food security, and the R&D efforts that support them.

Among the GRU's activities are research to improve conservation methods (including ways to minimize risks to the collection); screening germplasm for disease and certifying it; duplicating materials in the collection; collecting or otherwise acquiring novel materials; recording passport, characterization and evaluation data for accessions in the collection; and conducting training courses.

The GRU's collections contain 60,000 accessions (samples of seeds and other reproductive plant materials), mostly unimproved landraces. Representing 720 species, this germplasm is documented in our bean, cassava, and forage databases, from which users can generate reports on selected accessions in the collections.

Every year, CIAT distributes genetic material of 5,000 to 6,000 accessions in response to requests from around the world. Materials from the gene bank may be used for bona fide crop improvement research, field trials, seed multiplication, and training in genetic conservation. FAO designate materials are considered the collective heritage of humankind and, thus, are not patentable.

The GRU also provides advice, expertise, and training in genetic conservation as a support to national research programs in the region.

Requests for improved germplasm should be directed to the appropriate CIAT commodity project. This refers to elite bean, rice, cassava, and forage lines selected or improved by CIAT breeders. As newer materials are not yet included in the FAO designate collection, they may not be available directly from the GRU's gene bank.

Although CIAT has a mandate to conduct rice research for Latin America and the Caribbean, the GRU does not undertake long-term conservation of rice genetic resources. For more information on access to rice germplasm (other than CIAT elite lines), go to the Genetic Resources Center Web site of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).