Development and conservation of plant genetic resources for the Mediterranean basin and West Africa

• Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Pakistan
• Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
• Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique, Morocco
• National Agricultural Research Council, Pakistan
• Temperate Field Crops Genetic Resource Centre, Australia
• Pastoral Research and Veterinary Institute, Australia
• Centre for Legumes in Mediterranean Agriculture, Australia
• Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Tasmania, Australia
• Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Australia

The western Mediterranean region has widely diverse environments and represents the world's largest available population of leguminous plants suited to the milder climates of southern Australia. Their preservation is essential, not only for the countries themselves, but also to other countries, like Australia, dependent on the region for a continued flow of germplasm. The Asian countries of the Indian subcontinent, and Ethopia, appreciate the need to use grain legumes more widely in their rotations and have recently expressed the wish to collaborate with CLIMA in programs for the development of improved varieties and new species options. The countries, mainly for economic reasons, have made little use of the Western Mediterranean germplasm in a planned manner, despite its value to their programs. This project will involve ICARDA and CLIMA in the conservation and development of legume collections made in the Mediterranean basin, and the transfer of material back to the regional collections in developing countries. The project, though primarily concentrating on crop species acknowledges that forage crops cut for hay are an integral part of the system in the target countries. These species will provide the secondary tragets for the collection missions. ICARDA will coordinate the process and the necessary data base and seed transfer.

The principal outcomes of the project were the collection of seeds of 5294 landraces and wild populations of grain, forage and pasture legumes and perennial grasses in Morrocco (1994), Tunisia (1994 & 1995), Spain (1997), Sardinia, Crete (1995), Turkey (1996), Ethiopia (1996 & 1997), Bangladesh (1995), Nepal (1995) and Pakistan (1996), with the accessions being added to national and international genebanks. Preliminary characterisation of the accessions was completed for the earlier accessions and started for the most recent ones; traists assessed were flowering time, height, potential yield and cold tolerance fo all accessions, and, in species whose usefulness is limited by specific diseases &/or seed toxins, field resistance levels and toxin concetrations were determined. Data on the collection site, location, soils altitude and rainfall, and on the characteristics of the accessions were added to the electronic germplasm registers in the host countries, ICARDA and CLIMA. Seeds of the accessions were multiplied, stored, and selected lines were distributed to the appropriate collaborating countries. ICARDA sent 8352 accessions of the same species held in its genebanks, with additional accessions from Australia, to the collaborating countries for in-country evaluation. Collaborating Scientisits were trained in situ, at ICARDA or at CLIMA.

Collection missions of note:

Morocco and Tunisa (1994 and 1995)

During 1994 plant collection missions to 166 sites in Morocco and Tunsia were undertaken, yielding 1118 accessions of grain and forage legume species. A followup visits were conducted in 1995 to the isolated and dry Anti-Atlas mountains in Morrocco, yielding 265 accessions, mainly of Vicia, Lathyrus and Medicago species, and the major cropping areas in Tunisia, yeidling 902 accessions of 71 species of pasture and forage legumes. Post collection evaluations of mild climate ecotype species (Vicia, Pisum, Cicer) was carried out at INRA in Morocco, and Cold tolerance ecotypes (all species) was carried out in ICARDA. Numerous grasses collected in north Africa in 1994 were evaluated at Hamilton, Victoria, in 1995 and 1996. The Moroccan authorities have selected a line of Vicia from the collections for seed increase with a view to village release. Help was also provided to Morroccan and Tunisian scientists, including trinaing periods at ICARDA, to set up national germplasm databases.

Bangladesh and Nepal (March - April 1995)

A total of 142 accessions, mainly the grain legumes (Lathyrus, lentils, faba bean, pea and vetch) were collected from 75 sites in Bangladesh and 714 accessions, including cool season , tropical and forage legumes, over 150 sites in Nepal. In Nepal the largest number of accessions collected were of lentil (140) , Lathyrus (90), Peas (116) and chickpeas (70), with a large number of pasture and forage accesion of Vicia spp and Medicago spp collected as weeds in the pulse crops. Torpical legumes were also collected at the request/on behalf of the Nepal Agricultural Research Centre. Over 40 lines of improved germplasm were subsequnetly returned to Bangladesh following toxin screening and disease and drought nursery studies in ICARDA and CLIMA.

Tunisa and Morocco (May 1995)

A brief collection tour were undertaken in Tunisa and Morocco in May 1995 to complete ealier collections, thus providing a reasonable coverage of western North Africa to complement collections already made by ICARDA in the late 1980's.

Pakistan and Ethiopia (1996)

Two collection tours took place with this project in 1996; Pakistan and Ethiopia. A total of 420 accessions, mainly grain legumes were collected from 160 sites in Ethiopia, and 70 sites in Pakistan, bringing the total through the course of the project to nearly 2000. The most significant amongst the new collections was the wealth of lentil germplasm from Pakistan and lupin and chickpea land races from Ethiopia. An MOU between ICARDA, CLIMA and the Biodiversity Institute (Ethiopia) was completed prior to the tour. An important part of the agreement was the need for germplasm exchange with Ethiopia to enable BDI to broaden the genetic base of the Ethiopian collection.

Lathyrus from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Ethiopia were analysed for the neurotoxin ODAP. Low neorotoxin lines have been determined from each of the three countries. The ICARDA collection of Vicia sativa is also undergoing analysis for potentially toxic compounds. Lines of many of the species were sent to Australia from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Pakistan for seed chemistry. Australian lines were sent in return. Over 100 lines of improved germplasm of Lathyrus, chickpea and lentils were returned to Ethiopia, and over 80 lines of Lathyrus, chickpea and lentil to Pakistan following disease and nursery studies at ICARDA and CLIMA

Ethiopia (October 1997)

The prime aim of the mission was the collection of faba bean and pea germplasm and to revisit some key lupin sites in the Lake Tana region from which anthracnose resistance had been identified. In all 225 samples were collected (108 pea, 112 faba beans, 2 lentils, 3 lupin). Wild relatives of chickpea and lentils were also recorded in a number of locations for later collection.