Workshop Nordic – North Western Russia collaboration on conservation and utilisation of plant genetic resources Alnarp, Sweden, April 12-13, 2011

    Summary

    Genebank staff of the Russian national genebank (N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, VIR) and the Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) gathered for two days at Alnarp for discussing progress and developing perspectives for future cooperation. The workshop was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

    The northern region includes the five Nordic countries, Alaska and Canada. International collaboration increases efficiency to ensure food security and a sustainable agricultural industry in a changing climate. Availability of plant genetic resources is crucial when facing this task.

    The objectives of the workshop were:

    1.     to exchange information about past NordGen-VIR cooperation;

    2.     to develop information material for the public about the need of cooperation in plant genetic resources; and

    3.     to develop proposals for future cooperation.

    2.    The first day of the workshop focused on gaining an overview over past activities and suggesting new projects. Exchange of germplasm between the genebanks has been intense and VIR conducted a wide range of field evaluations and regenerations of Nordic plant genetic resources. The past cooperation produced information that allowed for identifying interesting genetic resources for plant breeding. Information about performance and disease resistances in Nordic barley, oat and rye germplasm was produced. Insights into changes of germplasm during genebank storage could be gathered. Important accessions of Nordic grass species and cereals were successfully regenerated. The potential of special germplasm collections at NordGen and VIR was elaborated. The need to improve access to information by better use of information technology tools was emphasised.

    3.    The second day of the workshop was used for intense discussions of perspectives for future cooperation. Project proposals were developed that have focus on innovative approaches to enhance the conservations and utilisation of plant genetic resources. The project proposals cover the following categories:

    1.     Food security and sustainable agriculture;

    2.     Information technology;

    3.     Rare and underutilized crops;

    4.     Diversity for organic agriculture; and

    5.     Integrating in ex situ and in situ/on farm conservation.

      The next step will be to approach funding agencies such as the Swedish Sida (Styrelsen for internationellt utvecklingssamarbete) to realize projects that address these areas. All participants contributed very actively to vivid discussions resulting in a strong and common vision for future cooperation.

    Presentations made during the workshop:

    A. Bragason (Director, NordGen) Mandate and structure of NordGen

    S. Alexanian (Vice director, Head of VIR Foreign Relations Department) Structure of VIR and examples for international cooperation

    M. Randboll-Wolff (Nordic Council of Ministers, Senior Adviser) Nordic Council of Ministers and plant genetic resources

    R. v. Bothmer, SLU/NordGen The Svalbard Global Seed Vault

    I. Loskutov (VIR Rye, Barley, Oats Genetic Resources Department) Results of evaluating Nordic cereals in Russia

    E. Zuev (VIR Wheat Genetic Resources Department) Perspectives for joint investigations of wheat genetic resources for the northern region

    V. Gavrilova (VIR, Oil and Fiber Crops Genetic Resources Department) Evaluations and use of Flax and oilseed Brassica germplasm for northern regions

    E. Dzyubenko (VIR, Perennial Forage Crops Genetic Resources Department) Techniques for and results of increasing Nordic Phleum material in 2010

    M. Vishnyakova (Head, Leguminous Crops Genetic Resources Department) Grain legumes in northern latitudes

    A. Diederichsen Thoughts about investigations of the NordGen cereal collection

    A. Kolodinska-Brantestam Genetic stocks collection at NordGen

    S. Solberg, Malin Dorre Vegetable collection at NordGen

    G. Poulsen Cooperation on industrial cultures and grass collections at NordGen

    J. Nordling Cooperation in computerized documentation

    Dag Terje Filip Endresen (IT and Plant Genetic Resources Expert) The Focused Identification of Germplasm Strategy (FIGS)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Tour of NordGen Facilities

    Participants:

    From VIR, St. Petersburg:

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Sergey Alexanian (Vice director general of VIR, Head of VIR Foreign Relations Department)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Eugeni Zuev (Spring Bread Weat Collection Curator)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Vera Gavrilova (Head, Oil and Fiber Crops Genetic Resources Department)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Igor Loskutov (Head, Rye, Barley, Oats Genetic Resources Department)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Elena Dzyubenko (Senior scientist, Perennial Forage Crops Genetic Resources Department)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Margarita Vishnyakova (Head, Leguminous Crops Genetic Resources Department)

    From NordGen:

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Arni Bragason (Director, NordGen)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Morten Rasmussen (Head, Plant Section) – day 2 only

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Svein Solberg (NordGen, Senior scientist, vegetables)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Agnese Kolodinska-Brantestam (NordGen, Senior scientist, cereal genetic stocks collection)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Gert Poulsen (NordGen, Senior scientist, technical cultures and grasses)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Lena Ansebo (Senior scientist, ornamentals, fruit and berries)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Simon Jeppson (NordGen, Head, Seed Laboratory NordGen)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Jonas Nordling (NordGen, Head, IT section NordGen)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Magdalena Svardh (NordGen, IT section NordGen)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Malin Dorre (NordGen/SLU, Graduate student) – day 1 only

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Karin Backlund NordGen (Information coordinator)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Axel Diederichsen (NordGen, Senior scientist, cereal collection)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Roland von Bothmer (SLU/NordGen, Svalbard Global Seed Vault)

    Other organizations:

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Mads Randboll-Wolff (Nordic Council of Ministers)

    S. Jeppson, A. Kolodinska Brantestam, S. Solberg, A. Diederichsen Dag Terje Filip Endresen (Former Head of IT section at NordGen)