State of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture in Finland - Second Finnish National Report
maa- ja metsätalousministeriö
2008
Julkaisusarja:
Publications of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forest 5/2008
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
http://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-436-9Tiivistelmä
The second Finnish national report includes the description of the state of plant genetic resources concerning material under both Nordic and national management. An attempt has been made to describe the trends regarding changes in the operational environment, conservation and use since 1996. The report has been compiled under the National Plant Genetic Resources Programme of Finland in cooperation with the Nordic Genetic Resource Center. The work has been steered by the National Advisory Board for Genetic Resources.
At the Finnish national level, a major improvement since 1996 was the launching of the National Plant Genetic Resources Programme in 2003. The programme covers PGR both for agriculture and horticulture and for forestry. In fact, these two sectors naturally overlap in Finland and can in the future cooperatively enhance in situ conservation activities of crop wild relatives. MTT Agrifood Research Finland is responsible for the coordination and conservation of vegetatively propagated crops. The National Advisory Board for Genetic Resources, appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, governs and monitors the national programme. The future challenge is to secure stable funding for the programme activities.
The ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources of seed propagated crops, including potato and documentation, was carried out by the Nordic Gene Bank (NGB) until 2007. From the beginning of 2008 the gene resource institutes in the Nordic area were reorganized and merged. The new Nordic Genetic Resource Center now comprises plants for food and agriculture, forestry and domestic animals. It is expected that this reorganization leads to more effective use of resources, and benefits especially the use of the genetic resources in the Nordic countries. From PGRFA point of view, further developments are expected in the overall gene bank management and documentation systems.
In situ and on-farm conservation crops and crop wild relatives are of great national interest. On-farm conservation of locally adapted crops increases diversity in fields and gardens. Management of landraces and crop wild relatives in the changing environment also provides evolutionary potential for the future. Activities to enhance on-farm conservation of crops have been initiated, but great challenges remain regarding the in situ conservation of crop wild relatives.
The ultimate goal of the conservation activities is to lay the basis for the sustainable use of plant genetic resources. The chain, conservation–documentation–evaluation & characterization–research–plant breeding, needs to be functional to achieve this. Nordic countries have made major efforts to tighten the chain in the past. However, the future challenge is to provide plant breeding and other users with valuable germplasm that is useful in changing environmental conditions.
In the international forums Finland has supported the activities of the FAO. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is seen as a mechanism that allows the access and benefit sharing arising from the use of PGR. Furthermore, the activities of CBd promoting national biodiversity strategies have been valuable. Regional activities within Europe (European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources ECPGR) and in the Nordic area have benefited task sharing in the conservation of PGR.
At the Finnish national level, a major improvement since 1996 was the launching of the National Plant Genetic Resources Programme in 2003. The programme covers PGR both for agriculture and horticulture and for forestry. In fact, these two sectors naturally overlap in Finland and can in the future cooperatively enhance in situ conservation activities of crop wild relatives. MTT Agrifood Research Finland is responsible for the coordination and conservation of vegetatively propagated crops. The National Advisory Board for Genetic Resources, appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, governs and monitors the national programme. The future challenge is to secure stable funding for the programme activities.
The ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources of seed propagated crops, including potato and documentation, was carried out by the Nordic Gene Bank (NGB) until 2007. From the beginning of 2008 the gene resource institutes in the Nordic area were reorganized and merged. The new Nordic Genetic Resource Center now comprises plants for food and agriculture, forestry and domestic animals. It is expected that this reorganization leads to more effective use of resources, and benefits especially the use of the genetic resources in the Nordic countries. From PGRFA point of view, further developments are expected in the overall gene bank management and documentation systems.
In situ and on-farm conservation crops and crop wild relatives are of great national interest. On-farm conservation of locally adapted crops increases diversity in fields and gardens. Management of landraces and crop wild relatives in the changing environment also provides evolutionary potential for the future. Activities to enhance on-farm conservation of crops have been initiated, but great challenges remain regarding the in situ conservation of crop wild relatives.
The ultimate goal of the conservation activities is to lay the basis for the sustainable use of plant genetic resources. The chain, conservation–documentation–evaluation & characterization–research–plant breeding, needs to be functional to achieve this. Nordic countries have made major efforts to tighten the chain in the past. However, the future challenge is to provide plant breeding and other users with valuable germplasm that is useful in changing environmental conditions.
In the international forums Finland has supported the activities of the FAO. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture is seen as a mechanism that allows the access and benefit sharing arising from the use of PGR. Furthermore, the activities of CBd promoting national biodiversity strategies have been valuable. Regional activities within Europe (European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources ECPGR) and in the Nordic area have benefited task sharing in the conservation of PGR.