SWOT analysis of the Maize

Genetic Resources in Europe

Pedro Revilla, Research ScientistMisión Biológica de Galicia (CSIC), Pontevedra, Spainprevilla@mbg.csic.es

The history begun in Russia

•Nicolai Vavilov awoke the interest for genetic resources one century ago

•He collected more than 50.000 accessions in 50 countries between 1920 and 1930

•Since then, too many samples have been collected in Europe

•Europe has been oversampled

•Most countries have their own collection with frequent duplications

The ECPGR Maize Database

Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje"

Institution Country Number of accessions

Bundesamt fűr Agrarbiologie Austria 23

Institute of Plant Genetic Resources "K.Malkov" Bulgaria 464

Genebank Institute for Crop Production Czech Republic 914

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique France 272

Institut fur Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforsgung Germany 15

Cereal Institute - National Agricultural Research Foundation Greece 201

Istituto Sperimentale per la Cerealicoltura Italy 562

Banco Portugues de Germoplasma Vegetal Portugal 900

ZeaInvent Slovakia 135

Centro de Investigaciones Agrarias de Mabegondo Spain 731

Estacion Experimental de Aula Dei Spain 88

Mision Biologica de Galicia Spain 129

Centre for Genetic Resources (CPRO-DLO) The Netherlands 488

Aegean Agricultural Research Institute Turkey 1506

Maize Research Institute "Zemun Polje" Serbia 5437

Total: 11865

Institutions contributing to the European Maize Database

Regions of origin of the accessions conserved in EURISCO

Maize populations in some European

countries

29362140

1653

6373

1523 Number of maize accessionsin Europe:>> 60.000Most of them in Eastern Europe

(In México:27.279)

14233

9375

74485475

4700

European Union Maize

Landrace Core Collection

12

19

16

24

8

17

96 populations

774

279

10

181

2

292

379

53

162

3

249

22

6

2

17

7

50

Portugal

2140

Spain: 2936 (37 unallocated)Cyprus: 192Hungary: 1Peru: 2Portugal: 46Russia: 4USA: 5

Maize populations in the Spanish National Bank

(CRF)France

567

Sampling is not homogeneous across regions

Portugal

Maize Populations in EURISCO

33

42

142

45 115

85

424

227

10

28

136

174 53

102

47

16

2524

3

Brasil 18

France 3

Marroco 202

Yemen 43

Leir

ia

San

taré

m

Co

imb

ra

Ave

iro

Vis

eu

Po

rto

Bra

ga

Via

na

do

Cas

telo

Setú

bal

Bej

a

Faro

Vila

Re

al

Bra

gan

ça

Gu

ard

a

Cas

telo

Bra

nco

Po

rtal

egre

Évo

ra

Ilha

da

Mad

eir

a

Aço

res

• Throughout sampling of the country

• Too many samples• Heterogeneous across

regions

FranceINRA Montpellier is holding a Maize Genetic Resource Center (GRC). They maintain 3 collections:

1. French National Collection of Maize: 453 accessions- 374 landraces (108 landraces from Guadeloupe) - 15 inbred lines - 8 pools - 56 synthetics

2. Network Collection includes > 1200 populations from all over the world

3. INRA private collection > 2300 lines and breeding materials (drought tolerance, cell wall digestibility, analysis of populations diversity and origin of introduction in Europe...)

ItalyMaize germplasm collection: 6373 accessions with landraces from 65 provinces + other origins.Landraces can be classified in 9 main racial complexes: 1. Eight-rowed flint and derived races2. Conical-eared flints and derived races3. Late southern cylindrical flint4. Mid-season southern cylindrical flints5. Extra-early dwarf flints6. Micro-sperma flints7. Insubrian flints and semi-flints8. Pearl white flints9. White dents

450 inbred lines

Large phenotypic diversity in the Italian collection

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

Alb

ania

Austr

ia

Bela

rus

Bulg

aria

Canada

Chin

a

Colo

mbia

Cro

atia

Cuba

Czech R

epublic

Czechoslo

vakia

Fra

nce

Georg

ia

Germ

an D

em

ocra

tic R

epublic

Germ

any

Gre

ece

Hungary

Iraq

Italy

Japan

Kore

a,

Dem

ocra

tic P

eople

's…

Lib

yan A

rab J

am

ahiriy

a

Macedonia

Maro

cco

Mexic

o

Peru

Pola

nd

Port

ugal

Rom

ania

Russia

Slo

vakia

Spain

Syria

Tunis

ia

Turk

ey

UK

Ukra

ine

URSS

USA

Yem

en

Yugosla

via

Unknow

n

GermanyOrigin of 1523 maize populations (IPK)

Uneven representation of > 40 countries around de World

European Union Maize

Landrace Core Collection

12

19

16

24

8

17

96 populations

SWOT analyses of

European maize

germplasm system

- High human capacities

- Intensive sampling of territory

- Reliable facilities for conservation

- Active breeders’ collections

SWOT Strengths

- Limited genetic variation

- Excessive and irregular sampling

- Difficult access to collections

- Doubts about seed quality

- Poor coordination

SWOT Weaknesses

- High social consciousness of

biodiversity value

- Increasing concern of climate

challenges

- Rising emphasis on food quality

and security

SWOT Opportunities

- Budget cuts

- Increasing nationalisms

- Decreasing interest in agriculture

SWOT Threats

Plan of action for

European maize

germplasm system

Strengths:- High human capacities- Intensive sampling of territory- Reliable facilities for conservation- Active breeders’ collections

Plan of action strengths

Capitalize strengths:- Cooperate among countries- Optimize the use of facilities- Valorize genetic resources for

breeding

Cope with weaknesses:- Introduce exotic germplasm- Make a complete core collection- Share genetic resources and

information- Coordinate bank curators and

breeders

Plan of action weaknessesWeaknesses:- Limited genetic variation- Excessive and irregular sampling- Difficult access to collections- Doubts about seed quality- Poor coordination

Benefit from opportunities:- Increase communications in mass

media- Make international projects- Adapt objectives to social demands

Plan of action Opportunities

Opportunities:- High social consciousness on biodiversity value- Increasing concern of climate challenges- Rising emphasis on food quality and security

Avoid threats:- Search international and private

funding- Increase meetings and exchanges- Increase communication in mass

media

Plan of action ThreatsThreats:- Budget cuts- Increasing nationalisms- Decreasing interest on agriculture

A global proposal

Bottom – up:- The WG as open place for participants’ needs and offers on:

- Resources- Expertise- Facilities

- Identify curators- Share information about state and availability of collections- Exchange people for training stagesTop – down:- Make an executive committee for the WG- Complete the European Core Collection- Promote participatory breeding for in situ conservation- Design international projects for:

- Characterization (molecular analyses) and evaluation- Breeding

- Develop a training program for sharing PhD students (Marie Curie program)

Thanks for your attention