Project’s activities and achievements in Vietnam
III. Lessons Learnt
1. What basic information needed to understand in situ conservation?
Following four main research questions will be providing a scientific basis for designing and planning effective in situ (on-farm) conservation:
1. what is the extent and distribution of the genetic diversity maintained by farmers over space and over time,
2. what are the processes used to maintain the genetic diversity on-farm,
3. who maintains genetic diversity within farming communities (men, women, young, old, rich, poor, certain ethnic groups), and
4. What factors (market, non-market, social, environmental) influence farmer decisions on maintaining traditional varieties.
Answering these four research questions together with strengthening formal and informal capacity and links has enable national programme to support farmers in the conservation and use of crop genetic resources through enhancing the social, economic, ecological and genetic benefits from local crop resources to farmers and other stakeholders.
2. Promoting in-situ genetic resources conservation together with agro-forestry ecological system conservation
Promote research on evaluation and exploitation of germplasm.
Conservation through use can only be feasible when genetic resources are in mass use.
Therefore, Vietnam needs to invest on scientific research on germplasm evaluation and exploitation. The main content of this is to evaluate genetic diversity to identify and to detect valuable gene sources. Evaluation of genetic diversity needs the implementing research from molecular and agro-morphological levels to ecological adaptation. From the evaluation, good plant varieties and animal races can be selected to extend in production.
Diversity gene pool in agro-forestry production.
This is the most important measure to realize conservation through use of genetic resources, particularly for crop species. Diversifying crop gene pool in production includes diversifying crops, diversifying varieties of each crop and diversifying genes in each new breeding variety. This work is to promote sustainability of production and efficiency in agricultural environmental protection. Diversifying gene pool in production needs to be made through detailed agro-promotion missions in the national agriculture extension policy.
Major steps of in-situ conservation for each target germplasm:
1. Survey and study to identify germplasm need to be conserved, study natural, socioeconomic conditions at selected eco-zones.
2. Boundary and establishment of pilots for in-situ conservation of target crops, races, species
3. Observation of changes, evaluation of effectiveness
4. Establishment of germplasm management information system aim to exchange and monitoring
5. Increasing the indicators of richness and evenness by germplasm diversity, combination of conservation and utilization, and effective introduction of traditional germplasm.
3. Summing up orientation a strategy on in-situ conservation of plant genetic resources can be classified to the following three groups:
1. Forest plant species, wild relative plants and wildlife should be conserved at special used forests such as national parks and nature reserves.
2. Wild relative plants not in existence in the special used forests. Up to certain case, of in-situ conservation spot is set up for each species or group of species.
3. Perennial crop species, mainly fruit and cash crops, establish conservation areas in different ecological areas throughout the country which located in Vinh Phuc (Phu Ho) and Baria Vung Tau (Tan Thanh) provinces for fruit crops; Dak Lak (Buon Ma Thuat) and Nghe An (Phu Quy) provinces for cash crops.
4. Annual food crops include calorie crops and others food crops use on-farm conservation.
IV. Conclusion
Plant genetic resources play a determinant role of ensure the sustainable agricultural development, the sustainable food production and environment protection, that is why their conservation has been calling for an increasing attention.
There are two approaches of plant genetic resources conservation, the ex-situ and the in-situ. In-situ conservation is beneficial in that it can maintain genetic resources in natural
evolution. Only in-situ conservation can truly preserve the ecological system. Promoting in-situ conservation is the primal measure towards reestablishment of the lost biodiversity.
The goal of in situ conservation is to encourage farmers to select and maintain local crop diversity for the benefit of humankind, at the same time benefiting from it for their livelihood needs.
Diversifying gene pool in production needs to be made through detailed agro-promotion missions in the national agriculture extension policy. Exchange the germplasm is necessary to enrich the gene pool.
Major challenges are (i) to integrate the conservation of plant genetic resources with agricultural development, and in particular to conserve as much diversity as possible and the processes that give birth to it; (ii) to develop the framework of knowledge to determine where, when and how in situ conservation will be effective and develop a broad guideline for research and practice in situ conservation for national programmes that address the needs of farming community as well.
References
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