Breeding

September 5, 2012September 6, 2012

Jersey shored up

We have often pointed out on this blog that it would be advisable to collect and stick into genebanks the local varieties found in a particular locality, ¹ especially the ones found only at that locality, before introducing new diversity, no matter how much “better” that new diversity might be considered to be just now. In fact, I kind of made that point just a couple of days ago for sweet potato. So it is gratifying to find an example of just that, and nevermind that it’s from the livestock world.

The story is from an article by Dr Harvey Blackburn in the July issue of Hoard’s Dairyman. It’s kind of difficult to access online, but Corey Geiger, Assistant Managing Editor at Hoard’s, kindly allowed us to publish some excerpts. Dr Blackburn is coordinator of the USDA’s National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP), based at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Ft. Collins, Colorado. His article is entitled “Isolated Jersey genetics are a treasure trove” and tells the story of how the Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society entered into a partnership with NAGP to safegueard the genetic integrity of the Jersey cattle breed.

Jersey dairy cattle are found in at least 82 countries where they have made substantial contributions to animal agriculture. The progenitors of these cattle can still be found on Jersey Island. For over 219 years these cattle have been kept in genetic isolation from non-Jersey Island cattle — but this situation changed in 2008. The Royal Jersey Agriculture and Horticultural Society (RJA&HS) promoted and after evaluation by the States of Jersey parliament concluded that Jersey genetics could be imported and used on island Jersey cattle, with a proviso that they have an enhanced pedigree status of seven generations of recorded ancestry and no known other breed in the pedigree.

But that wasn’t the only proviso.

An important consideration in allowing the importation of Jersey genetics was the need to have semen safely cryopreserved and stored in a secure facility. By having such a reserve the RJA&HS could reintroduce the pre-importation genetic composition of Jersey cattle, if so desired. The RJA&HS found a secure facility and willing partner with the National Animal Germplasm Program (NAGP) located at the National Center for Genetic Resources Preservation in Ft. Collins, Colorado and part of USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. The NAGP has been developing germplasm collections for all livestock species for over 10 years and has amassed over 700,000 samples from more than 17,000 animals representing approximately 130 livestock breeds and over 100 commercial and research lines. Currently the collection has over 600 bulls from U. S. and Canadian Jersey populations. The program has also been used by researchers and industry alike to characterize and reestablish animal populations.

Samples from 400 Jersey bulls were sent in January 2012.

The States of Jersey and RJA&HS decision to allow importation while ensuring pre-importation genetics was safely preserved provides a model for how genetic variability can be preserved while enabling the livestock sector to make necessary changes to meet existing and future production challenges. In addition it is an example of how countries can be mutually supportive in conserving animal genetic resources through gene banking.

Amen to that.

September 4, 2012September 3, 2012

OFSP steal the show

OFSP conspicuous by their absence in a Nairobi supermarket.

I said yesterday that orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (OFSP) were all the rage in early August, and I wanted today to provide the evidence. HarvestPlus mounted a well-coordinated and extremely effective media blitz. In addition to regular posts on Facebook and Twitter, there was a press release, an infographic and a brief. This all really paid off in terms of coverage. In particular, hardly a piece on the Global Hunger Event organized by the UK Prime Minister David Cameron to cement the legacy of the Olympics failed to mention OFSP. I don’t begrudge them this: OFSP are important .

But mostly missing among all the hoopla, alas, was any reference to the diversity of sweet potatoes available in the world’s genebanks, including as regards colour and nutrient content. And the possible effect of introducing these new varieties on the old ones still in farmers’ fields, and perhaps not yet safeguarded in said genebanks.

September 3, 2012September 3, 2012

What I read on my summer holidays

Yeah, summer is over and I’m back at work. Maybe you noticed I haven’t contributed much here in the past month or so. Or maybe you didn’t. Jeremy kept up a steady stream of agrobiodiversity nuggets pretty much all through August. But my lack of activity on the blog doesn’t mean I haven’t tried to keep up, as you would know if you followed us on Facebook, Twitter or Scoop.it. Anyway, for those that don’t, and would like to catch up on my summer reading, here is, in nibble form, what caught my eye during the past month or so:

“The potato is a religious commodity in America.” Explaining the governance crisis in the US using the humble spud.
Wait a minute though: “The sizzle seems to be gone from America’s long-term relationship with the potato.” Which apparently means it needs an extreme makeover, colour-wise. For which you’ll need a genebank.
A tree’s leaves can be genetically different from its roots. Does that mean we have to re-think all molecular phylogenies?
And speaking of a tree’s leaves, these ones are a thousand years old and give you a buzz.
A toff with a passion for pigs. P.G. Wodehouse had something to say about this, didn’t he?
Turns out WFP has a podcast. And ICIMOD has an RSS feed.
A mathematician factchecks Michael Pollan.
Pear with me please, while I tell you about another USDA fruit collection.
15 Africa-changing innovations include orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. As if they weren’t there before. Anyway, they were THE story for a couple of weeks in August.
12 food security innovations include increasing crop diversity. With orange-fleshed sweet potatoes?
How to put that banana genome to some use.
Getting the most out of your enumerators.
IUCN’s Conservation Campus. Any ag? And on a similar topic, training materials in anthropology.
Automating conservation assessment of plants. You’ll need provenance data from herbaria such as this one at CIP, of course. Oh, and speaking of CIP, they need a phylogeneticist.
A market opportunity for the mother-in-law?
Measuring the health of the oceans. Hey, but it’s not all bad for fish.
Ten species which rely on ex situ conservation. And why that number will go up. How to pay for it all, though?
Book on the recent history of agricultural research reviewed. I wonder if they looked at the private sector. Because it seems there may be a case to answer.
Another big grant for taxonomic databases. Ah but this is all going to be community-driven.
Looks like this Australian genebank could have done with a decent database, community-driven or not.

August 29, 2012August 29, 2012

Nibbles: Kerala, Marker-assisted selection, Plant breeding for fun, Plant breeding for money, Benefit-sharing, Drought resistance

If you’re interested in the history, traditions and cuisine of Kerala, this is the website for you.
How about some whizz-bang technology to improve neglected and orphan crops?
A blogger Tedtalks about participatory plant breeding in Wageningen.
And get this: There’s big money in quasi-public sector plant breeding.
“In the Coella and Combeima watersheds (Tolima, Colombia) the narrative of managing the commons is taking … a participatory shape.”
The Scientist Gardener explores engineered drought-resistant maize and meets with Darwinian approval.

August 23, 2012August 23, 2012

Wild about rice landraces

There’s been some interest in a new rice variety that grows better in soils deficient in phosphorus. The BBC touted Wild rice gene gives yield boost and said that

A gene from wild Indian rice plants can significantly raise the yield of common varieties in nutrient-poor soils.

Moments later, however, the report informs readers that

The gene came from a variety called Kasalath, native to nutrient-poor soils of eastern India.

I guess we all have a ways to go in raising media awareness about the subtleties of genetic resources. A wild plant would hardly be a variety that has a name now would it?

IRRI’s press release and the scientists’ paper in Nature are both clear that the gene in question came from a “traditional rice variety”. And the BBC’s report — despite later referring to “wild varieties” — picked that up. But someone, probably some poor put-upon sub, decided they knew better.

What does it matter? Partly for reasons of conservation. That’s of no interest to the BBC, but IRRI proudly “conserves more than 114,000 different types of rice in the International Rice Genebank”. If they are there, does it matter whether they are still in farmers’ fields? At least one person, however, is using the mistaken characterisation to ask an odd (rhetorical?) question:

[T]his research supports claims that wild crop relatives hold an inventory of genes, the value of which is huge. How do we protect more effectively this rich resource?

I’ll leave others to answer that one, if they must.

As for the gene in question, it seems to promote root growth, which is what enables the plant to scavenge more nutrients from poor soils. I may well have more to say on that in a day or two.