Agricultural Biodiversity Weblog
Agrobiodiversity is crops, livestock, foodways, microbes, pollinators, wild relatives …
The Dutch ambassador to Ethiopia in his opening speech stressed that a well functioning seed system is crucial for improving food security, increasing agricultural export, and conserving agrobiodiversity.
That’s one enlightened ambassador. He was launching a book, which you can download in its entirety: Farmers, seeds and varieties. Supporting informal seed supply in Ethiopia, edited by Thijssen, M.H., Zewdie Bishaw, Abdurahman Beshir, Walter S. de Boef.
As a contribution to the ongoing discussion of genebank database hell, we’re pleased to provide a platform for Michael Mackay, the person responsible for the bioinformatics projects at Bioversity International. At least until he gets a platform of his own …
Many thanks to Dirk van Enneking (and others) for providing some constructive input into suggesting what sort of information and functionality users of plant genetic resources (PGR) might actually want to see to help them locate and select accessions for their research and plant improvement activities. My understanding of the situation is comparable to Dirk’s.
In starting work on Global-ALIS (ALIS = Accession Level Information System), one component of the Global Information on Germplasm Accessions (GIGA) project that will build a single internet doorway to more comprehensive information on over 2 million accessions held in genebanks around the world, we are finding a lot of information to support Luigi’s original post Lost in genebank database hell and subsequent points raised in response — including Dirk’s contribution.
One thing we learn is that a lot of data has been accumulated but it is not all made available, possibly for reasons other than intellectual property issues. For example, several people involved in genebank PGR documentation have said that if no one uses the online systems (because they are not useful for the purpose of finding and selecting germplasm for research and plant improvement) then what is the sense in continually updating the data?
Another issue is the availability of characterization and evaluation data. At the moment it seems that only the GRIN system makes significant progress on this count.
A third issue is adding value to existing data. Luigi mentioned geo-referencing and implied spatial analysis as useful ways to better understand distribution and, perhaps, add value to existing data in term of quality and usefulness.
I am pleased to say that we are addressing these issues, and more, in the development of Global-ALIS. However, the eventual utility of this system (due to be deployed in early 2011) could reflect the input and suggestions of those who want to explore and utilize all that genetic variability buried deeply in the world’s genebanks.
We are about to build a Global-ALIS website where people will be able to make suggestions and comments on what genebank database heaven might be like, what features it would have and how people might use it. Dirk’s and everyone else’s positive comments are great stuff! We will certainly take these suggestions on board. The only caveat I need to make is that we cannot do everything at once, so please be prepared to prioritize your suggestions to help us address the issues that will have the most impact in the first instance.
WorldFish has a new blog, focusing on spatial data. It’s only been going a few months, but it looks like it may well have some interesting stuff of relevance to agrobiodiversity. One of its early posts reminded me of something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and that is use Google Trends to look at interest in genebanks. In particular, I wanted to know whether all the news about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault has excited people about genebanks in general. Apparently, not.
The various spikes in interest in Svalbard do not seem to have resulted in increasing searches for “genebank” or “seed bank.” At least not that you can yet see clearly. Here’s hoping…
Bioversity’s Michael Mackay was recently interviewed on Radio Australia about plans to lead us all out of genebank database hell. Good luck to him!
The (London) Times Life & Style (Women) section had a feature on the Millennium Seed Bank a few days ago and somehow or other we missed it. Slap wrist.
The jars of dried seed go into the cold store, an underground library full of sliding stacks of shelves, every one full of glass jars holding even tinier glass jars. The temperature is -20C but the air-conditioning system creates a further wind-chill.
In that room, the size of a corner shop, are seeds of 10 per cent of the world’s plants. Beyond is another, larger room that one day, Smith hopes, will hold the rest. Empty shelves stretch away into the gloom.
One quibble. The article makes the Svalbard Global Seed Vault sound like a purely Norwegian affair, which of course it isn’t.
Regarding the funding of the Seed Vault, the Norwegian government funded the construction of the Vault in its entirety (this cost $9 million), and will continue to fund the maintenance of the facility, for an annual cost of circa $150,000. The Global Crop Diversity Trust funds the operation and management of the Seed Vault, as well as the transport of the seeds from developing countries to the Arctic. This second component – the transport – is possible through our work with the United Nations Foundation, a partnership which is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.