The proper documentation of plant genetic diversity is an indispensable part of making diversity useful to farmers, breeders and researchers. Before we can use what we’ve got, we’ve got to know what we have.

For information about what types of documentation is required to properly conserve, manage and use biodiversity, as well as documentation resources and information systems, scroll down or click on the links below.

Standards, protocols and Descriptors Lists
Passport data
Characterization
Evaluation
Monitoring gene flow
Genebank management software
Information systems

Standards, protocols and Descriptors Lists

In order to increase international exchange of material, a certain amount of uniformity in data collecting, recording, storage and retrieval is critical. Developing standards for documentation and protocols for exchanging information is essential for ensuring that bridges can be built between myriad information sources. Descriptors Lists are a central part of this process.

Coping with the vast amount of data on crop species and varieties and making it available requires adequate database design and information management systems. Assisting countries improve their capacity to store, manage and share information about biodiversity represents a major part of Bioversity’s work.

Top

Passport data
The documentation of crop diversity collections begins with recording important data when scientists first collect the plant material. This ‘passport data’ includes basic information on where, when, and what was collected. Descriptors Lists provide a standard language for recording this information.

All of this data must be easily accessible, and ideally stored on computer databases and incorporated into genebank management systems.

This is particularly important for planning future collecting missions, determining gaps and duplications in collections. This information is also very valuable for diversity analysis such as for species distribution maps.

Top

Characterization
Characterization of each sample involves a careful description of the special characteristics that are inherited, easy to score, and expressed consistently in all environments.

Since most of the traits recorded during characterization are those that can be seen, the person responsible for managing the germplasm material is best placed to carry out the work of documenting these characteristics.

Many of the characteristics that are recorded on individual accessions can serve as diagnostic descriptors for the accessions. Such diagnostic characters help genebank curators keep track of an accession and check for the genetic integrity over a number of years of conservation.

Again, descriptors lists are a vital tool for ensuring that those who are documenting the characteristics of conserved species are using the same language and standards.

Top

Evaluation
Evaluation goes deeper than characterization. It may require special biochemical techniques and usually include agronomic performance, yield and biotic and abiotic stresses, such as drought or pest. These traits are important to plant breeders and researchers in crop improvement. Such evaluation may also use DNA-based methods to analyze a plant’s genetic diversity.

The evaluation descriptors, although contributing to some extent to identifying an accession, are more interesting than characterization descriptors because of their value in crop improvement. In general, effective evaluation is possible when there is close institutional and personal interaction between curators and breeders or other crop improvement scientists, and where breeding objectives are reflected in evaluation programmes.

Evaluation is primarily carried out by users, in multidisciplinary teams that include breeders, entomologists, pathologists and agronomists. The potential value of the germplasm depends on the efficiency of the techniques designed to differentiate among accessions. Because the farmers are the ultimate users of the product of any crop improvement programme and possess valuable traditional knowledge, due consideration must be given to involve farmers views and expectations at some point during any evaluation programme.

Top

Monitoring gene flow
It is also extremely important to document the movement of germplasm around the world.

For example, the CGIAR System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources (SINGER) monitors and analyses the movement of germplasm held in trust in the CGIAR Centre’s genebanks. SINGER has shown that over the past 30 years, more than 80 percent of the samples distributed by the CGIAR Centres went to organizations in developing countries, primarily to universities and national agricultural research systems. Much of the material, nearly three-quarters that had originated in developing countries flowed back to those countries.

By showing in a comprehensive and completely transparent way how germplasm exchange is being carried out to the advantage ofall countries, genetic resource documentation systems, such as SINGER and the European plant genetic resources catalogue (EURISCO), have a critical role to play in strengthening and building support for the Multilateral System for access and benefit sharing for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture as outlined in the International Treaty for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Bioversity, in collaboration with other organizations, has developed several information systems for storing and delivering information about genetic resources.

Top

Genebank management software
In consultation with national partners, Bioversity and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed a genebank management software that runs on a personal computer. The system, known as pcGRIN, can store passport, taxonomic, evaluation, inventory and germplasm distribution data. It also assists genebank curators in the day-to-day management of their collections, allowing them to conduct customized searches, process germplasm orders, generate reports of germplasm distributed and schedule regeneration of accessions.

The pcGRIN system is available in English and Spanish, free of charge, by contacting Tito Franco. Training and technical assistance are provided to potential users upon request.

A new version of pcGRIN is being envisaged in the future years in order to meet the new needs of genebank information experts (e.g. Windows based application, more flexibility in handling characterization and evaluation data, information exchange modules using GBIF protocols).

Passport, characterization, evaluation and inventory data in spreadsheet and other formats can be transferred to pcGRIN using additional USDA software available from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. Bioversity and USDA provide technical support to users and are committed to developing new versions as the need arises.

Genebanks in Latin America that are using pcGRIN to manage their collections include the Tropical Agriculture Research and Higher Education Centre (CATIE) in Costa Rica, Fundación PROINPA in Bolivia and the Departamento Nacional de Recursos Fitogenéticos y Biotecnología (INIA/DENAREF) in Ecuador.

Top

Information systems
Bioversity, in collaboration with other organizations, has developed several information systems for storing and delivering information about genetic resources.

Species Compendium
The Bioversity Species Compendium is a searchable database providing about:

• seed survival during storage
• germination requirements and dormancy
• reproductive biology
• pests and diseases

Go to the Bioversity Species Compendium

Taxonomic Nomenclature Checker (TNC)
The TNC can be used to quickly check scientific names against other standardized databases. Two versions exist. One checks lists of scientific names against the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) of the United States Department of Agriculture and the other checks the Mansfeld's World database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops.

Go TNC-GRIN
Go to TNC-Mansfeld

Germplasm Collection Directory
Bioversity maintains a database with summary information on ex situ germplasm collections worldwide. Currently, summary information on more than 5 million accessions belonging to more than 20,000 species worldwide is available.

Go to the Germplasm Collection Directory

SINGER and EURISCO
The System-wide Information Network for Genetic Resources (SINGER), an initiative of the CGIAR System-wide Genetic Resources Programme (SGRP), is the genetic resources information exchange network of the CGIAR. It provides access to information on the collections of genetic resources held by the CGIAR Centres and associated partners.

The European plant genetic resources catalogue (EURISCO), collects data from the national plant genetic resource inventories and provides access to all ex situ plant genetic resource information in Europe.

Top