Latest Publications
Descriptors for farmers' knowledge of plants
Bioversity International, Rome, Italy and The Christensen Fund, Palo Alto, California, USA.
This list of descriptors has been developed by Bioversity International to provide a standard format for the gathering, storage, retrieval and exchange of farmers’ knowledge of plants. The list aims to capture key characteristics, uses and values of cultivated and wild plants as described by farmers and other people in farming communities. Many of these descriptors are not included in conventional descriptor lists. Wild and weedy plants are also covered by this list since they often play a significant role in farming communities, being useful from a socio-economic and ecological standpoint.
The list is a first attempt to combine a documentation system traditionally used in controlled environments (genebanks, breeding institutes) with an approach that involves people and their knowledge ‘in the field’. We hope that this list, which is the result of many years of review of fieldwork by scientists and field practitioners, will become an important tool for integrating biology and traditional knowledge. Although the list is primarily targeted at the plant genetic resources community, to increase the range of knowledge recorded during plant collection, its widespread use by others, including communities and organizations, is encouraged. It is intended to be user-friendly and practical, whilst balancing inclusiveness and concision.
Any suggestions for improvement of this document will be highly appreciated by Bioversity and should be addressed to Adriana Alercia
ECPGR Report of a Task Force on On-farm Conservation and Management
Authors:Maggioni, L.; Lipman, E. (comps.)
Key access and utilization descriptors for breadfruit genetic resources
This list consists of an initial set of characterization and evaluation descriptors for breadfruit utilization.
These, together with passport data, will form the basis for the global accession level information system being developed by the Bioversity-led project, Global Information on Germplasm Accessions (GIGA). It will facilitate access to and utilization of breadfruit accessions held in genebanks. Additional descriptors may be added later if information becomes available.
Authors:Hermann, M.; Bernet, T.
Maca is an edible root crop of the crucifer family endemic to the Puna of the high Andes in Central Peru around Lake Junin, a chilly plateau at 4000 m altitude. Grown in the late 1980s exclusively in its native area, on no more than 50 ha, maca has experienced over the last years a meteoric rise from an overlooked botanical curiosity to Internet notoriety.
In this study, the authors narrate the economic history of the crop, and examine the players and processes behind its re-emergence from neglect and under-use. They provide an account of maca’s history, and attempt to disentangle the myths from the realities surrounding the crop, its products and protagonists. Their goal is to derive broader lessons for the development of value chains for under-utilized crops.
The specific objectives of this study are: a) to describe key processes that caused the expansion of maca cultivation and commercialization, b) to identify factors constraining maca market chain development, and c) to assess the effects of market development on rural livelihoods and on maca biodiversity.
Key access and utilization descriptors for wheat genetic resources
This list consists of an initial set of characterization and evaluation descriptors for wheat utilization.
This key set of strategic descriptors, together with passport data, will become the basis for the global accession-level information system being developed by the Bioversity-led project, Global Information on Germplasm Accessions (GIGA). It will facilitate access to and utilization of wheat accessions held in genebanks and does not preclude the addition of further descriptors, should data subsequently become available.
Key access and utilization descriptors for taro genetic resources
This list consists of an initial set of characterization and evaluation descriptors for taro utilization.
This key set of strategic descriptors, together with passport data, will become the basis for the global accession-level information system being developed by the Bioversity-led project, Global Information on Germplasm Accessions (GIGA). It will facilitate access to and utilization of taro accessions held in genebanks, and does not preclude the addition of further descriptors, should data subsequently become available.
Key access and utilization descriptors for Lathyrus spp. genetic resources
This list consists of an initial set of characterization and evaluation descriptors for Lathyrus utilization.
This key set of strategic descriptors, together with passport data, will become the basis for the global accession-level information system being developed by the Bioversity-led project, Global Information on Germplasm Accessions (GIGA). It will facilitate access to and utilization of Lathyrus accessions held in genebanks, and does not preclude the addition of further descriptors, should data subsequently become available.
Key access and utilization descriptors for cassava genetic resources
This list consists of an initial set of characterization and evaluation descriptors for cassava utilization.
This key set of strategic descriptors, together with passport data, will become the basis for the global accession-level information system being developed by the Bioversity-led project, Global Information on Germplasm Accessions (GIGA). It will facilitate access to and utilization of cassava accessions held in genebanks and does not preclude the addition of further descriptors, should data subsequently become available.
Key access and utilization descriptors for barley genetic resources
Source/Contributor: UMD
This list consists of an initial set of characterization and evaluation descriptors for barley utilization.
This key set of strategic descriptors, together with passport data, will become the basis for the global accession-level information system being developed by the Bioversity-led project, Global Information on Germplasm Accessions (GIGA). It will facilitate access to and utilization of barley accessions held in genebanks and does not preclude the addition of further descriptors, should data subsequently become available.
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