Towards a methodology for on-farm conservation of plant genetic resources

The signing of the Convention on Biological Diversity at the ``Earth Summit' in 1992, its ratification and its subsequent entering into force have highlighted the need for an approach to biodiversity conservation that employs both ex situ and in situ techniques in a complementary manner. Though much research has focused on ex situ techniques, less progress has been made in developing methodologies for the conservation of genetic diversity in situ. The definition of in situ conservation used in the Convention on Biological Diversity encompasses two distinct processes: conservation of wild species in genetic reserves and of crops on-farm. Of these two, the latter, where the genetic diversity of crop land races is conserved within traditional farming systems, has been the less studied and remains less well understood. While there are still relatively few practical examples of on-farm genetic resources conservation, most genetic diversity of immediate and potential use to plant breeders is found among land races, and there is evidence that it is being rapidly eroded. This paper attempts to set on-farm conservation within the context of plant genetic resource conservation as a whole, to introduces a possible generalised model for the conservation of genetic diversity on-farm and to promote debate around the science of on-farm conservation.     

Traditional Crop Diversity and its Conservation on-Farm for Sustainable Agricultural Production in Kumaon Himalaya of Uttaranchal State: A Case Study

Farming communities in traditional agroecosystems have been playing an important role in conserving agricultural diversity. They are not only the custodians but also managers of the crop diversity and maintain the dynamic processes of crop evolution and adaptation, the key elements of sustainable agricultural productions. The Himalayan highlands are important centres of crop plant diversity due to high ecological heterogeneity and high local socio-cultural integrations. The crop genetic diversity of Kumaon Himalaya in Uttarachal State of India has been documented in the present study. Existing crop genetic diversity at inter- and intra-species level was assessed and factors for changes in crop compositions and farming systems during the recent past were studied. Farmer management of rice landrace populations were studied in greater detail. Various benefit enhancing options for farmers from local crop diversity were scrutinized based on farmer perceptions and priorities for efficient management of local crop diversity on-farm and its sustainable utilization for agricultural production.     

Landraces in central Italy: where and why they are conserved and perspectives for their on-farm conservation

Four hundred and twenty-seven landraces belonging to different plant species (forages, cereals, pulses, garden crops and fruit trees) were found on-farm in central Italy during exploration and collecting missions carried out since 1981. Open field crops are mostly grown under modern agricultural techniques by relatively young farmers on quite large farms for Italian standards. Garden crops are mostly grown by elderly farmers, running small farms or home gardens and using traditional farming systems which include the use of mechanical tools for soil preparation and occasionally the use of chemical fertilisers. There is no unique situation in on-farm conservation and management in the investigated area: the main factors involved appear to be a fragmented habitat and the presence of relatively elderly farmers. Most landraces are directly used by farmers' families, but a part is sold at local and wider markets. The main reasons why these landraces have been maintained on-farm are: their resistance/good productivity under difficult or harsh climatic conditions, traditional reasons or organoleptic peculiarities, which make them highly valued and expensive on the local and city markets and/or simply because they are appreciated by the families. Three example cases of effective on-farm conservation are presented. Social problems seem to be the main cause of genetic erosion. Perspectives and constraints to on-farm conservation and management are briefly discussed.     

A Suitable Site for in situ (On-farm) Management of Plant Diversity in Traditional Agroecosystems of Western Himalaya in Uttaranchal State: A Case Study

There is a growing realisation world over that the introduction of modern agriculture has to be supplemented with measures to conserve biodiversity in situ if yield gains are to be stabilized. Hence, there is a growing interest from agricultural development specialists and conservation biologists for understanding the socioeconomic factors determining the conservation of biodiversity in situ. The present study was conducted with the objective of understanding the in situ (on-farm) conservation of agrobiodiversity in traditional agroecosystems taking the Urgam valley in north-western Himalaya of India, as a case study. An inventory was made of traditional crops and wild economic species for subsistence, and the structure of forest resource base, traditional knowledge related to resource management and use. Institutional and scientific challenges for in situ (on-farm) management of crop diversity were studied and are discussed in this paper. Complementarity of in situ (on-farm) conservation with ex situ conservation together with crop improvement in such marginal areas are suggested.     

A case study of seed exchange networks and gene flow for barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare) in Morocco

Local patterns of seed regeneration and trade that occur outside the formal breeding sector (seed exchange networks) can have a strong influence on the genetic diversity and evolution of traditional crop varieties. Despite this, little is known about the extent to which seed exchange networks influence gene flow and genetic structure in traditional crop varieties. Here we study barley (Hordeum vulgare subsp. vulgare) in rural communes of Northern Morocco in 2008 and 2009. We quantified seed regeneration and exchange by farmers within the seed exchange network using structured interviews. Using SSR markers, we also quantified the neutral genetic diversity and structure of a complex of traditional varieties referred to as Beldi that is managed in this exchange network. The majority of farmers (>88 %) report cultivating Beldi. Most seeds of Beldi (70–90 %) are maintained on-farm, while the remainder of seeds are obtained from local markets within the commune. Beldi has high genetic diversity and there is weak but significant genetic structure between communes (F_ST = 0.031). From SSR marker data there is evidence of a high level of gene flow between communes not reported in interviews. Seeds purchased in local markets likely represent seeds from a larger geographic region, leading to lower genetic structure among communes than expected based on the reported level of on-farm seed regeneration and local sourcing of seed. We discuss the implications of this seed exchange network for the conservation of traditional barley varieties in the study region.     

Inferring seed exchange between farmers from population genetic structure of barley landrace Arabi Aswad from Northern Syria

Apart from their significance in genetic conservation, barley landraces are still favoured by local farmers in low-input farming systems. They often perform more predictably under adverse conditions than modern cultivars due to local adaptation. Increased seed exchange between farmers may put adaptation of local populations of barley landraces at risk. Isozyme markers were used to investigate differentiation and infer gene flow between local populations of barley landrace Arabi Aswad in Northern Syria. Inferred gene flow decreased exponentially with geographic distance and may imply that seed exchange between farmers is limited to a regional scale and diminishes over longer distance. Gene flow seems to be a suitable index for estimating seed exchange in highly inbreeding crop species such as barley. In the future, improved mobility of farmers and extension work may facilitate seed exchange over longer distances, and consequently jeopardise preservation of locally adapted landraces in barley.     

Phenotypic diversity and evolution of farmer varieties of bread wheat on organic farms in Europe

The contribution of farmers to the creation and maintenance of genetic diversity is beginning to receive more recognition in developed countries. Although the use of landraces and historic varieties has largely disappeared in countries with industrialized agricultural systems and formal seed markets, certain varieties with particular cultural significance have been continuously cultivated by farmers and other varieties have been preserved ex situ in genebanks. Recently, associations of organic farmers have become involved in the conservation and use of landraces and historic varieties (called farmer varieties in this article) because these varieties possess agronomic and quality traits that they have not found in modern varieties. In this study, eight farmer varieties of bread wheat from Europe selected by participating farmers were evaluated in on-farm trials during 3 years of cultivation. Each variety was grown on each farm, and phenotypic changes in each variety were measured the third year in a replicated split-plot trial on each farm comparing the version of each variety the farmer had multiplied to a sample of each variety from the region of origin. All varieties, including the two modern pureline varieties used as checks, showed statistically significant phenotypic changes over 3 years of multiplication. However, the magnitude of these changes was moderate and did not call into question varietal identity or distinctness. In addition, some traits of putative agronomic and adaptive importance, such as grain weight per spike and thousand kernel weight, did not respond positively to natural selection (environmental conditions and management practices) which suggests the necessity of farmer selection to maintain and improve varietal performance.     

Role of informal seed system in promoting landrace diversity and their on-farm conservation: a case study of rice in Indian Himalayas

Role of informal seed system in landrace diversification, in situ conservation on-farm and sustainability in production were investigated as a case study for rice diversity in Indian Himalayas. The diachronic pattern of landrace occurrence revealed substantial increase, both in landrace number and frequency, in time. The local level seed supply in Uttarakhand Himalaya revealed that about 96% seed supply originated from informal system and a mere 4% seed supply is met from formal seed supply networks. In higher elevation ranges, beyond 1200 masl, largely landrace cultivation is practiced and a greater landrace diversification in traditional production was observed. Substantial variations due to environmental adaptations in niche habitats help provide important donor germplasm for crop improvement to users. Further, the population genetic structure also indicated enough diversity being maintained on-farm. Developing pathways for strengthening local level seed system for landrace diversification linked to sustainability in food production and conserving agro-biodiversity has been emphasized.     

Farmers’ adoption of maize (Zea mays L.) hybrids and the persistence of landraces in Southwest China: implications for policy and breeding

This paper examines changes in the distribution of maize hybrids and landraces in the mountainous areas of southwest China over 1998–2008, farmers’ reasons for cultivar adoption and the implications for national policies in relation to seed production and breeding, based on baseline data and a survey conducted in Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou. The study traced the dynamic changes in the adoption of hybrids and landraces in farmers’ fields, explored how individual farmer’s choices can influence local landrace distribution, and investigated the space for conducive policy and innovative action for on-farm conservation of maize genetic resources. The research showed that although there is strong farmers’ interest in accessing modern maize hybrids, farmers also express strong reasons for maintaining at least some of the landraces that satisfy local agronomic context and social preferences. Farmers recognized that hybrids have a number of advantages but they also indicated some disadvantages of the current available hybrids e.g. with respect to seed quality, local adaptability, taste and cost of seeds, but also lack of information on the performances of the new hybrids. Based on farmers’ reasoning and experiences, the requirements have been identified for improving yield combined with local preferences (agronomic, cultural and socio-economic). The paper concludes by identifying options for how China might seek to develop resilient seed systems for smallholder farmers in poor areas, under changing climatical conditions and volatile markets. Participatory Plant Breeding is among the options considered for bringing farmers’ needs into conservation and breeding strategies for improving local adaptation.     

Complexity and adaptability of a traditional agricultural system: case study of a gall midge resistant rice landrace from northern Thailand

Adaptability of traditional agricultural systems is suggested by their success over time, but documentation of how this happens is rare. This paper shows how genetic diversity in a rice landrace enables rice farming system of northern Thailand to adapt to a constraint of an insect pest, microenvironments of mountainous landscape and people’s different tastes in rice. Resistance to laboratory-reared gall midge varied among accessions the rice landrace Muey Nawng and gall midge populations. Higher rice yield in farmers’ fields reflected adaptation to local environment as well as resistance to gall midge. Microsatellite variation of the accessions correlated negatively with their gall midge resistance, but there was also variation in heading time and endosperm starch. Presence of non-waxy endosperm in glutinous rice provides opportunity to select for rice that is cooked into non-glutinous rice preferred by minority groups who live at higher elevations, where the gall midge is emerging as a new threat, possibly because of climate change. These data show how genetic diversity of a rice landrace coupled with seed management by farmers enabled a rice farming system to adapt to the varied microenvironment of a mountainous landscape under the constraint of an insect pest and people’s different tastes in rice.     

Farmers’ practices,utilization, conservation and marketing of Bambara groundnut (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vigna subterranea</Emphasis> (L.) Verdc.) in Dosso Region,Western Niger

Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) is one of the important legume crop grown in marginal soils of sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its importance in food security and income generation for small scale farmers, it remains as a neglected and underutilized crop and the productivity is very low in the field due to the lack of improved varieties and lack adequate farming practices. Thus, the aim of this study is to investigate all aspects related to its production including source of seeds supply and farmers management practices, utilization, conservation and marketing. The results revealed that in this Region of Western Niger Bambara groundnut was mainly produced by female (95%) compared to male (5%). Farmers use their own recycled seed (80%) which is the main source followed by provision of recycled seeds by relatives (5%) and purchasing from the local market (15%). Also, this finding shows that there is a lack of adequate farming practices and the crop is mostly produced on inherited land without any inputs as reported by 80% of the respondents. Mono-cropping is mainly practiced by 97% of farmers while a few of them do rotation (2%) and most of pre and postharvest handling technologies are traditional. The most important traits preferred by Bambara farmers is seed colour (cream color), followed by high grain yield, early maturity and cooking ability according to the respondents with 98, 92, 88 and 72% respectively. Several features have to be taking into account in order to promote Bambara nut including its ability to do well in harsh conditions, its nutritional benefits, and its ability to fix nitrogen, thereby increasing soil fertility in mixed cropping systems.     

Social and environmental influences on tartary buckwheat (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Fagopyrum tataricum</Emphasis> Gaertn.) varietal diversity in Yunnan,China

Effective conservation strategies aimed to protect crop genetic resources require multiple sources of information. We used a combination of AFLP genotyping and farmer surveys to understand the extent, distribution and management of tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) diversity in its center of origin in Yunnan Province, China. We found genetic evidence of gene flow in tartary buckwheat throughout the study area, with small but statistically significant regional and village-level components. We also found genetic differentiation by seed color. Although most farmers reported exchanging seed in localized kinship networks, our results imply homogenizing gene flow is occurring. Yi ethnic farmers tend to plant more buckwheat than non-Yi farmers, and we found that in some communities, Yi farmers serve as seed sources for farmers of other ethnicities. Different tartary buckwheat varieties did not have different end uses; rather farmers maintained varietal diversity in order to protect crop yield and quality. Individual farmers’ seed exchange practices reflect their ideas about components of seed quality, as well as priorities in protecting buckwheat yield. From the standpoint of genetic resources conservation, the presence of a culturally rich farmer exchange network and hierarchical structuring of tartary buckwheat genetic diversity demonstrates the importance of maintaining an interlinked community of tartary buckwheat farmers in Yunnan.     

农田生态系统服务及其价值的研究进展

农田生态系统在人类控制下已逐渐演变成了提供农产品的集约化生产系统。尽管与自然生态系统相比, 农田生态系统服务功能有所下降, 但其在提供农产品的同时还在向人类提供大量的生态服务。近年来, 生态系统服务稀缺性变得越来越突出, 农田生态系统的多功能性受到了空前的重视。本文首先明确了农田生物多样性是农田提供多种生态系统服务的基础, 然后回顾了2000年以来国内外农田生态系统服务及其价值化领域取得的主要研究进展, 包括对农田产品供给、碳汇、土壤保持和养分循环、水调节等功能的评价以及对农田生态系统服务及其价值化的综合研究。与此同时, 我们也应该注意到农业生产还对人类社会和自然环境产生了各种消极影响, 认识到权衡农田生态系统在农业生产中的各项利弊的重要性。通过对比不同农业生产模式对农田生态系统服务供给的影响, 提出未来发展多功能农业将是实现农田对人类福祉最大化的重要方向。最后, 文章指出我国发展多功能农业的主要措施是: (1)确保18亿亩耕地在空间上的存在; (2)与森林、草地、湿地、水域等其他自然生态系统在空间上合理配置; (3)在农业区域充分发展以观光休闲功能为主的休闲农业, 实现农田生态系统社会文化价值; (4)逐步实施农业生态补偿。     

The Transformation of Agriculture in Brazil Through Development and Adoption of Zero Tillage Conservation Agriculture

The soil conservation movement in Brazil has been a major driving force in the continuing search for agricultural farming systems that are more sustainable than what we have today, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas. The development and adoption of Zero Tillage Conservation Agriculture (ZT/CA) was the key to the success of this movement, generating agricultural, environmental, and societal benefits.Adoption of the ZT/CA philosophy and technologies is currently practiced on more than 50% of the annual crop area. This is due to the work and innovations of pioneering farmers, agronomists, researchers, and consultants that were and are involved in these efforts. This extensive adoption of ZT/CA occurred after many unsuccessful efforts to mitigate against the devastating effects of soil erosion that were threatening the entire agricultural industry in Brazil. Technicians and farmers realized that erosion control required continual cover of the soil to guard against the torrential rain storms common to these regions. This triggered the efforts of soil conservation pioneers at different points in time and regions of Brazil.In southern Brazil, Herbert Bartz, watched his topsoil eroding away in torrents of runoff. This set him thinking and searching for alternatives, resulting in his adoption of ZT/CA farming in 1972. Ten years later in Brazil's centre-western savannah (Cerrado biome), farmers, researchers, crop consultants and agro-industry initiated efforts to expand cultivation into the very difficult production region of the Cerrados. This was successfully achieved through the pioneering work of agronomist John Landers, bringing experience from the ZT/CA farmer association networks in the south.These were the turning points in the sustainable development of annual crop farming in Brazil. Today, society recognizes the role of these pioneers as key to achieving social, economic and environmental sustainability. ZT/CA reversed the historically accelerating degradation of soil organic matter and soil structure by abandoning conventional tillage, thus improving soil physical and chemical characteristics. This was achieved by promoting cover cropping and permanent soil cover with crop residues, crop rotations, and complementary, environmentally suitable soil management technologies.     

Economic concepts for designing policies to conserve crop genetic resources on farms

The future food supply of all societies depends on the exploitation of genetic recombination and allelic diversity for crop improvement, and many of the world's farmers depend directly on the harvests of the genetic diversity they sow for food and fodder as well as the next season's seed. On farm conservation is an important component of the global strategy to conserve crop genetic resources, though the structure of costs and benefits from on farm conservation differ from those associated with ex situ conservation in gene banks. A fundamental problem that affects the design of policies to encourage on farm conservation is that crop genetic diversity is an impure public good, meaning that it has both private and public economic attributes. This concept is defined and made operational in order to assist practitioners in identifying (1) least-cost sites for on farm conservation (2) the types of policy instruments that might be appropriate for supporting conservation once a site has been located. Published findings regarding prospects for on farm conservation as economies develop are summarized and empirical examples of suitable policies to support farmers' decisions are placed in the context of economics principles.     

Transition from Forest‐based to Cereal‐based Agricultural Systems: A Review of the Drivers of Land use Change and Degradation in Southwest Ethiopia

The southwestern Ethiopian montane forests are one of the most species‐rich ecosystems and are recognised globally as a priority area for the conservation of biodiversity. Particularly, in contrast to the drier central and northern Ethiopian highlands, they have received little attention by researchers. Here, we review changes to agricultural systems in and around these forests that are known as the genetic home of coffee (Coffea arabica L.) and that are important to the livelihoods of many rural people who have developed traditional management practices based on agro‐ecological knowledge, religious taboos and customary tenure rights. We explored the impacts of conversions to agroforestry and cereal‐based cropping systems on biodiversity, soil fertility, soil loss and the socio‐economic conditions and culture. The increasing trend of cereal cropping, resettlement and commercial agriculture causes the deterioration of natural forest cover in the region and threatens biodiversity, land quality, sustainable, traditional farming practices and the livelihood of the local community. Large‐scale plantations of tea, coffee, soapberry locally known as endod (Phytolacca dodecandra L'Hér.) and cereals have resulted in biodiversity loss. Following the conversion of forests, cultivated fields exhibit a significant decline in soil fertility and an increase in soil loss as compared with the traditional agroforestry system. The establishment of a sustainable agricultural system will require a change in paradigm, whereby the intrinsic values of the traditional forest‐based agricultural system are recognised, rather than the ongoing mimicking of agricultural policies that were developed for the open fields of central Ethiopia. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interactions between soil conservation and dryland farming of heterogeneously eroding areas in Loess Hills,China

The unidirectional impacts of soil conservation on dryland farming and local livelihood have been well studied. However, there are gaps in literature regarding the interactions among factors, such as labor force and financial capital, in response to soil conservation, as well as the influence of such interactions on the relationships between environmental projects and agricultural development. By combining the Chinese Soil Loss Equation (CSLE) model and statistical analyses, this study investigated the spatio-temporal characteristics of soil erosion while also identifying the controlling factors that affect crop and livestock farming. The aim was to reveal how these factors interacted to influence agriculture in two case study areas between 2000 and 2017. The results showed that soil erosion substantially declined as a consequence of soil conservation, while the output from crop farming increased, indicating that there was a synergy between soil conservation and dryland farming in both the districts, over time; and factors facilitating crop farming, such as labor force, agricultural machinery, and irrigation, appeared to exert an adverse effect on livestock farming in both areas, implying a tradeoff between livestock and crop farming in the context of programs such as the Grain for Green Program (GGP) in the Loess Hills. Such a tradeoff is a result of the competition for cropland and labor that exists due to grazing prohibition and rural-urban migration. Therefore, policy-related resolutions are required to address the land use conflicts and migration-related rural labor losing due to implementation of the GGP in the Loess Hills.     

Molecular markers for promoting agro-biodiversity conservation: a case study from Italy. How cowpea landraces were saved from extinction

Landraces (LRs) are crop populations that are locally grown by farmers; they have a strategic role to play in rebuilding healthy and complex agro-ecosystems, but are at risk of extinction. This paper outlines how some LRs were rescued with the support of modern techniques such as molecular markers. Cowpea LRs from Umbria, Italy, were initially characterized for morphological, organoleptic and genetic traits and reintroduced among farmers. These activities led to an expansion of the area under LR based cowpea cultivation and increased farmers’ income. To encourage further LR cultivation a request for the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) status has been promoted. Investigations were carried out to determine if it is possible to certify that the product actually belongs to the traditional agricultural and cultural context of the cultivation area. The genetic diversity and phylogenetic relationships among local LRs, other LRs, commercial varieties, and other taxa were investigated with five AFLP markers. Although genetic diversity is limited, genetic analysis showed that Umbrian cowpea LRs can be distinguished from commercial varieties, LRs from abroad and other taxa. There is a tight phylogenetic connection among Umbrian LRs. These data confirmed the available historical and sociological data and were included in the PDO specification. AFLP markers can be used to monitor the origin of seed lots that are on the market; this protects the rights of both consumers and farmers. This case study could be a resource for planning activities for the future on-farm conservation of other LRs in different countries.     

Local Organizations Involved in the Conservation of Crop Genetic Resources: Conditions for their Emergence and Success in Ethiopia and Kenya

Local organizations comprising of farmers, local formal and informal institutions, and public conservators can potentially be relevant options to confront the challenges of conserving indigenous crop varieties in developing countries. Although property rights and market failure problems experienced in crop genetic resources (CGRs) are different from other natural resources such as forests, wildlife, etc., such local organizations, and contractual arrangements within them, can be very instrumental in enhancing on-farm conservation. However, empirical investigations of such local organizations in order to determine the dimensions of their feasibility have been scarce. Against this background, this paper analyzes interactions of stakeholders in these local organizations and then explores the conditions for their emergence and success. The paper discusses field cases of on-farm conservation of traditional cereals and pulses from Ethiopia and indigenous vegetables from Kenya. It points out that local organizations conserving CGRs can be classified into different categories of contractual arrangements depending on certain driving factors that influence interactions of stakeholders and devolvement of decision-making authority. The paper further argues that these driving factors, which include accessibility to markets, presence of collective action or self-organizational capacity and provision of relevant CGRs conservation policies, form some of the key conditions determining the success of the case study organizations. The paper concludes by outlining policy implications on the structuring of such local organizations and the importance of certain factors in facilitating their emergence and success.     

Evolution of soil and water conservation in rain-fed areas of China

Rain-fed (dryland) farming is an ancient agricultural production system in China. It occurs widely across almost the whole country, especially in the Northwest and North China. The semi-arid Loess Plateau is the most important region of rain-fed farming in China, but unfortunately, soil erosion on the Loess Plateau area is the highest in China, and indeed amongst the highest in the world. This highlights the necessity for developing practices that can reduce soil and water erosion, improve soil water use efficiency, improve crop productivity, and reduce rural poverty in the region. Many techniques of soil and water conservation are being used in rain-fed areas of China, including such systems as mulch, ridge and furrow systems. The Appendix describes a unique system of soil and water conservation, called Shatian.Modern research on conservation tillage (No Till), although essential for reducing erosion, increasing crop productivity, and ameliorating poverty, is just beginning in China. Modern conservation tillage research started in the1990s' with support from Australia and other countries. The procedures, however, were modified to be in accord with local conditions and prevailing farmer experiences. With 10 years of experimentation, results show that the most successful conservation practice on the Western Loess Plateau is no till with stubble retention. This technique helps to conserve soil water, increases soil organic carbon, improves soil structure and water infiltration, reduces soil and water erosion, and improves crop productivity and sustainability of rain-fed farming systems. However, its adoption rate remains low due to barriers such as traditional attitude, insufficient rural extension, and so forth.