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Nigel Maxted - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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The Distributions and Ex Situ Conservation of Crop Wild Relatives: A Global Approach
Enhancing crop genepool use: capturing wild relative and landrace diversity for crop improvement, 2020Co-Authors: Nora P. Castañeda-Álvarez, Holly Vincent, Andy Jarvis, Colin K. Khoury, Chrystian C. Sosa, Harold A. Achicanoy, Vivian Bernau, Paul C. Struik, Nigel MaxtedAbstract:Under the umbrella of the 'Adapting agriculture to climate change: collecting, protecting and preparing the Crop Wild Relatives' project, more than 1000 Crop Wild Relative (CWR) taxa have been assessed to determine how well represented they currently are in genebanks that are accessible to the global plant breeding community. Likewise, the regions where such taxa are likely to occur have been mapped, identifying geographic hotspots of CWR species richness, as well as locations where further collecting of plant material is highly recommended. The main outputs of this assessment helped to guide decisions regarding which regions and countries should be selected to collect samples of CWR evaluated as high priorities for ex situ conservation. This chapter presents the methodology, results and discussion of this study.
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Modeling of Crop Wild Relative species identifies areas globally for in situ conservation.
Communications biology, 2019Co-Authors: Holly Vincent, Ehsan Dulloo, Alvaro Toledo, Luigi Guarino, Hannes Dempewolf, Ahmed Amri, David G Hole, Nora P. Castañeda-Álvarez, Chikelu, Nigel MaxtedAbstract:The impact of climate change is causing challenges for the agricultural production and food systems. More nutritious and climate resilient Crop varieties are required, but lack of available and accessible trait diversity is limiting Crop improvement. Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) are the Wild cousins of cultivated Crops and a vast resource of genetic diversity for breeding new, higher yielding, climate change tolerant Crop varieties, but they are under-conserved (particularly in situ), largely unavailable and therefore underutilized. Here we apply species distribution modelling, climate change projections and geographic analyses to 1261 CWR species from 167 major Crop genepools to explore key geographical areas for CWR in situ conservation worldwide. We identify 150 sites where 65.7% of the CWR species identified can be conserved for future use.
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New tools for Crop Wild Relative conservation planning
Plant Genetic Resources, 2019Co-Authors: J. Magos Brehm, S. Kell, I. Thormann, Hannes Gaisberger, Mohammad Ehsan Dulloo, Nigel MaxtedAbstract:AbstractCrop Wild Relatives (CWR) are a vital source of traits for Crop improvement – therefore, conserving CWR diversity is critical to ensure food, nutrition and economic security. Efficient CWR conservation planning is a critical first step to maintain this natural resource for future use. The development of National Strategic Action Plans (NSAPs) for the conservation and sustainable use of CWR is an effective means of conservation planning and also plays an important role in sensitizing policy makers and other stakeholders to the importance of CWR. Tools to guide and facilitate countries in CWR national conservation planning and NSAP development have been prepared, namely: an ‘Interactive Toolkit for CWR Conservation Planning’, a ‘Template for the Preparation of a NSAP for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of CWR’, a ‘Template for the Preparation of a Technical Background Document for a NSAP for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of CWR’, a ‘CWR Checklist and Inventory Data Template’ and an ‘Occurrence Data Collation Template’. In this short communication, we briefly explain what these tools are, how they were developed, how they can be used and where they can be found.
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Climate change and national Crop Wild Relative conservation planning
Ambio, 2017Co-Authors: Jade Phillips, Åsmund Asdal, Morten Rasmussen, Joana Magos Brehm, Bob Oort, Nigel MaxtedAbstract:Climate change is likely to be one of the most important factors affecting our future food security. To mitigate negative impacts, we will require our Crops to be more genetically diverse. Such diversity is available in Crop Wild Relatives (CWRs), the Wild taxa Relatively closely related to Crops and from which diverse traits can be transferred to the Crop. Conservation of such genetic resources resides within the nation where they are found; therefore, national-level conservation recommendations are fundamental to global food security. We investigate the potential impact of climate change on CWR richness in Norway. The consequences of a 1.5 and 3.0 °C temperature rise were studied for the years 2030, 2050, 2070, 2080 and then compared to the present climate. The results indicate a pattern of shifting CWR richness from the south to the north, with increases in taxa turnover and in the numbers of threatened taxa. Recommendations for in situ and ex situ conservation actions over the short and long term for the priority CWRs in Norway are presented. The methods and recommendations developed here can be applied within other nations and at regional and global levels to improve the effectiveness of conservation actions and help ensure global food security.
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A systematic conservation strategy for Crop Wild Relatives in the Czech Republic
Diversity and Distributions, 2017Co-Authors: Nigel G. Taylor, S. Kell, Vojtěch Holubec, Mauricio Parra-quijano, Karel Chobot, Nigel MaxtedAbstract:Aim To create a Crop Wild Relative (CWR) conservation strategy for the Czech Republic: the first national CWR conservation strategy for Central and Eastern Europe. Location Czech Republic. Methods We generated a CWR checklist for the Czech Republic and then prioritized taxa, using widely adopted criteria modified with input from local experts, to create a national CWR inventory. For 204 priority CWR species, we collated 206,760 presence records. We carried out spatial analyses to identify patterns in species richness, gaps in existing conservation actions, complementary conservation networks and collecting strategies to increase representativeness of gene bank accessions. We considered both specific and genetic conservation, using geographic and ecogeographic proxies for the latter. Results Passive in situ conservation of CWR in the Czech Republic is comprehensive at present, with all but one priority CWR species being contained in protected areas. Active in situ CWR conservation could be focussed within 11 ca. 10-km-by-10-km grid cells containing 94% of priority species, or their overlapping protected areas. To augment the genetic coverage of the in situ conservation network, active CWR conservation is encouraged within 11 supplementary areas. Meanwhile, there are huge gaps in ex situ collections, with no known conserved material for 134 of the 204 priority species. Furthermore, existing accessions are generally unrepresentative of genetic diversity. Main conclusions In the Czech Republic, active in situ conservation of priority CWR should be instigated within the 22 recommended grid cell areas or their 14 overlapping protected areas. For ex situ conservation, strategic and targeted collection of germplasm would markedly increase the value of gene bank collections. Diversity of priority Czech CWR is concentrated in South Moravia, making this a particularly important CWR area for the country and for Europe.
Aleksandar Mikic - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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erratum to developing biotechnology tools for beautiful vavilovia vavilovia formosa a legume Crop Wild Relative with taxonomic and agronomic potential
Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, 2016Co-Authors: Sergio J Ochatt, Iva Smýkalova, Petr Smýkal, Catherine Conreux, Aleksandar MikicAbstract:Beautiful vavilovia, the closest species to the common now extinct ancestor of the whole tribe Fabeae holds significant taxonomical interest and also for breeding within this group of species, which includes the most cultivated leguminous pulses in the world. In spite of this, vavilovia has attracted very scarce research to date and is in danger of complete extinction. Thus, as a part of the research carried out by an informal international group of researchers from various countries, we report here various experiments for the development and exploitation of a range of biotechnology tools for vavilovia, ranging from standard in vitro propagation, to plant regeneration from explant-derived callus, and also from protoplasts. Plants were successfully recovered following propagation from nodes, and by regeneration through organogenesis from callus derived from internodes (which provided the best responses) and leaves. Also, protoplasts were isolated from leaves and stems from in vitro shoots and from callus derived from these two explants, with the latter undergoing sustained division. Subsequently, protoplasts isolated from internode callus proliferated and also underwent organogenesis coupled with whole plant recovery at a low frequency, while protoplasts from leaf callus origin followed both organogenesis and embryogenesis simultaneously but failed to yield viable plants. Flow cytometry assessments permitted to ascertain the genetic fidelity of both propagated and regenerated plants irrespectively of the source tissue from which they were derived (i.e., either callus from explants or from protoplasts). Finally, flow cytometry also permitted us to provide the first record on the Relative nuclear DNA content and genome size for Vavilovia formosa.
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the bicentenary of the research on beautiful vavilovia vavilovia formosa a legume Crop Wild Relative with taxonomic and agronomic potential
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013Co-Authors: Aleksandar Mikic, Petr Smýkal, Gregory Kenicer, N Sarukhanyan, J Akopian, Ivan Gabrielyan, A Vanyan, M A Vishnyakova, Iva Smýkalova, Ekaterina SherbakovaAbstract:Vavilovia formosa is a relict, endangered species from the highlands of the Caucasus and the Near East. Described in 1812, it has had an uncertain status and was finally recognized as a separate genus of tribe Fabeae (Fabaceae). Our informal international group was established in 2007 to revive the interest in this species as it had been seriously neglected for decades. Here, we provide an overview of the accumulated knowledge on V. formosa and present the results of the most recent multidisciplinary research. Three expeditions were made to two locations in Armenia in 2009, providing the material for anatomical, morphological, chemical and molecular analysis. Unlike previous attempts, ex situ conservation in Yerevan and in vitro propagation, important for potential interspecific hybridization, were successful. Molecular tools were used to clarify the taxonomic position of V. formosa, often considered the closest to the extinct ancestor of the whole tribe. The analysis of four informative regions of plastid and nuclear DNA showed that V. formosa belongs to the same clade as Lathyrus and Pisum, with a distinct status. Preservation and maintenance of V. formosa remains the only basis for further development of all other scientific aspects, especially breeding and uses in agronomy. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 172, 524–531.
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achievements in research on vavilovia vavilovia formosa stev fed a legume Crop Wild Relative
Ratarstvo i Povrtarstvo, 2010Co-Authors: Aleksandar Mikic, Petr Smýkal, Gregory Kenicer, N Sarukhanyan, J Akopian, Ivan Gabrielyan, A Vanyan, Andrey A Sinjushin, Natalia V Demidenko, Branko CupinaAbstract:© 2010 IFVC Summary: Vavilovia ( Vavilovia formosa (Stev.) Fed.) belongs to the tribe Fabeae along with peas, vetchlings, vetches and lentils. It prefers high mountain areas in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia, Syria and Turkey. A true success in the ex situ conservation has recently been achieved, within the display plot Flora and Vegetation of Armenia in the Yerevan Botanic Garden. The hybridization between vavilovia and other Fabeae was done in the N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry with F 1 seeds and F 1 plants that did not produce the next generation. The recent molecular research showed that vavilovia belongs to a Lathyrus-Pisum-Vavilovia clade with a clearly distinct status.
S. Kell - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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a Crop Wild Relative inventory for southern africa a first step in linking conservation and use of valuable Wild populations for enhancing food security
Plant Genetic Resources, 2019Co-Authors: E Allen, I. Thormann, Hannes Gaisberger, Mohammad Ehsan Dulloo, N Maxted, Magos J Brehm, T Lupupa, S. KellAbstract:Successful conservation strategies require that taxa are prioritized because resources for planning and implementation are always limited. In this study, we created a partial checklist of Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) that occur in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region and identified the taxa of highest priority for regional conservation planning based on their importance for food and economic security. We found that the region contains over 1900 Wild Relatives of species cultivated for food, beverages, ornamental, forage/fodder, forestry, medicinal, environmental and other uses. Prioritization of these species was based on two criteria: (i) the value of the related Crop for human food and economic security in the region and/or globally, and (ii) the potential or known value of the Wild Relatives of those Crops for Crop improvement. The region contains 745 CWR species related to 64 human food and beverage Crops that are of high socioeconomic importance and 100 of these are of immediate priority for conservation action. The results of this study show that the SADC region contains a wealth of CWR diversity that is not only of value for food and economic security within the region but also globally. Furthermore, this study represents the first step in developing a CWR conservation and sustainable use strategy for the region, where its implementation would contribute to food security and well-being.
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Crop Wild Relative diversity and conservation planning in two isolated oceanic islands of a biodiversity hotspot mauritius and rodrigues
Plant Genetic Resources, 2019Co-Authors: Prishnee Bissessur, Claudia Baider, N Boodia, M G H Badaloo, J A Begue, Z Jhumka, A Meunier, Y Mungroo, V Gopal, S. KellAbstract:The rising need for Crop diversification to mitigate the impacts of climate change on food security urges the exploration of Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) as potential genetic resources for Crop improvement. This study aimed at assessing the diversity of CWR of the Indian Ocean islands of Mauritius and Rodrigues and proposing cost-effective conservation measures for their sustainable use. A comprehensive list of the native species was collated from The Mauritius Herbarium and published literature. Each species was assessed for the economic value of its related Crop, utilization potential for Crop improvement, Relative distribution, occurrence status and Red List conservation status, using a standard scoring method for prioritization. The occurrence data of the priority species were collected, verified, geo-referenced and mapped. A total of 43 Crop-related species were identified for both islands and 21 species were prioritized for active conservation. The CWR diversity hotspots in Mauritius included Mondrain, followed by Florin and Le Pouce Mountain. Although a wide diversity of CWR has been recorded on both islands, most do not relate to major economic Crops in use, therefore only a few species may be gene donors to economic Crops at the regional and global level. For example, coffee, a major global beverage Crop, has three Wild Relatives on Mauritius, which could potentially be of interest for future predictive characterization.
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New tools for Crop Wild Relative conservation planning
Plant Genetic Resources, 2019Co-Authors: J. Magos Brehm, S. Kell, I. Thormann, Hannes Gaisberger, Mohammad Ehsan Dulloo, Nigel MaxtedAbstract:AbstractCrop Wild Relatives (CWR) are a vital source of traits for Crop improvement – therefore, conserving CWR diversity is critical to ensure food, nutrition and economic security. Efficient CWR conservation planning is a critical first step to maintain this natural resource for future use. The development of National Strategic Action Plans (NSAPs) for the conservation and sustainable use of CWR is an effective means of conservation planning and also plays an important role in sensitizing policy makers and other stakeholders to the importance of CWR. Tools to guide and facilitate countries in CWR national conservation planning and NSAP development have been prepared, namely: an ‘Interactive Toolkit for CWR Conservation Planning’, a ‘Template for the Preparation of a NSAP for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of CWR’, a ‘Template for the Preparation of a Technical Background Document for a NSAP for the Conservation and Sustainable Use of CWR’, a ‘CWR Checklist and Inventory Data Template’ and an ‘Occurrence Data Collation Template’. In this short communication, we briefly explain what these tools are, how they were developed, how they can be used and where they can be found.
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development of national Crop Wild Relative conservation strategies in european countries
Genetic Resources and Crop Evolution, 2018Co-Authors: J Labokas, S. Kell, J. Magos Brehm, N Maxted, J M IriondoAbstract:To generate European-wide information to contribute to the improvement of national and regional Crop Wild Relative (CWR) conservation planning and the development of effective CWR conservation strategies, a questionnaire was sent to the members of the Wild Species Conservation in Genetic Reserves Working Group of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR) to collate information on progress in developing and implementing national CWR conservation strategies and action plans. Responses from 30 countries were analysed and literature sources were consulted to fill some information gaps. Results showed that 13 countries were in the preparation stage of their national strategies, i.e. having no drafts prepared yet, 14 in higher stages (from the first draft prepared to the published and approved ones), and three have not yet started the planning process. Twelve countries included all categories of species autochthony (i.e., native, archaeophyte and neophyte) in their priority CWR lists. Wild Relatives of human and animal food Crops were selected as the highest priorities by 23 and 22 countries, respectively. Relative level of threat was identified as the most important prioritization criterion by 23 countries. Italy reported the highest number of CWR in its national checklist (10,779 taxa) and priority list (1118 taxa), whereas Ireland reported the lowest number of CWR in its checklist (171 taxa) and Portugal reported the lowest number in its priority list (20 taxa). Regarding the percentages of prioritized CWR, the strictest approach was applied in Portugal—only 20 out of 2262 CWR taxa, or < 1%, were selected as priorities for conservation action, whereas in Spain 578 out of 929 CWR taxa, or about 62% were prioritized. Eleven countries have proposed the establishment of genetic reserves, from one per country (Israel) to an extended network (Germany and the Netherlands). Only the UK had a formally established genetic reserve. The highest number of priority CWR taxa that occur in existing protected areas was reported by Spain—472 species, or 82% of the national priority list, whereas the lowest number—14 species, or 70% of the national priority list—in Portugal. Israel reported the highest number of priority CWR taxa (319 or 98%) conserved in gene banks. Among the limitations in the development of national CWR strategies highlighted by countries, was the lack of an EU agency responsible for genetic resources. The development of CWR conservation strategies is mostly within the domains of agriculture (13 countries) and environment (12 countries), although both domains are involved in eight countries. The most successful results in the development and implementation of CWR conservations strategies are achieved in the countries where multiple stakeholders, including ministries, research institutions, NGOs, local communities, protected area authorities and national PGR committees are involved. Some discussion and conclusions regarding further developments are provided.
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A systematic conservation strategy for Crop Wild Relatives in the Czech Republic
Diversity and Distributions, 2017Co-Authors: Nigel G. Taylor, S. Kell, Vojtěch Holubec, Mauricio Parra-quijano, Karel Chobot, Nigel MaxtedAbstract:Aim To create a Crop Wild Relative (CWR) conservation strategy for the Czech Republic: the first national CWR conservation strategy for Central and Eastern Europe. Location Czech Republic. Methods We generated a CWR checklist for the Czech Republic and then prioritized taxa, using widely adopted criteria modified with input from local experts, to create a national CWR inventory. For 204 priority CWR species, we collated 206,760 presence records. We carried out spatial analyses to identify patterns in species richness, gaps in existing conservation actions, complementary conservation networks and collecting strategies to increase representativeness of gene bank accessions. We considered both specific and genetic conservation, using geographic and ecogeographic proxies for the latter. Results Passive in situ conservation of CWR in the Czech Republic is comprehensive at present, with all but one priority CWR species being contained in protected areas. Active in situ CWR conservation could be focussed within 11 ca. 10-km-by-10-km grid cells containing 94% of priority species, or their overlapping protected areas. To augment the genetic coverage of the in situ conservation network, active CWR conservation is encouraged within 11 supplementary areas. Meanwhile, there are huge gaps in ex situ collections, with no known conserved material for 134 of the 204 priority species. Furthermore, existing accessions are generally unrepresentative of genetic diversity. Main conclusions In the Czech Republic, active in situ conservation of priority CWR should be instigated within the 22 recommended grid cell areas or their 14 overlapping protected areas. For ex situ conservation, strategic and targeted collection of germplasm would markedly increase the value of gene bank collections. Diversity of priority Czech CWR is concentrated in South Moravia, making this a particularly important CWR area for the country and for Europe.
Petr Smýkal - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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erratum to developing biotechnology tools for beautiful vavilovia vavilovia formosa a legume Crop Wild Relative with taxonomic and agronomic potential
Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture, 2016Co-Authors: Sergio J Ochatt, Iva Smýkalova, Petr Smýkal, Catherine Conreux, Aleksandar MikicAbstract:Beautiful vavilovia, the closest species to the common now extinct ancestor of the whole tribe Fabeae holds significant taxonomical interest and also for breeding within this group of species, which includes the most cultivated leguminous pulses in the world. In spite of this, vavilovia has attracted very scarce research to date and is in danger of complete extinction. Thus, as a part of the research carried out by an informal international group of researchers from various countries, we report here various experiments for the development and exploitation of a range of biotechnology tools for vavilovia, ranging from standard in vitro propagation, to plant regeneration from explant-derived callus, and also from protoplasts. Plants were successfully recovered following propagation from nodes, and by regeneration through organogenesis from callus derived from internodes (which provided the best responses) and leaves. Also, protoplasts were isolated from leaves and stems from in vitro shoots and from callus derived from these two explants, with the latter undergoing sustained division. Subsequently, protoplasts isolated from internode callus proliferated and also underwent organogenesis coupled with whole plant recovery at a low frequency, while protoplasts from leaf callus origin followed both organogenesis and embryogenesis simultaneously but failed to yield viable plants. Flow cytometry assessments permitted to ascertain the genetic fidelity of both propagated and regenerated plants irrespectively of the source tissue from which they were derived (i.e., either callus from explants or from protoplasts). Finally, flow cytometry also permitted us to provide the first record on the Relative nuclear DNA content and genome size for Vavilovia formosa.
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the bicentenary of the research on beautiful vavilovia vavilovia formosa a legume Crop Wild Relative with taxonomic and agronomic potential
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013Co-Authors: Aleksandar Mikic, Petr Smýkal, Gregory Kenicer, N Sarukhanyan, J Akopian, Ivan Gabrielyan, A Vanyan, M A Vishnyakova, Iva Smýkalova, Ekaterina SherbakovaAbstract:Vavilovia formosa is a relict, endangered species from the highlands of the Caucasus and the Near East. Described in 1812, it has had an uncertain status and was finally recognized as a separate genus of tribe Fabeae (Fabaceae). Our informal international group was established in 2007 to revive the interest in this species as it had been seriously neglected for decades. Here, we provide an overview of the accumulated knowledge on V. formosa and present the results of the most recent multidisciplinary research. Three expeditions were made to two locations in Armenia in 2009, providing the material for anatomical, morphological, chemical and molecular analysis. Unlike previous attempts, ex situ conservation in Yerevan and in vitro propagation, important for potential interspecific hybridization, were successful. Molecular tools were used to clarify the taxonomic position of V. formosa, often considered the closest to the extinct ancestor of the whole tribe. The analysis of four informative regions of plastid and nuclear DNA showed that V. formosa belongs to the same clade as Lathyrus and Pisum, with a distinct status. Preservation and maintenance of V. formosa remains the only basis for further development of all other scientific aspects, especially breeding and uses in agronomy. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 172, 524–531.
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achievements in research on vavilovia vavilovia formosa stev fed a legume Crop Wild Relative
Ratarstvo i Povrtarstvo, 2010Co-Authors: Aleksandar Mikic, Petr Smýkal, Gregory Kenicer, N Sarukhanyan, J Akopian, Ivan Gabrielyan, A Vanyan, Andrey A Sinjushin, Natalia V Demidenko, Branko CupinaAbstract:© 2010 IFVC Summary: Vavilovia ( Vavilovia formosa (Stev.) Fed.) belongs to the tribe Fabeae along with peas, vetchlings, vetches and lentils. It prefers high mountain areas in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia, Syria and Turkey. A true success in the ex situ conservation has recently been achieved, within the display plot Flora and Vegetation of Armenia in the Yerevan Botanic Garden. The hybridization between vavilovia and other Fabeae was done in the N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry with F 1 seeds and F 1 plants that did not produce the next generation. The recent molecular research showed that vavilovia belongs to a Lathyrus-Pisum-Vavilovia clade with a clearly distinct status.
Ekaterina Sherbakova - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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the bicentenary of the research on beautiful vavilovia vavilovia formosa a legume Crop Wild Relative with taxonomic and agronomic potential
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013Co-Authors: Aleksandar Mikic, Petr Smýkal, Gregory Kenicer, N Sarukhanyan, J Akopian, Ivan Gabrielyan, A Vanyan, M A Vishnyakova, Iva Smýkalova, Ekaterina SherbakovaAbstract:Vavilovia formosa is a relict, endangered species from the highlands of the Caucasus and the Near East. Described in 1812, it has had an uncertain status and was finally recognized as a separate genus of tribe Fabeae (Fabaceae). Our informal international group was established in 2007 to revive the interest in this species as it had been seriously neglected for decades. Here, we provide an overview of the accumulated knowledge on V. formosa and present the results of the most recent multidisciplinary research. Three expeditions were made to two locations in Armenia in 2009, providing the material for anatomical, morphological, chemical and molecular analysis. Unlike previous attempts, ex situ conservation in Yerevan and in vitro propagation, important for potential interspecific hybridization, were successful. Molecular tools were used to clarify the taxonomic position of V. formosa, often considered the closest to the extinct ancestor of the whole tribe. The analysis of four informative regions of plastid and nuclear DNA showed that V. formosa belongs to the same clade as Lathyrus and Pisum, with a distinct status. Preservation and maintenance of V. formosa remains the only basis for further development of all other scientific aspects, especially breeding and uses in agronomy. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 172, 524–531.