Biodiversity Conservation and Management at INTSORMIL

1. Biodiversity Conservation and Management at INTSORMIL Gebisa Ejeta Plant Genetics & Breeding Purdue University

3. The African “center of crop origin” • Cereals • African rice (Oryza glaberrima), pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) (West African drylands), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) (Abyssinia), tef (Eragrostis abyssinica), fonio (Digitaria exilis) (West Africa) • Pulses • cowpea (Vigna linguculata), bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea), hyacinth bean (Lablab purpureus), kersting's groundnut (Macrotyloma geocarpa) • Roots & tuber crops • yam (Dioscoreacayanensis) • Oil crops • oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) (West Africa), castor bean (Ricinus communis) • Fruits & nuts • baobab (Adansonia digitata) (tropical Africa), watermelon (Citrullus vulgaris) melon (Cucumis melo) (central Africa) • Vegetables & spices • okra (Hibiscus esculentus), sesame (Sesamumindicum), egglplant (Solanum aethiopicum) (tropical Africa). • Fibers • kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) (Western Sudan) • Stimulants • coffee (Coffea arabica) (Abyssinia)

4. VI. Abyssinian CenterAbyssinia, Eritrea, and part of Somaliland (Vavilov centers of origin) http://www.hort.purdue.edu/

5. Diversity • Diverse ecological conditions and different ethnic customs and preferences resulted in enormous genetic diversity. • Most have shown great resilience and broad adaptation • Global distribution of these species has served humanity well. • Some have had a narrowly defined nich & utility • Example: Teff is a highly valued staple cereal crop in Ethiopia, but is cultivated no where else as a food crop .

13. Conservation and Management ofGenetic Resources: Essential • In situ conservation • Ex situ Conservation • Whose Responsibility? • Partnerships and Dialogue • Ag & Conservation Groups • Scientists & Policy Makers • Rich & Poor Nations • Accountability (community, nation, & donors) • Education, based on demonstrable benefit

14. Genetic Resource Conservation Activities at INTSORMIL • Collection, characterization, and documentation

15. China India Sudan Ethiopia Americas early Sorghum bicolor SorghumDomestication

16. Sorghum Collections ICRISAT India 36,719 accessions NPGS USA 42,221 accessions domestication center

17. Striga Tolerance Kittgn Aifere - Ethiopia Seguétana - Mali Drought tolerance Feteritas - Sudan Hegaris - Sudan Transplants - Sudan, Chad, Cameroon Hard Durras - Ethiopia, India Soft Durras - Nigeria Cold Tolerance Chinese Kaoliangs Ethiopian Durras Yemen Durras Stand Establishment West African Caudatums Chinese Kaoliangs Nutritional Quality Wotet Begunche Sinde Lamine Indian Durras/Bhasmati Sweet stalks Tanzania Rice Types Acid Soils Tolerance Uganda, Zambia, Mali Sources of genetic variation

18. Genetic Resource Conservation Activities at INTSORMIL • Collection, characterization, and documentation • Enhance the diversity base of breeding programs

20. Genetic Resource Conservation Activities at INTSORMIL • Collection, characterization, and documentation • Enhance the diversity base of breeding programs • Facilitate open exchange and distribution

21. Released in the Amhara region of Ethiopia, 2001 under the name “Brhan”

22. Genetic Resource Conservation Activities at INTSORMIL • Collection, characterization, and documentation • Enhance the diversity base of breeding programs • Facilitate open exchange and distribution • Conduct diversity analysis (ex-situ , in-situ) • Morphological • Molecular

23. Genetic Diversity in Cultivated Sorghums • Genetic Diversity in Cultivated Races of Sorghum (Menkir et al., 1997. Crop Sci. 37:564) • 190 acc. from four geographic regions of origin (Far and Middle East, Central and Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, Western Africa) - 162 polymorphic RAPD bands • Cultivated races with limited amount of genetic differentiation Low level of differentiation among regions • Genetic distances estimates to help identifying suitable germplasm for introgression into breeding stocks • Phenotypic Diversity among Sudanese Landraces (Grenier et al., 2003. GRES in press) • 2,017 acc. Sudanese landrace collection - 19 morpho-agronomic characters • Different distribution of phenotypic diversity among regions Specific patterns of phenotypic diversity for each geographical area of origin • Phenotypic diversity to highlight selective pressures that have reduced the variation to certain ideotypes

24. Genetic Diversity in Cultivated Races of Sorghum Mean genetic distance estimates calculated from 162 polymorphic RAPD bands for all pairs of accessions from either one or two geographic regions of origin (Menkir et al., 1997. Crop Sci. 37:564)

25. Kassala Gezira-Gedarif Blue Nile Upper Nile Equatoria Phenotypic Diversity among Sudanese Landraces Principal component analysis on the total Sudanese landrace collection (2,017 acc.) and for nine quantitative morpho-agronomic characters (Grenier et al., 2003. GRES in press)

26. Genetic Resource Conservation Activities at INTSORMIL • Collection, characterization, and documentation • Enhance the diversity base of breeding programs • Facilitate open exchange and distribution • Conduct diversity analysis (ex-situ , in-situ) • Morphological • Molecular • Assess extent of gene flow bet. Wild & Cultivated

27. Gene Flow Between Cultivated and Wild Sorghums in Africa

29. Genetic Resource Conservation Activities at INTSORMIL • Collection, characterization, and documentation • Enhance the diversity base of breeding programs • Facilitate open exchange and distribution • Conduct diversity analysis (ex-situ , in-situ) • Morphological • Molecular • Assess extent of gene flow bet. Wild & Cultivated • Investigate extent of real genetic erosion

31. Genetic Resource Conservation Activities at INTSORMIL • Collection, characterization, and documentation • Enhance the diversity base of breeding programs • Facilitate open exchange and distribution • Conduct diversity analysis (ex-situ , in-situ) • Morphological • Molecular • Assess extent of gene flow bet. Wild & Cultivated • Investigate extent of real genetic erosion • Facilitate repatriation and/or new introduction

34. Biomass & Biofuel Potential?