The conservation and use of plant genetic
resources has a human dimension that IPGRI
has now made part of its core agenda. As we
increase research and other activities in on-
farm and in situ conservation, social, cultural,
and gender factors decision-making patterns,
local institutions, indigenous knowledge and
value systems, must be taken into account.
IPGRI will work more with national partners to
understand how the use of plant genetic
resources affects the distribution and
conservation of genetic diversity in agro-
ecosystems.  IPGRI's collaborative work on
ethnobotany and socio-economic aspects will
look more closely at how local people and
their institutions can contribute to the
maintenance of biodiversity in agricultural
environments.  We will explore in greater
detail the various uses and values that people
attach to PGR. The focus on human aspects
of plant genetic resources has important policy
and development goals.  One goal is to
strengthen the link between plant genetic
resources conservation and the development
and well being of people, particularly poor
rural people.
A second goal is to develop methods that
address the need for decentralised PGR
conservation approaches that involve
resource  users and local communities.
IPGRI's concern on such key issues and the
work carried out and/or proposed is reflected.
Supporting new conservation
strategies in national
programmes
Decentralisation and a broadening of
institutional partnerships in PGR conservation
is the trend, in many developing countries'
national programmes. This means greater
involvement of local communities and users
in the conservation efforts is needed. Farmers,
local communities and other users of plant
genetic resources can contribute to community
About this Newsletter
The International Plant Genetic Resources
Institute (IPGRI) formerly IBPGR, is one of the
16 Centres of the Consultative Group on
International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) with
its Headquarters in Rome. IPGRI's mission is to
encourage, support and engage in activities to
strengthen the conservation and use of plant
genetic resources worldwide with special
emphasis on the needs of developing countries.
IPGRI works in partnership with other
organizations, undertakes research and training,
and provides scientific and technical advice
and information. IPGRI operates in five
geographical areas: Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA),
the Americas, Europe, West Asia and North
Africa (WANA), and Asia, the Pacific and
Oceania (APO). APO Regional Office is based
in Singapore with offices for East and South Asia
located in Beijing (China) and New Delhi (India),
respectively.
The APO Newsletter is produced thrice a year
and is mainly aimed at promoting overall concern
on plant genetic resources, with emphasis on
their conservation and use. [See box on p.2]
THIS NEWSLETTER IS PRODUCED
B Y
Dr. R.K. Arora, Coordinator IPGRI Office
for South Asia, with support from: Dr. Ken
Riley, Regional Director, Dr. Ramanatha
Rao, Senior Scientist (GD/Conservation), Dr.
Pons Batugal, COGENT Coordinator, Mr.
Paul Quek, Documentation/Information at
the IPGRI Regional Office for Asia, the Pacific
and Oceania; Prof. Zhou Ming-De,
Coordinator and Mr. Zhang Zongwen,
Assistant Coordinator at the IPGRI Office for
East Asia, and Dr. P.N. Mathur, Associate
Coordinator in the IPGRI Office for South Asia.
The addresses of these offices are:
IPGRI Office for South Asia
c/o NBPGR, Pusa Campus,
New Delhi 110012, India
Telex : 31-77257 NBGR IN
Tel : (91-11) 5731845, 5786112; Fax: (91-11)
5731845
Email : IPGRI-DELHI@cgnet.com
IPGRI Regional Office for Asia, the
Pacific and Oceania
30 Orange Grove Road, 8th Floor, RELC
Bldg.,
Singapore 258352
Tel : (65) 738 9611; Fax (65) 738 9636
Email : IPGRI-APO@cgnet.com
IPGRI Office for East Asia
c/o CAAS, No. 30 Bai Shi Qiao Road, Beijing
100081,
People's Republic of China
Telex : 222720 CAAS CN
Tel : (86-10) 62174159; Fax : (86-10)
62174159
Email : IPGRI-CAAS@cgnet.com
genebanks, in situ conservation,
documentation of their indigenous knowledge
and in other practical and cost-effective ways.
Building upon the expertise and participation
of local people requires a better understanding
of how they use and assign value to plant
genetic resources. IPGRI will address the
socio-economic and institutional implications
of decentralised and participatory approaches
to plant genetic resource conservation and
use. This should lead to improved
collaboration between formal-sector and local
level institutions involved in conservation and
use of genetic resources.
Ethnobotany in the Asia
Pacific Region: A source of
innovation and experience
Scientists, conservationists, and communities
in the Asia Pacific and Oceania region have
been active in ethnobotanical research and
local participation in plant genetic resources
conservation, maintenance and use, such as
in India and China, and with emphasis on
forest genetic resources in Indonesia, Thailand
and Malaysia. Apart from national efforts, these
studies have been supported by UNESCO,
WWF, through networks of conservationists
and ethnobotanists such as the People and
NEWSLETTER
IPGRI work on the Ethnobotany and Socio-
economics of the Conservation and Use of
Plant Genetic Resources
INTERNATIONAL PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES INSTITUTE
The information, opinions and designations in the Newsletter are not necessarily those of IPGRI
CONTENTS
Editorial ..................................... 1
Regional .................................... 3
National..................................... 4
COGNET update........................ 8
Meetings.................................... 10
Interesting Books &
Publications ........................ 12
Scientific Contributions................ 14
Useful Names & Addresses/ .......
Contibutors ......................... 16
FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA No. 20, April 1996
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  2
Plants Initiative and includes IPGRI.
In the area of crop genetic resources,
ethnobotanical approaches have been the
hallmark of collaboration between international
agricultural research centres such as CIP and
local NGOs to identify and maintain the useful
diversity that local farmers maintain in important
crops such as sweet potato (see UPWARD).
More recently, IPGRI's APO office has
provided a network focus for the conservation
and use of taro genetic resources. Fortunately,
much of the knowledge and diversity in taros
(Colocasia)  still remains with local farmers
throughout Asia and the Pacific. Hence,
ethnobotanical approaches that use and
support local knowledge are important to the
conservation and use of this widely used but
neglected crop.  Ethnobotanical surveys of
taro diversity have been conducted by national
scientists in Bangladesh and are now
underway in Yunnan Province of China. Also,
information has been synthesized for India,
Sri Lanka and the Philippines. Emphasis has
been laid to assess diversity and its native
use, understand the threats and develop
strategies for conservation.
Another area of growing concern is the
conservation of micro-environments which
contain high levels of diversity in plant genetic
resources. Home gardens are micro-
environments containing high levels of species
and genetic diversity in agro-ecosystems. This
diversity is intimately linked to the multiple
and varied uses of plants by traditional
households. Numerous and excellent studies
have already been done throughout Asia and
the Pacific of the important species diversity
found in home gardens, their structure, and
the important contribution they make to
household nutrition and income.  IPGRI is
consulting with our regional partners to build
upon this work and conduct further research
to identify ways to incorporate and maximise
the contribution of these dynamic micro-
ecosystems to the in situ conservation of
agricultural biodiversity.  The current research
plans would look more closely at the structure
and distribution of genetic diversity (within
species), using ethnobotanical, socio-
economic and gender analyses. In particular,
the activity will study the genetic diversity
found in fragmented, patchy, human-managed
micro-environments to produce a strategy and
guidelines on how home gardens can be part
of a complementary conservation strategy.
Traditional Resource Rights,
Indigenous Knowledge and
Ethical Issues
The fair and sustainable use of indigenous
knowledge about plant genetic resources
requires a better understanding of local rights
and values and more active participation by
local genetic resource developers in the
conservation and use of genetic resources.
Providing a platform where the two knowledge
systems can interact equitably and around a
common conservation and development ethic
is not easy from a policy and technical aspect.
IPGRI has already begun working in Asia
and the Pacific on an information system to
document ethnobotanical and indigenous
knowledge on plant genetic resources that
can be used by farmers, local communities
and scientists.
The documentation methods should provide
ways to ensure that communities sharing their
knowledge get full and equal recognition and
a means to claim their traditional resource
rights vis-a-vis non-traditional institutions.
Fundamentally there will be four issues to
consider when documenting IK. 1)The issue
of ethics and participation, farmers' rights,
and traditional resource rights to ensure that
communities are empowered to retain and
use their knowledge; 2)Evaluate how the
current techniques and methodologies to
collect IK such as Rapid Rural Appraisal can
be made compatible with local community
concepts of intellectual property and equity;
3)Evaluate how collected IK information can
be effectively stored and accessed using
computer technology in an information base
(info-base); and 4) Developing tools for
accessing, interpreting and linking the
information base developed above that are
usable by both farmers and scientists.
In the Asia Pacific region the traditional
resource rights, equity and ethical issues
entailed in the use of indigenous knowledge
by institutions outside the local community's
of plant have received significant attention
from NGOs such as SEARICE, the
Environmental Research Foundation of India
to name only a few that have communicated
these concerns to IPGRI and our partners.
The Swaminathan Foundation has assembled
a vast fund of knowledge on farmers rights
and traditional resource rights,  UPWARD in
the Philippines has done important work in
designing frameworks for equitable
participation in conservation by formal
scientific and community-based conservation
institutions. The ability to continue and broaden
this consultative process in the region including
networks of local community experts on plant
genetic resources such as those in the
Honeybee Network in India and the Memory
Web being tested in the Philippines has
enabled IPGRI and its partners to move quickly
to design an IK info-base for sharing,
duplication, and modification by communities
and agencies in compliance with the
provisions of global conventions, agreements
and protocols for the respect of indigenous
people’s rights, and the use of local
knowledge.  As in all of IPGRI's work, a goal
is to build the capacity of traditional resource
users as well as formal PGR institutions to
support the maintenance and transmission of
indigenous knowledge systems.
In conclusion, IPGRI's new initiative in
ethnobotany and the socio-economic aspects
of plant genetic resources conservation has
begun to build upon the vast fund of expertise
that our Asian and Pacific partners have
developed in the use of ethnobotany and
community-based conservation approaches to
PGR conservation and use. [Dr. Pablo
Eyzaguirre, Anthropology & Socio-economics,
GD, IPGRI-HQ, Rome, Italy; Phone (39-
6)518921, Fax: (39-6)5750309, Email:
Eyzaguirre@ cgnet.com]. For details also
contact    Dr. Paul Quek, IPGRI-APO,
Singapore.
APO NEWSLETTER
Provides information on PGR
activities carried out in the region, by
national programmes and other centres.
Information is also periodically
abstracted from recent literature (books,
periodicals etc.), and brief research
contributions published. With over 2000
addressees on its mailing list, the APO
newsletter is widely distributed to focus
on IPGRI's mandate to advance the
conservation and use of plant genetic
resources for the benefit of present and
future generations.
3  IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA NUMBER 20
The UNESCO-ICIMOD
Project on Ethnobotany
In collaboration with UNESCO, ICIMOD has
recently started a new programme activity
entitled ‘Promotion of Sustainable and
Equitable use of Plant Resources in the Hindu
Kush Himalayan (HKH) Region through the
Application of Ethnobotany'. The project is a
part of the activities of the WWF International-
UNESCO-Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew,
initiative on People and Plants. It aims to
develop local community development
programmes on the sustainable use of plant
resources, promoting greater involvement of
local people in devising and implementing
strategies for conservation of biodiversity,
upgrading the skills and knowledge of local
ethnobotanists, and diffusing methodological
guidelines and reviews [ICIMOD Newsletter
No.22; For details contact: Prof. Pei Shengji,
Head, Mountain Natural Resources Division,
ICIMOD,GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal].
Medicinal Plants Network
in Asia
The International Development Research
Centre (IDRC) South Asia Regional Office,
has initiated the creation of a Medicinal Plants
Network in Asia. The objective of this network
is to support and encourage local efforts in
research and development in the area of
medicinal plants. The network will promote
interaction and dialogue between researchers,
experts, and institutions. At present, the
network operates in South Asia. IDRC has
two ongoing projects as part of this network,
one on neem and the other on medicinal
plants. The neem project will further
investigate the active principle of neem i.e.
limonoid azadirachtin, develop economical
methods to extract and separate azadirachtin,
standardize its stable formulations, and
produce and test botanical pesticides on a
pilot scale. The medicinal plants project will,
among other things, undertake an evaluation
of some ten widely-used medicinal plants,
select the best stocks, and develop
techniques in order to propagate them, leading
to their availability on a sustainable basis.
The network makes small grants for a period
of up to two years to initiate grassroot level
research. Financial support is available to
non-governmental and public sector and
teaching institutions. [Druk Forestry News
issue No.10, January 1996; For details
contact: Manjul Bajaj, Network Coordinator,
IDRC, South Asia Regional Office, 11 Jor
Bagh, New Delhi 110 003, India].
Consultation Meeting on
NARS-CGIAR Partnership
This meeting was organized by APAARI (Asia-
Pacific Association of Agricultural Research
Institutions), co-sponsored by ICAR, FAO,
IFAD, and ISNAR. The objectives of the
meeting were to: 1) discuss APAARI's vision
towards NARS-CGIAR partnership, 2) discuss
ecoregional and regional collaborative
approaches, 3) identify  ways and means to
strengthen and sustain regional NARS
associations and networks, 4) discuss CGIAR
priorities - NARS vision, 5) Discuss NARS -
led priorities and programmes as adopted by
the CG system and  6) draw up an action
plan for strengthening NARS-CGIAR
partnership to be communicated to TAC.
Similar regional meetings have been/are being
held in different regions and recommendations
would be made to TAC as part of its priority
setting mechanism.
The meeting was very well attended,
numbering over fifty senior staff  from NARS
, DGs and/or DDGs from four other CGIAR
centers, representatives from the World Bank
(ESDAR), FAO and IFAD.  Drs. Ramanatha
Rao and R.K. Arora represented IPGRI.  Rao
made a presentation on "NARS-IPGRI
collaboration in strengthening conservation
and use of PGR in Asia-Pacific" prepared
jointly with Drs. Riley and Arora and hinted
about a ‘Pan-Asia’ network on PGR, in close
collaboration with APAARI.
The major points that emerged from the
meeting are:
- APAARI endorsed, 1) alleviating poverty,
2) increasing production and 3) sustaining
the resource base, as the major
objectives for agricultural research within
Asia-Pacific.
- NARS need to make greater input to
CGIAR/TAC priority-setting process, and
APAARI can provide the suitable regional
forum for making such an input.
- NARS  should have a greater say in
TAC/CG priority setting process, to make
the process transparent and NARS-
driven.
- Considering different factors, including
the rapid increase in the population, Asia-
Regional
Pacific deserves a greater share of
CGIAR resources.
- Need for stability in research priorities,
particularly on staple crops and high
priority for research on the conservation,
sharing and using PGR.
- CGIAR was urged to continue the priority
accorded to PGR issues and continue
research on PGR related issues.
- CGIAR priorities may include in future,
research efforts on soybean, vegetables,
under-utilized fruit species.
- CGIAR to promote information exchange,
including information on ethnic
knowledge.
- Human resource development is still a
high priority, especially in advanced
technology such as biotechnology.
- Need for expanding the membership and
broadening the scope of APAARI.
- A number of issues related to ecoregional
approaches need to be resolved such
as the need for NARS driven
programmes, priority for areas where
resource degradation is in progress,
identification of national priorities before
attempting to set subregional or regional
priorities. IPGRI-APO will further pursue
the idea of Pan-Asia network on PGR.
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  4
National
BHUTAN
Biodiversity Conservation
Project
On November 16, the RGOB and the
government of The Netherlands signed an
agreement for a five year biodiversity
conservation project in the Black Mountain
area in central Bhutan. The main objectives
of the project is to design and implement an
optimum biodiversity strategy for the area.
Activities will include an inventory and
preparation of a management plan for the
protected area. Focus will be given to invove
local people in conservation efforts.
Biodiversity surveys are currently underway.
Socio-economic surveys have been
completed.[Druk Forestry News, Issue No.9,
January 1996].
National Re-Afforestation
Strategy
A three-day workshop to finalize a national
re-afforestation strategy was held from
December 12-14, 1995 at the Bhutan Forestry
Institute (BFI) Conference Hall in Taba. The
financial and technical support for the
workshop was provided by the FAO regional
project on Strengthening Re-Afforestation
Programmes in Asia (STRAP).
In his keynote speech, the Secretary of the
Ministry of Agriculture, Dasho (Dr.) Kinzang
Dorji, drew attention to the efforts being made
world-wide to arrest forest degradation. While
the Secretary considered the design of a re-
afforestation strategy for Bhutan to be timely
and relevant, he urged the participants to
consider cost effectiveness, bearing in mind
the limited financial and human resources
currently available to the RGOB. He pointed
to the involvement of the private sector, the
industry, individuals / communities. The draft
document of the national re-afforestation
strategy is currently being finalized,
incorporating the decisions made at the
workshop. [Druk Forestry News, Issue No.9,
January 1996].
CHINA
Progress and New
Initiatives on PGR
Programmes
During the Eighth Five-Year Plan (1991-1995),
Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources of
CAAS cooperated with other relevant institutes
nationwide and has multiplied and stored 110
000 accessions of various crop germplasm in
the National Seed and Field Genebanks. Upto
now, the total collections have reached 330
000 accessions in China. At the same time,
a duplicate genebank (-10°C) was established
in  Qinghai  and about 300 000 accessions
of national collections stored in the National
Genebank in Beijing have been duplicated in
this genebank. The field genebanks for
sugarcane, sweet potato and potato have
been established.  The 110 000 accessions
being stored in the national genebank have
been characterized and cataloged for
agronomic characters. For some of these
collections, the assessment were carried out
on quality, stress resistance, disease
resistance, etc. About 15000 accessions of
elite germplasm have been identified. About
1400 samples of promising materials have
been provided to users and the usefulness of
some germplasm has been identified. The
collecting missions were conducted in 62
counties in Daba Mountain situated in South
Sichuan and South and West of Guizhou
provinces. Total of 14000 accessions of crop
germplasm were collected.  The National Crop
Germplasm Information System was enlarged
and modified with about 7 million data items
newly added to the databases. The progress
has been made in the studies of technologies
for crop germplasm storage, characterization
and evaluation, taxonomy, germplasm
enhancement and genetics.
In the Ninth Five-Year Plan (1996-2000), crop
germplasm is placed in the national key
projects. The further evaluation and utilization
will be a priority in the new genetic resources
programmes. The major activities will include:
1. The evaluation of 3000 accessions of
germplasm with special characteristics.
About 200-250 accessions of elite
germplasm with stable genetic
characters will be identified and provided
to users.
2. Studies on the techniques of molecular
markers and finger-printing for germplasm
evaluation.
3. The exploration in Three Gorge Region
and the mountainous regions along
“Jingjiu” railway, including 25 counties of
several provinces.
4. Studies on monitoring seed viability of
genebank seeds, the treating techniques
on special germplasm before entering
into genebank, cryopreservation and very
low moisture seed storage.
5. Establishing elite germplasm information
and service system with multimedia
techniques.
It is expected that the activities in the Ninth
Five-Year Plan will greatly improve the use of
germplasm in breeding programme and crop
production in China. [Prof. Fang Jiahe, Institute
of Crop Germplasm Resources of CAAS, 30
Bai Shi Qiao Road, Beijing 100081, China].
Chinese Hawthorn
Germplasm
Since 1980s the Institute of Special Plants
and Animals of CAAS, in cooperation with ten
other research institutes, has been carrying
out the activities on collecting, conservation
and evaluation of hawthorn germplasm.
China is a centre of diversity for hawthorn.
There are 18 species of Crataegus, of which,
C. pinnatifida, C. scabrifolia and C.
brettschaederi are cultivated. C. pinnatifida is
mainly distributed in North and Yellow River
Region of China. Most of cultivated varieties
were selected from this species. C.
brettschaederi is mainly distributed in the cold
region in northeast of China.
The cultivars of C. pinnatifida can be divided
into three groups according to the colour of
fruit surface, i.e. yellow, red and orange. C.
scabrifolia is divided into three groups of dark
yellow, pink and green colour on its fruit
surface. During the collecting and evaluation,
a number of rare, promising germplasm have
been found, for example, some varieties with
strong resistance to cold and drought and
tolerance to alkaline situations, and a number
of germplasm with red and yellow flesh, large
fruit, and sweet flesh, and medical use. In
addition, some hawthorn germplasm can be
used as root stock in the breeding programmes
for dwarf types with resistance to cold, such
as C. aurantia, C. altica and C. kansuensis.
In recent years, evaluation has been carried
out on agronomic/botanical characteristics,
and on processing, chromosome number, and
chemical composition of hawthorn germplasm
collections. The results indicated considerable
variation; 100-fruit weight varied from 250 -
1600g; total carbohydrate 1.51-4.04%; total
progesterone 18-81 mg/100 g flesh; Vit E 18-
118 mg/100 g fresh.
The collections comprising of about 300
accessions are kept at Shenyang Agricultural
University, Institute of Special Plants and
Animal of CAAS and Institute of Forest and
Fruit of Beijing Academy of Agricultural and
Forestry Sciences.
The compilation of “Records of Hawthorn
Varieties” was completed in 1995 and it will
be published in 1996. It includes more than
160 varieties of hawthorn, of which 142
varieties are of C. pinnatifida, 17 of  C.
scabrifolia and 5 of C. brettschaederi. In 1995,
5  IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA NUMBER 20
hawthorn descriptor list was developed by
the Institute of Special Plant and Animal of
CAAS with support of IPGRI-APO and this is
being reviewed for publication at IPGRI
Headquarters. [Jiao Peijuan and Guo Taijun,
Institute of Special Plant and Animal of CAAS,
Zuojia, Jilin City, Jilin Province 132109, China].
Brown Lint Cotton
Germplasm
Brown Lint RT was selected by Cotton
Research Institute of CAAS from a cross
between an accession of Gossypium hirsutum
of race richmondii, a brown lint germplasm
from Mexico, and Texas Mark 1 (TM-1). The
line is 80-90 cm high with a desirable plant
type. The boll setting is good with single boll
weight of 5.3 g. It shows early maturity (about
125 days) and good fibre quality. 2.5% span
length ranges from 27 to 29 mm and micronaire
reading is 4.3 mg/inch. The fibre length is
also much better than that of other colour
fibre cotton lines the Institute holds, and similar
to that of white fibre cultivars used in
production, but only lint percentage is lower,
about 30%. In 1994 experiment, the seed
yield of “Brown Lint RT” was about 3000 kg/
ha, and lint output was about 900 kg/ha.
Brown Lint RT possesses a great market
potential. It is expected that the further
research and utilization of colour lint cotton
germplasm can be conducted in cooperation
with relevant interested organizations.
[Xiongming Du, Cotton Research Institute of
CAAS, An Yang, Henan 455112, P.R. China].
In Vitro Storage of Citrus
Germplasm
IPGRI-supported project on citrus germplasm
conservation in vitro was begun in 1994 and
implemented by Citrus Research Institute of
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences at
Chongqing, China. The effects of
environmental conditions, mannitol and test
tube cover materials on citrus plantlet survival
in vitro storage were studied using some
representative species or cultivars. Three
temperature levels of 10°C, 15°C and 25°C
and two light  intensity levels of 500 lux and
2000 lux as well as under dark condition
were used. Three different concentrations of
mannitol were tested for their effects.  The
results have been summarized as follows:
1. Lower temperature was favourable for
extending the culture period to one year.
When the temperature decreased form
20°C to 15°C, the survival rate of plantlet
increased. However, when the
temperature decreased form 15°C to
10°C, there was slight decrease of
survival rates after one year storage.
This indicated that temperature of 15°C
was more suitable for citrus in vitro
conservation.
2. Appropriate light intensity was needed
to extend the culture period of plantlet.
The results showed 500 lux was suitable
for citrus plantlet in vitro conservation.
The plantlet could not survive under
dark conditions. At a light intensity of
2,000 lux, the  survival rate was lower
than that at 500 lux.
3. Usually mannitol is used as a retardant
compound in the medium on which the
plantlets grow slowly. However, in case
of citrus plantlet, it seemed that its effect
was not significant. When the
concentrations were higher than 2%, it
had adverse effect. This may be
because citrus plantlet grows very slow
even in the basic medium without adding
mannitol. Therefore, it is not necessary
to add retardant compound in the
medium for citrus in vitro conservation.
4. Different species or cultivars have
different response to the conditions of in
vitro conservation. It seemed that
mandarins, sweet oranges and limes were
easy to get stem-tip culture and conserve
in vitro. The survival rate could reach
above 60% after one year storage.
However, it was difficult to get stem-tip
culture and conserve them in vitro for
some species or cultivars. The survival
rate for such species or cultivars was
very low after one year storage. The
studies indicate that not only different
species respond differently but also
different cultivars within a species
respond differently. Therefore, more
research needs to be done for the
difficult species or cultivars so that those
could be conserved in vitro.
Genetic stability of citrus plantlets conserved
in vitro was conducted through isozyme and
chromosome analysis and based on
observations, using grafted plant with plantlet
in vitro.  No difference was found in POX and
GOT isozyme patterns and chromosome
number is also stable, 2n=18.
Now about fifty varieties of citrus accessions
have been conserved in in vitro storage.
Work on stem-tip culture and conservation
for some difficult species will be continued
this year.
More research details will be given in next
issue of this newsletter. [Prof. Zhou Ming-De,
Coordinator, IPGRI Office for East Asia,
Beijing, China].
INDIA
AHEAD - An Effective
Source of Information
Retrieval
The Publication and Information Directorate
(PID) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial
Research (CSIR), New Delhi has recently
developed Asian Health, Environmental and
Allied Databases (AHEAD). AHEAD is an
international consortium sponsored and
supported by the International Development
Research Centre (IDRC), Canada to catalyse
information dissemination in the Asian region.
AHEAD CD-ROM series are available with
the following titles: Disk D1 - Environmental
& Resource Management - "Environmental
Asia"; Disk D2 - Traditional Asian Medicines
& Natural Products - "Wealth Asia"; Disk D3
- Tropical Diseases, Natural toxins &
occupational safety  and health - "Health
Asia". Wealth Asia contains full text database
on Indian raw-material resources including
plants, animals and minerals. It also covers
bibliographic database on world literature
covering all aspects of medicinal and aromatic
plants viz., cultivation, botany, chemistry,
pharmacy, and marketing of various plants
and database on tropical oilseeds covering
fields like cultivation, management, breeding,
genetics, taxonomy, physiology, biochemistry,
crop protection, economics and marketing
and oil product quality. [For further details,
Contact: Dr.G.P. Phondke, Executive
Director, AHEAD, Publication and Information
Directorate, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, Pusa,
New Delhi 110 012,India, Phone: 574 6024;
Fax: 578 7062; Email; pid@sirnetd.ernet.in;
Telex: 031-77213].
NBPGR Conducts
Research on Recalcitrant
Seeds
The ODA funded project R6110(H) on
“Development of cryopreservation techniques
for the long term conservation of recalcitrant
seeds and vegetatively propagated plant
species in India”, began in January, 1996.
The research work has been carried out on:
Recalcitrant seeds
Litchi (Litchi chinensis) and jackfruit
(Artocarpus heterophyllus),with  strictly
recalcitrant seeds,  have been chosen  for
study.  Surveys were conducted at Horticulture
Garden, IARI and HETC, Saharanpur. Both
the species showed profuse flowering and
the trees of desirable varieties/types in litchi
and in jackfruit have been marked from the
day of anthesis.  Immature, partially mature
and fully mature fruits from these trees will be
harvested in coming months for studies on
desiccation and freezing sensitivity and
subsequent cryopreservation of embryonic
axes. Associated biochemical and
ultrastructural parameters will be studied for
determining the causal factors for
recalcitrance.
Though not exactly recalcitrat, seeds of large
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  6
number of important cvs of almond (Prunus
amygdalus) are grown in temperate regions of
India. Under the project, 8 accessions of
almond were processed for cryopreservation.
The excised embryonic axes   were
desiccated to about 7% moisture content (on
fresh weight basis) and plunged in liquid
nitrogen. Fresh and retrieved axes were tested
for viability by culturing on MS and WPM
Medium. The viable axes on retrieval from -
196°C initiated regrowth within 13 days of
culturing. Small plantlets were obtained within
13 days of culturing.  All the cvs showed high
percentage recovery.
Vegetatively propagated
spec ies
Attempts have been made to cryopreserve in
vitro grown shoot apices of sweet potato
using encapsulation-dehydration techniques.
The results indicated that encapsulation per
se does not have any adverse effect on
regrowth of shoot apices in sweet potato.
Efforts are continued to standardize optimum
concentration of preculture solution, optimum
duration of desiccation etc., to ensure beads
having minimum water content but limited
mortality before plunging in liquid nitrogen.
Employing the same techniques of
encapsulation-dehydration, cryopreseration
was achieved in 4 species of yams comprising
two cultivated (Dioscorea alata and D.
bulbifera), one wild edible type (D. wallichii)
and one medicinal yam (D. floribunda). The
encapsulated shoot apices showed various
degree of survival (based on regrowth) after
exposure to liquid nitrogen. Standardization
of recovery growth media for producing
increased regeneration of plantlets from
cryopreserved apices of D. alata and D.
floribunda are being continued. [Drs. K.P.S.
Chandel, Rekha Chaudhary and B.B. Mandal
NBPGR, New Delhi, India].
New Director at NBPGR
Dr.K.P.S. Chandel took over as the
new Director of the National Bureau
of Plant Genetic Resources, New
Delhi, India on 18 September 1995.
Dr. Chandel had his doctorate
degree from the Indian Agricultural
Research Institute, New Delhi .
Besides, he also holds a Masters
degree in plant genetic resources
conservation from the University of
Birmingham, U.K. Dr. Chandel has
persued his career in plant genetic
resorces for over 3 decades. Prior to
taking over as Director NBPGR, Dr.
Chandel has held important positions
- as Joint Director, National Facility
for Plant Tissue Culture Repository,
and as Head, Division of Plant
Exploration at NBPGR. He has widely
travelled across the globe and
participated in several national and
international meetings.
INDONESIA
Institute for Research on
Legumes and Root Crops
The former Malang Research Institute for Food
Crops (MARIF) in East Java has been
renamed as the Research Institute for
Legumes and Tuber Crops (RILET). It now
forms part of the group of six food crops
research institutes directly coordinated by the
Central Research Institute for Food Crops
(CRIFC) in Bogor.
Under the new mandate, RILET will carry out
research on breeding, agronomy and
physiological aspects of legumes and tuber
crops, including cultural techniques, crop
protection, agroecosystems analysis, agro-
economics, postharvest technology and
mechanization, environmental impact,
cropping systems and commodity analysis.
Additionally, it will be responsible for the
exploration, evaluation, maintenance and
utilization of legume and tuber crop
germplasm. The present collection of the
Institute includes 325 sweet potato and 232
cassava accessions. Meanwhile, its rootcrop
breeding programme has so far released two
improved cassava varieties, Malang-1 and
Malang-2, and one sweet potato variety,
Mendut.
RILET is also expected to provide technical
assistance services, to forge links for
collaborative research, and to disseminate
research results to the wider scientific
community and other users. The Institute
carries out research activities at its
headquarters in Malang and in five
experimental stations across East Java located
in Kendalpayak, Jambegede, Muneng, Ngale
and Genteng. The legumes and tuber crops
R&D agenda of RILET is based on the
research priorities set by CRIFC and for
socioeconomics, research and development
work will be undertaken in close collaboration
with the newly created regional agencies
called Assessment Institute of Agricultural
Technology (AIAT).
Sweet potato research at RILET received a
big boost in 1987-93 from the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC) which
supported the research project on Rootcrop
Improvement in Indonesia. Also, RILET
researchers have been involved in various
research projects and activities of UPWARD
and CIP. [UPWARD, Vol.4, No.2, December
1995].
JAPAN
Fruit Tree Genetic
Resources in MAFF
Genebank
Fruit Tree Research Station MAFF (FTRS),
the headquarters of which are located at
Tsukuba, is responsible for the management
of MAFF Fruit Tree Genetic Resources. FTRS
has four branch stations: Morioka Branch,
Okitsu Branch, Akitsu Branch and Kuchinotsu
Branch. As of 1995, the total number of fruit
tree genetic resources in MAFF Genebank
amounted to ca.8,000 accessions, with the
largest germplasm of ca. 1,800 accessions of
apple, followed by Citrus.
Genetic resources of fruit trees are classified
into three groups: working collection, base
collection and active collection. The
headquarters and four branches are involved
in the breeding of specific fruit trees and also
management of genetic resources of specific
fruit groups. For safe preservation of PGR,
so-called duplicate preservation is
implemented with the cooperation of the
National Center for Seeds and Seedlings.
At the headquarters, Tsukuba, breeding of
Japanese pear (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai var. culta
Nakai), peach (Prunus persica Sieb. et Zucc.
var. vulgaris Maxim.), apricot (Prunus
armeniaca L. var. ansu Maxim.), plum (Prunus
salicina Lindl.) and chestnut (Castanea
crenata Sieb. et Succ.) is carried out. The
PGR activities on these fruit trees are
managed by the staff of the Division of Fruit
Breeding of FTRS. Apple tree breeding is
carried out at the Morioka Branch in the
northern part of Japan. PGR management of
Two months old plantlets raised
in vitro from cryopreserved axes of almond
variety katha.
7  IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA NUMBER 20
apple trees is also carried out from this station.
The climate of the Okitsu Branch, which is
situated in the center of the main island of
Japan, facing the Pacific Ocean, is temperate
without frost, and suitable for the cultivation
of early maturing  Citrus species, particularly
satsuma mandarin (Citrus unshiu Marc.).
Development of satsuma mandarin cultivars
has been carried out at the Okitsu Branch
and PGR management of Satsuma mandarin
has also been carried out from here. The
Akitsu Branch faces the Seto Inland Sea.
PGR of kaki (Diospyros kaki L.f.), grapes
(Vitis spp.), and kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa
Liang et Ferguson) are preserved at the Akitsu
Branch. At the Kuchinotsu Branch, which is
the southern most branch and faces the Sea
of Amakusa, development of late maturing
Citrus species, such as, pommelo (Citrus
grandis Osbeck), sweet orange (Citrus sinensis
Osbeck) and ponkan (Citrus reticulata Blanco)
has been promoted. Germplasm of these citrus
oranges are preserved at the Kuchinotsu
Branch. [GRP Newsletter, No.24, December
1995; Schichiro Tsuchiya, Director, Division
of Fruit Breeding, Fruit Tree Research Station,
MAFF, Tsukuba 305 Japan].
LAO  PDR
Dr. Ramanatha Rao travelled to Lao PDR for
follow-up activities.  Dr. Oudara
Souvannavong, FAO, Rome; Dr. Tim Boyle,
CIFOR and Mr. Jim Coles, ASEAN-Canada
Tree Seed Centre joined the team for
discussions  with the  Department of
Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
A fairly high powered meeting was arranged
at the Department of Forestry and a number
Heads of Divisions attended it. It was to
have been chaired by Mr. Khamphenane
Kigsada, Director General, but at the last
minute he was called on to attend the Party
Congress meeting so Mr. Silavanh, DDG
chaired the meeting. After a brief introduction
to DOF by Mr. Silavanh, Dr. Ouedraogo
presented details of a proposed project
“Methods  and strategies for locating genetic
diversity of tropical forests in four countries of
mainland SE Asia”. Rao explained that when
the project gets going IPGRI-APO office will
be closely involved in the management of the
project and it may be possible to strengthen
the forestry expertise at APO with additional
staff. Drs. Boyle and Coles explained the
possible role of CIFOR and ASEAN-Canada
TSC. After a brief discussion DOF agreed in
principle to undertake the research activity
with support from IPGRI, CIFOR and FAO
and the ASEAN-CTSC as collaborators. They
requested IPGRI to develop the proposal
further and provide them with a copy so that
they can get the approval from relevant
authorities in the country.
Dr. Rao visited National Agricultural Research
Centre  to discuss the progress on a  project
activity (plant species used by the people of
Laos) which has just been completed with
Mr. Bounpavanh Kanyavong, Deputy Director
and Mrs. Kongpanh Kanyavong, Scientist,
NARC. The draft final report was provided for
editing and finalization.
NEPAL
Activities at Nepal
Agricultural Research
Council (NARC)
NARC to implement long term
strategy
The Reappraisal and Evaluation Task Force
of the NARC in its report has made some
recommendations in adopting and
implementing a long term strategy for more
capable research system in the country,
enhancing the autonomy of the Council.
Some of the basic recommendations include:
1) institutionalize and improve inter-unit
relations and coordinaton, 2) make recruitment
on the basis of qualifications and competitions,
3) establish guidelines for management
policies and related issues. The NARC in the
last four years has generated interest in
research among the government and non-
government organizations by cultivating its
own institutional identity. The
recommendations will facilitate the progress
of NARC in a planned manner.
NARC - Cornell University
signed MoU
NARC and the Cornell University, USA has
signed a Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) for scientific and
technical coopertation in Rice and Wheat
improvement. The MoU aims to develop,
promote and accelerate close collaborative
efforts in the field of micro-nutrients in the
sustainability in the Rice-Wheat System based
on a work plan developed for mutual
cooperation. The activities would relate to
collaborative research projects, exchange
visiting scientists, joint publications, exchange
of scientific literature, information and
methodology, promotion regional collaboration
within tropical Asia and import and export
scientific materials and equipments as required
in the programme of common interest. [NARC
Newsletter, Vol.2, No.4, Oct-Dec 1995].
SRI LANKA
Plant Genetic Resources
Centre - Achievements
and Prospects
The five-year period of JICA technical
cooperation with the Plant Genetic Resources
Centre in Sri Lanka (PGRC) and the follow-
up period of two years came to a close in
March 1995. During this time, the genetic
resources activities at PGRC had attained a
certain level of development where the local
counterpart staff could manage issues related
to genetic resources without the assistance
of JICA experts.
As of October 1995, 11,599 accessions of
germplasm had been collected or introduced
by PGRC, and it is estimated that almost half
of the diversity of crop plants in Sri Lanka
had been collected. These accessions have
been evaluated, multiplied and preserved in
the genebank, and the relevant data have
been computerized. The efficient management
of PGR, involving a smooth flow from
collection to preservation, which was the target
of the JICA project, has been achieved.
The installation of a compact storage unit is
under consideration to keep the originally
collected seeds under controlled conditions
of -18°C and 40% humidity. As another
measure for a safeguard against possible loss
of valuable PGR is a proposal for the duplicate
preservation of PGR in collaboration with a
genebank in another country. Emphasis will
be placed on the efficient utilization of PGR
by plant breeders and plant scientists and the
access of users to PGR facilitated, providing
them with information and data. PGRC has
prepared catalogues including passport and
evaluation data on major crops.
JICA expert will promote the intensification of
networks among the PGRC genebank and
user researchers, as well as, strengthen
activities, management and utilization of PGR.
It is also intended to assist PGRC in forging
closer links between the PGRC genebank
and neighbouring countries. In this
connection, Sri Lanka has proposed to set
up a JICA third-country training course for
genetic resources management which will be
conducted by PGRC. [GRP Newsletter
No.24, December 1995; Shinji Watanabe,
Plant Genetic Resources Center, Gannoruwa,
Peradeniya, Sri Lanka].
PACIFIC ISLANDS
Breadfruit Collection
Update
Breadfruit has long been an important staple
crop in the Pacific Islands, where it is part of
an agricultural complex well adapted to island
(Contd. on page 9)
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  8
To advance its goal of promoting sustainable
coconut production and utilization and its
objectives in coconut conservation and use,
the International Coconut Genetic Resources
Network (COGENT) which involves 31
member countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa and
Latin America/Caribbean has scheduled the
following activities for 1996.
1. Regional Genebank
Planning Workshop, 16-
18 February
The workshop was conducted to develop
guidelines for conservation, 7-year work plans
and budgets and hosting agreements for the
establishment of an international multi-site
coconut genebank to further secure the
important collections of each coconut-
producing region. The workshop was held in
Pekanbaru, Riau Province, Indonesia, and
attended by the COGENT Genebank Task
Force, and experts from IPGRI, CIRAD, the
World Bank and from AARD. It was hosted
by the Agency for Agricultural Research and
Development (AARD) and funded by the
Asian Development Bank, FAO and IPGRI.
The work plans and budgets are being refined
and the draft agreements are being cleared
with the respective governments of the four
host countries namely, Indonesia (Southeast
Asia), India (South Asia), Papua New Guinea
(South Pacific) and Cote d'Ivoire (Africa).
2. COGENT-IPGRI-
BUROTROP Meetings,
20-24 May
The three organizations will meet to discuss
the COGENT external review report during
the CGIAR Mid-Term Meetings in Jakarta,
Indonesia. The Chair of the CGIAR Coconut
Support Group, upon the request of the
Steering Committee, commissioned a two-
person review panel consisting of Mr Mike
Foale of CSIRO, Australia and Mr David
Meadows of the World Bank to conduct an
external review of COGENT from December
1995 to February 1996. The senior
management officers of COGENT, IPGRI and
BUROTROP will meet to discuss the
recommendations of the review report on 20
May. A meeting of the three groups with the
Coconut Support Group of the CGIAR will
take place on 21 May to discuss the same
topic and other coconut research activities.
COGENT officers are also invited to attend
the Board and Programme Committee
meetings of BUROTROP on 23-24 May.
3. STANTECH-South Asia
Regional Course, 17-28
June
A COGENT regional training course on
Standard Research Techniques in Coconut
Breeding (STANTECH) will be hosted by the
Coconut Research Institute at Lunuwila, Sri
Lanka to train participants on germplasm
characterization, coconut breeding and
practical agronomic techniques. Participants
are expected from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh,
India, Pakistan and also from Myanmar, Oman
and Abu Dhabi. The course will be taught by
South Asian participants in the COGENT
STANTECH workshop in Cote de' Ivoire, in
June 1994, the STANTECH trainers course
in Manado, Indonesia in September 1995
and scientists of the Coconut Research
Institute, Sri Lanka. The course will be funded
by the Asian Development Bank.
4. STANTECH - Pacific
Regional Course, 5 -14
August
A similar COGENT STANTECH regional
training course will be hosted by the Vanuatu
Agricultural Research and Training Centre.
Participants are expected from Fiji, Papua
New Guinea, Solomons, Tonga, Western
Samoa, Vanuatu and Cook Islands. Trainers
will consist of participants from the Cote de'
Ivoire and Manado workshop/trainers' course.
The course will also be funded by the Asian
Development Bank.
5. Users’ Perspective to
Promote Coconut Multi-
purpose Uses, 26-28
September
A workshop which will bring together
researchers on processing and utilization and
coconut germplasm and breeding and the
private sector will be hosted by the
Horticulture Research Institute of the Thailand
Department of Agriculture in Chumpon,
Amphoe Sawi, Thailand. The workshop will
discuss what kind of varieties are needed by
the industry and village-level sectors and what
conservation, breeding and socio-economic
strategies and research activities should be
carried out to promote multi-purpose uses and
competitiveness. The workshop will be
attended by participants from 13-15 coconut-
producing countries in the Asia-Pacific region,
IPGRI experts and industry representatives.
The workshop will be funded by the
International Fund for Agricultural
Development (IFAD) and the Asian
Development Bank with the BUROTROP,
the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community
(APCC) and the South Pacific Commission
(SPC) serving as co-sponsors.
6. CGRNAP Annual
Review and Planning
Meeting, 30 September -
2 October
The 13 countries participating in the "Coconut
Genetic Resources for Asia and the Pacific
Region" (CGRNAP) will hold the annual
meeting which will be hosted by the
Horticulture Research Institute, Thailand
Department of Agriculture also in Chumpon,
Thailand. The meeting will review CGRNAP
accomplishments in the past year and
formulate plans for the coming year. It will
also discuss the proposed extension of the 3-
year project. The meeting will be attended by
current CGRNAP member countries, some
new members and representatives of IPGRI
and ADB. [For more information contact:
Dr.Pons Batugal, COGENT Coordinator,
IPGRI-APO, Singapore].
COGENT Update
National PGR
programmes are
requested to
contribute on
their major
activities on a
regular basis
9  IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA NUMBER 20
environments. There are two species of
breadfruit in the Pacific Islands, Artocarpus
altilis (Parkin) Fosberg and A. mariannensis
Trecul, as well as possible hybrids. Hundreds
of cultivars have been named, with distinctions
based on bearing season, fruit shape, skin
colour or texture, flesh colour, presence of
seeds, cooking or storage qualities of the
fruit, tree form, leaf shape and horticultural
requirements. The need to preserve and study
this valuable crop was first recognized on a
regional basis in the 1950's, when the South
Pacific Commission began a widespread
collection of cultivars. Agriculture Departments
in Chuuk, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati,
Kosrae, Phonpei, Solomon Islands, and
Western Samoa all established collections in
the past 30 years.
The National Tropical Botanical Garden
(NTBG), formerly the Pacific Tropical Botanical
Garden, a privately funded, non-profit
institution, established a small collection of
breadfruit in Hawaii in the 1970s. Collecting
trips were undertaken by Dr. Diane to Western
Samoa, Tonga, Tokelau, and Fiji, with support
from SPRAD, IRETA, and NTBG. The
International Board for Plant Genetic
Resources and the US Department of
Agriculture funded more widespread
collections in 1987. All accessions were
planted in the existing collection at Kahanu
Garden on Maui, Hawaii. This breadfruit
collection now consists of 226 trees of 173
accessions representing 16 Pacific Island
Groups. Of these, 145 accessions have
reached reproductive maturity and are bearing
fruit. The breadfruit collection has been
completely mapped and labelled, and an
extensive computerized database containing
location, accession numbers, provenance
information, general descriptors and
ethnobotanical information has been
developed. The genetic variability of the
collection has been characterized with respect
to variation in isozymes and chromosome
number. Ethnobotanical and cultural uses
(such as food preparation, storage,
seasonality, and specialized uses) and local
names have been recorded. A preliminary
study to document seasonality and productivity
of cultivars was started in October 1994.
While the plantings at Kahanu Garden
represent the largest and most comprehensive
breadfruit collection in the world, it is by no
means complete. Examples of the materials
needed to develop a definitive collection
include: a greater diversity of seeded cultivars
of A. altilis from Papua New Guinea, Fiji,
Solomon Islands and Vanuatu; additional
seedless cultivars from Samoa and Tonga.
Artocarpus mariannensis and inter-specific
hybrids from throughout Micronesia; and
diverse cultivars from island groups currently
under-represented in the collection. [SPC
Agricultural News, Vol.4, No.2, February 1996.
For more details contact: Dr. Diane Ragone,
National Tropical Botanical Garden, P.O Box
340, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii 96765. Tel: (808)
332-7323; Fax: (808) 332-9765].
(Contd. from page 7)
New Director at PGRC
Dr. A.H.M. Jayasuriya assumed duties
as the new Director of the Plant Genetic
Resources Centre, Gannoruwa,
Peradeniya, Sri Lanka on 16 January
1996. Dr.Jayasuriya, has a Master
degree in plant ecology and systematics
from the Peradeniya University and a
Ph.D from City University of New York
for research in plant systematics he
carried out at the New York Botanic
Gardens. He was Government
Systematic Botanist and Curator of the
National Herbarium at Peradeniya from
1977 to 1996. From November 1991 to
March 1995 he carried out an
assessment of the biodiversity in Sri
Lanka as a consultant to the National
Conservation Review Project
established to review environmental
management in forestry development in
Sri Lanka, implemented by IUCN and
supported by UNDP for Sri Lanka Forest
Department.
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  10
Meetings
Indonesia’s National
Workshop on
Dissemination of
PROSEA Information
The workshop was held at the Research and
Development Centre for Biology, Bogor on 18
July 1995. The following subjects were
discussed: i) Material for dissemination of
information from PROSEA database; ii)
Material needed for forestry extension; iii)
Evaluation of PROSEA brochures used for
university student's extension activities; iv)
Dissemination of information on plant
resources to transmigrant communities; v)
Extension material on plant resources using
electronic media. The workshop was attended
by about 60 persons representing institutions
related to the PROSEA programme in
Indonesia. [PROSEA Newsletter No.15,
October 1995].
The Seoul Declaration
The Seoul Declaration was the main outcome
of the Asia/Pacific regional conference on
‘Food, Culture, Trade and the Environment',
held at Saemaul Undong, Korea from July 19-
22, 1995. It was attended by 100 participants
from 21 countries, coming from social
movements of consumers, farmers and
scientists, and from women, environment and
development organizations. The declaration
calls for the adoption of measures leading to
a world of harmony between nature and
humanity. It favours, among other initiatives;
the restoration, conservation and utilization of
traditional varieties of food and forest products,
the creation and strengthening of community-
based and supported marketing systems;
indigenous knowledge and practices, and their
patenting; and the banning of all genetically
engineered life forms. [For more details on the
conference and copies of the declaration,
contact: PAN Asia and Pacific, P.O Box 1170,
10850, Penang, Malaysia. Fax: 657-7445;
Email:panap@geo2.poptel. org.uk].
SAARC Meeting of
Experts on MAP
The South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) Meeting of Experts on
'Cultivation and Utilization of Medicinal and
Aromatic Plants' was held 18-19 October 1995
in Colombo, Sri Lanka. Experts from India,
Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka
attended.
The main objective of the consultation was
to promote co-operation among scientists and
industrialists of the SAARC region to improve
the economic utilization of regional MAP
resources. Some of the recommendations that
emerged from this meeting were: 1) to short-
list the high demand MAP commonly used in
the region for industrial purposes, 2) to
conduct concerted multidisciplinary research
among the SAARC member countries in
several identified priority areas, 3) to strengthen
the R&D facilities within the institutions
concerned among the member countries, 4)
to boost raw material production through
cultivation on small holdings, 5) to develop a
national policy on MAP, leading to the
formulation of a SAARC Regional Policy, and
6) to establish a system for the better exchange
of information among member countries. [Druk
Forestry News, Issue No.9, January 1996].
Agrobiodiversity and
Farmers’ Rights
A techical consultation meeting at M.S.
Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF),
Madras from January 16-18, 1996 was
attended by about 40 participants from private,
governmental and non governmental
organizations both from India and abroad. Dr.
Ken Riley represented IPGRI. The purpose
of the meeting was to make suggestions on
the way forward in implementing farmers'
rights. Discussions focussed on both the
Indian and international issues.
While all participants agreed on the 3
objectives of farmers' rights, as stated below,
there were various interpretations of how
farmers' rights could best be implemented.
Some regarded farmers' rights as inalienable
rights not to be bestowed, but implemented,
while others viewed them as an umbrella to
describe a set of policies and programmes to
achieve the agreed objectives. The
international community was urged to make
every effort to resolve the outstanding issues
over the coming months, as the International
Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources is
renegotiated, and as these issues are raised
in other fora such as the Conference of
Biological Diversity. The highlights of this
meeting are available from the M.S.
Swaminathan Research Foundation, Madras.
Objectives for Farmers’
Rights
1. For farming communities to be entitled
to receive a fair and equitable share
of the benefits arising from the use of
agrobiodiversity.
2. For farming communities to achieve
recognition for their past, present and
future contributions to conservation
and agriculture.
3. To promote the conservation and
sustainable use of plant and animal
agrobiodiversity by farming
communities.
Seminar on Managing
Agricultural Biodiversity
The seminar on Managing Agricultural
Biodiversity for Sustainable Mountain
Agriculture: Issues and Experiences, 15-16
March 1996 was organized by LI-BIRD at
Pokhara, Nepal and jointly funded by ICIMOD
and IPGRI. The purpose was to create
awareness on agricultural biodiversity and to
bring farmers, INGO's, NGO's, NARS, and
Donors together to share ideas and
experiences and to explore ways to establish
collaboration for future work. This was
attended by 60 participants. IPGRI was
represented by Drs. Monica Gessler, Urs
Hodel and R.K. Arora. Twelve short
presentations were given by persons coming
from different organizations and these covered:
Nepalese Biowealth and Realities of Genetic
Erosion, Community Participation in on-farm
Genetic Conservation, and Agrobiodiversity
and Agricultural Development. The address
by Dr. F. Pelnick, Director General, ICIMOD
and that by Mr. J.C. Gautam, Executive
Director, NARC stressed on the conservation
of the biodiversity in Nepal and the issues
involved. Dr. T. Partap, ICIMOD in his keynote
address reported on the situation of mountain
agrobiodiversity - its wealth, threats, and
management. Well prepared and informative
short presentations were made on a wide
11  IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA NUMBER 20
range of research activities on conservation
and biodiversity issues in Nepal. One of these
covered gene, gender, and generation, and
stressed on the importance of focusing on
gender dimension in the promotion of
conservation of biodiversity. The three farmers
who participated spoke about their problems
and this generated interesting discussion.
Collaboration among different organizations
to resolve issues and constraints in national
context were discussed and recommendations
accordingly proposed.
The Consultation /
Workshop on Regional
Information System for
Musa and Plantain - Asia
and Pacific (RISBAP)
This meeting was held from 1-3 April 1996 at
the Philippines Council for Agriculture, Forestry
and Natural Resources Research and
Development (PCARRD), Los Banos,
Philippines. Representatives from Australia,
China, Indonesia, India, Malaysia, Philippines,
Thailand, Taiwan and the South Pacific
Commission participated in the meeting.
Participants gave presentations of current
information systems in their country and how
they could participate in the regional
information system for Musa and Plantain in
the Asia Pacific region. In the discussion it
was agreed that RISBAP will be set up and
be based in PCARRD where the INIBAP
Regional Coordinator is located. The group
proposed that a list of regional Musa research
projects from national institutes would be
compiled and made available during the year
and the possibility of a regional newsletter
was suggested. The proceedings will be
published in due course.
IPGRI Organizes Training
Courses on Rattan
IPGRI's has been  involved, in close
collaboration with INBAR, in genetic resources
activities on bamboo and rattan. Human
resource development is very important to
promote species conservation and
propagation. This has been long realised.
Therefore, it is important to see the appropriate
persons receive the training to improve their
skills. IPGRI has organised this training course,
jointly with INBAR, and in close cooperation
with the Department of Forestry, Sarawak,
Malaysia and Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew,
UK during 14-28, April 96 in Kuching,
Sarawak, Malaysia. Dr. John Dransfield,
eminent palm botanist is directing the
programme.  The same trainees will continue
the next week for a weeks training in Genetics
and Improvement of Rattan at Luasong
Forestry Centre, Tawau. This part of the
course is being organized by IPGRI/INBAR
in collaboration with CIRAD-Foret and
INNOPRISE, Sabha Foundation, who have
also started research work in the last two
years on conservation and genetic
improvement of rattans, which the trainees
will be able to see and learn from.  Drs Helen
Joly and Bacilleri, of CIRAD-Foret  and staff
of INNOPRISE are closely associated with
the training. This is an effort that underlines
the cooperation from a number of national,
regional, and international institutions,
including semi-private sector to promote the
dissemination of knowledge in these important
fields of taxonomy, ecology, and genetics
and improvement of rattans.
Forthcoming Meetings
Domestication, Production and
Utilization of New Crops, 7-10
July 1996 at the University of
Southampton, United Kingdom.
A three day conference organized by the
International Centre for Underutilized Crops
(ICUC) will be held at the University of
Southampton, U.K from 7-10 July 1996. The
objective of this 3rd international meeting is
to highlight obstacles in the process of new
crop development, and determine, from
practical experience, how to overcome them.
The aim will be to extract general principles,
and thus provide a practical basis to aid
future work. The conference programme will
include sessions covering all the main
technical, economic, sociological and
regulatory factors affecting new crop
development. [For details contact: Dr. N. Haq,
Conference Secretariat, International Centre
for Underutilized Crops, Building 62, University
of Southampton, Southampton S016 7PK,
U.K].
Collaboration on Plant
Genetic Resources in the
Asia Pacific Oceania Region.
The countries in the Asia Pacific Oceania
region posses much of the world's diversity of
genetic resources on which the very survival
of mankind depends. Recent changes in the
region including rapid industralization, and
urbanization may threaten these resources.
There is also increased realization of the
potential benefits sharing these resources,
conserving them and in developing
technologies and practices for their sustained
utilization. As agreed under the Convention
on Biological Diversity, countries have both
the responsibility for conserving genetic
resources as well as for sharing of the benefits
from their use.
During the past year, there has been a
growing interest in strengthening collaboration
across the region. The preparation meeting
for the FAO International Technical
Conference on Plant Genetic Resources
(ICPPGR), held last October in Bangkok called
for regional networking and collaboration for
sharing information, implementing cost
effective conservation, and technology
development. A number of crop and forestry
commodities particularly neglected crops were
given specific recognition, for further
collaboration.
During a consultation meeting in January 1996
in New Delhi, the Asia  Pacific Association of
Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)
also endorsed a regional collaborative
approach in developing stronger partnerships
between National Agricultural Research
Systems (NARS) and the International
Agricultural Research Centres (IARC's)
working in the region. Again, genetic resources
were identified as an important topic on which
such collaboration should be based. This
collaboration should be based on nationally
and subregionally identified priorities.
For the past 20 years,IPGRI (formerly IBPGR)
has been working in the region to advance
the conservation and use of plant genetic
resources. Strengthening of collaboration
among countries has been an important
activity.
A meeting between November 13-16, 1996
in New Delhi just prior to the 2nd International
Crop Science Congress is planned to bring
together national programmes, scientists and
policy makers in countries from the Asia
Pacific Oceania region, with scientists from
IARC's, FAO and other regional and
international organizations in order to advance
the growing desire for collaboration across
the region on plant genetic resources [Dr.Ken
Riley, Regional Director, IPGRI-APO,
Singapore].
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  12
Interesting Books and Publications
AARD/KEHATI/IPGRI. 1995. Report
on the 3rd Southeast Asian Regional
Symposium on Genetic Resources,
Serpong, Indonesia, 22-24 August,
1995. 19 p.
This symposium was jointly sponsored by
Agency for Agricultural Research and
Development (AARD), Yayasan
Keanekaraganan, Indonesia (KEHATI) and
IPGRI. The deliberations also included animal
genetic resources, stressed on increased role
of biotechnology, and laid importance on the
conservation of biological diversity and the
issues involved. The symposium invited
participants to present papers introducing
topics and issues for discussion and debating
these. The main objectives were to review
the progress on PGR in Southeast Asia,
exchange ideas/information, regional views
etc., on the conservation of genetic resources
leading to a regional convention on genetic
resources, and plan follow up action.
CPRO - DLO - CGN / IPGRI. 1995.
Descriptors for Beta (Beta spp.). Centre
for Plant Breeding and Reproduction
Research, Centre for Genetic Resources, The
Netherlands, Wageningen, The Netherlands
/ International Plant Genetic Resources
Institute, Rome, Italy. 37 p. [ISBN 92-9043-
202-0].
Descriptors for Beta (Beta spp.) in a revision
of the original IBPGR Publication Descriptors
for Beet (IBPGR, 1979). The initial list was
used as a basis for the current list which was
initiated after a meeting of a Beta workshop
in 1987.
Eyzaguirre, P. and M. Iwanaga (eds.).
1995. Participatory Plant Breeding.
Proceedings of a workshop on
participatory plant breeding, 26-29 July
1995, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
IPGRI, Rome, Italy. 164 p. [ISBN 92-9043-
269-1].
The papers in these proceedings were
originally presented at a workshop on
participatory plant breeding which was held
in Wageningen, The Netherlands. The
workshop was convened to crystallize a noval
approach that plant breeders, genetic
resource conservationists and social scientists
were demonstrating with increasing success.
The approach is to place knowledge about
genetic resources, as well as enhanced
germplasm, directly at the disposal of farmers
for them to use and develop according to
their own needs and practices. Sixteen
presentations were made by participants,
followed by deliberations in three working
groups which were set up to explore: a)
institutionalizing and legitimizing the
participatory approach in which farmers and
crop breeders work in partnership (6 articles);
b) participatory and decentralizing breeding
for productivity and biodiversity, stressing the
contribution farmers make in managing crop
diversity (6 articles), and c) the state of the
art in participatory breeding in a global context
(4 articles). It has been indicated that using
this approach, biological and social scientists
were learning a great deal about the useful
diversity in target crops and farming systems.
Farmers were also benefiting from access to
greater diversity and from the partnership they
were forming with plant breeders.
IPGRI. 1995. Descriptors for Black
pepper (Piper nigrum L.). International
Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome,
Italy. 39 p. [ISBN 92-9043-241-1].
Descsriptors for Black pepper (Piper nigrum
L.) was developed by P.N. Ravindran, K.
Nirmal Babu and V.V. Radhakrishnan of the
Indian Institute of Spices Research, Calicut,
Kerala, India.
IPGRI. 1995. Descriptors for Coconut
(Cocos nucifera L.). International Plant
Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy. 61
p. [ISBN 92-9043-215-2]. First printing 1992,
reprinted 1995.
Descriptors for Coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) is
a complete revision of the descriptor list given
in Appendix V of Coconut Genetic Resources,
1978 (AGPE/IBPGR/78/4), which was the
second IBPGR consultation held by IBPGR
on coconut genetic resources. It was
prepared in the IBPGR standard format by
the breeding section of the National Coconut
Development Programme, Tanzania and
reviewed by the participants of the
International Workshop on Coconut Genetic
Resources, held at Cipanas, Indonesia from
8-11 October 1991 and subsequently revised
by scientists participating in the International
Database on Coconut Genetic Resources,
held at Montpellier, France, from 19-23 May,
1992.
Jain, S.K. 1996. Ethnobiology in
human welfare. Deep Publications, New
Delhi 110 063, India. 519 p. [ISBN 81-85622-
05-1].
This volume deals with the proceedings of
the 4th International Congress of Ethnobiology
held at Lucknow in November 1994. It
includes besides Dr. M.S. Swaminathan's
inaugural address, over 100 selected papers
of authors from 20 countries. The papers
cover diverse topics under several sections,
namely, Food, Health Care, Conservation,
Diversity, Regional Studies, Methodologies,
Socio-economic aspects and general studies.
The book provides state of the art information
from several countries, and brings out gaps
in our studies and concerns for future
research. The new methodologies /
approaches will help in recording more
ethnobiological information. The publication
is a very valuable addition to the literature on
ethnobiology for researchers in this field, to
IPGRI awards Vavilov-
Frankel Fellowship to Dr.
Lata
Dr. Sneh Lata of the Institute of Ethnobiology,
Lucknow has been awarded this prestigious
fellowship to undertake ‘Comparative Studies
in Diversity, Ethnobotany and Conservation
of Grewia optiva Drumm. Ex Burrett in India
and Nepal’ for 1996. The research work will
be carried out under the guidance of Dr. S.K.
Jain, Director, Institute of Ethnobiology.
Grewia optiva is an important multipurpose
tree of the Himalayan region. Its specimens
will be studied in field and in different herbaria
in Nepal and India, and  diversity, ethnobotany
and conservation aspects studied in field.
Observations recorded in Nepal will be
compared with data collected in India.
Selected material will be conserved.
IPGRI-APO conveys best wishes to Dr.
Lata, who had earlier completed her
Doctorate on the Eco-physiological studies
on Bhimal (Grewia optiva) growing in
Kumaon hills of the Western Himalayas and
has acquired good  experience  in
ethnobotanical work.
13  IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA NUMBER 20
those interested in documenting native /
indigenous knowledge, conserving rich
diversity, and above all, in the application of
such potential wealth for human welfare. [For
more information, Contact: Dr.S.K. Jain,
Honorary Director, Institute of Ethnobiology,
National Botanical Research Institute,
Lucknow, India].
Ramanatha Rao, V., K.W. Riley, Z.
Zongwen and Zhou Ming-De (eds.).
1995. Proceedings of East Asia
Coordinators Meeting on Plant Genetic
Resources, 23-25 September 1994.
IPGRI Office for East Asia, Beijing, China.
132 p. [ISBN:92-9043-257-8].
This publication is the outcome of the meeting
of East Asia Coordinators on Plant Genetic
Resources organized by IPGRI office for East
Asia, Beijing, China on 23-25 September
1994. National Coordinators and specialists
from China, Japan, Mongolia, Democratic
People's Republic of Korea and Republic of
Korea participated. IPGRI professional staff
from APO region and Dr. Gary Fowler of Food
and Agriculture Organization of the United
Nations also attended the meeting, besides
several PGR/Crop/Community experts from
China. While session I deals with country
reports, session II mainly covers special PGR
topics including policy issues. The
deliberations of the meeting resulted in several
recommendations, and took into account the
constraints and needs of national programmes,
and their priorities and common interest in
PGR related matters. The participants
expressed further collaboration in the form of
a Regional Network for conservation and
utilization of plant genetic resources.
Shengji, P and S. Karki (eds.). 1995.
Rehabilitation of Degraded lands in
Mountain Ecosystem of the Hindu Kush
Himalayan Region: Proceedings of an
International workshop, held in
Baoshan, China, December 19-22,
1994. International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development, GPO Box 3226,
Kathmandu, Nepal. 115 p. [ISBN 92-9115-
404-0].
The aim of this workshop was to discuss 1)
the major outputs of the projects, 2) important
findings from field based studies, 3) the type
of training material required and, 4) to identify
priority activities for future follow up. The
proceedings include country reports of India,
Pakistan, Nepal and China. Other interesting
articles include: Understanding degradation
processes, soil fertility issues under irrigated
and rain-fed agriculture, effective method of
slope utilization, design for low-cost soil
erosion, use of native plant species and
indigenous knowledge for rehabilitation of
degraded mountain ecosystems, screening
and techniques for afforestation etc.
Van del Heide, W.M., R.Tripp and
W.S. de Boet (Compilers). 1996. Local
Crop Development: an annotated
bibliography. IPGRI, Rome, Italy /CPRO-
DLO (CGN), Wageningen, The Netherlands
/ ODI, London, UK. 153 p. [ISBN 92-9043-
270-5].
This bibliography provides an overview of the
range of research carried out on local crop
development, in situ and community
conservation and identifies the important gaps.
The bibliography is organized in four thematic
chapters, each listing key references. Each
chapter starts with a brief introduction to
highlight the major issues and gaps in present
knowledge. Chapter 1 on ‘Farmers knowledge
and practices' has 90 references concerned
with studies that describe intravarietal diveristy
in local farming systems, the criteria for varietal
selections, and the technique used by farmers
for local crop development. Chapter 2 on
‘Genetic diversity and plant breeding includes
38 references relating to biological studies on
the process of local crop development,
characterization of genetic diversity and
evolution of crop genetic diversity and plant
breeding for marginal environments. Chapter
3 on ‘Research methods and development
activities' includes 63 references on research
methods relevant to local crop development
and field techniques for strengthening and
supporting crop development efforts and
community conservation and Chapter 4
includes 69 references relating to ‘Policy that
support or inhibit local crop development.
VASI / IPGRI. 1996. Plant Genetic
Resources in Vietnam. Proceedings of
the National Workshop on
strengthening of plant genetic
resources programme in Vietnam.
Agriculture Publishing House, Hanoi, 200 p.
This publication is an outcome of the national
workshop on strengthening of plant genetic
resources programme held at Hanoi, Vietnam
from 28-30 March 1995 with inputs of the
editorial board formed jointly of the staff from
Vietnam Agricultural Science Institute (VASI)
and International Plant Genetic Resources
Institute (IPGRI). The articles in this publication
are developed from the work of a project
organized by IPGRI and funded by Canadian
International Development Agency (CIDA) and
the International Development Research
Center (IDRC). Information relating to Vietnam
national PGR programme, and strategies for
PGR conservation and utilization in Vietnam
have been nicely dealt with under various
chapters. The conservation and use of forest
and medicinal plants have been presented in
more details. Diveristy, Conservation and
Evaluation of rice, maize, root and tuber crops,
fruit crops, sugarcane, coffee, and cotton
germplasm in Vietnam has also been
presented.
Periodicals / Reports
Amruth. 1995. (Issue No.7).
Foundation for Revitalization of local
health traditions. No.50 MSH Layout, II
stage, III main, Anandnagar, Bangalore 560
024, India 22 p. [ISBN 0971-6793].
This quartely periodical deals with priority
medicinal plants - richness, heritage, traditional
medicine and primary health care,
conservation aspects, both in situ and ex situ
and establishing multidisciplinary databases
to disseminate information on medicinal plants.
It also highlights policy issues.
Extension Digest: Participatory
Approaches.Vol.3, No.4. 1995. National
Institute of Agricultural Extension
Management, (MANAGE), Hyderabad, India.
Lakshmi Murthy and A. Srinivasacharyulu
(Compilers). 39 p.
The purpose of this bulletin is to disseminate
information on extension systems and
practices, research on extension methods,
efficient organization of technology transfer
and current concerns in the area of
agriculture, among policy makers, scientists
and extension functionaries.
H. Islam, O. Islam and M. Hoque.
1995. A report on the ethnobotanical
survey to document local knowledge
on the uses and conservation of taro
and yam. Plant Breeding Division, BARI,
Joydebpur, Gazipur 1701, Bangladesh. 33 p.
This report is based on studies carried out
under a IPGRI funded project. Information on
collection done in taro and yam, and
ethnobotanical information from diverse
communities has been recorded on the
methods of growing, maintenance of material,
conservation and use of taro and yam.
INFOMUSA: The International
Magazine on Banana and Plantain.
Vol.4, No.2, December 1995.
INFOMUSA, International Network for the
Improvement of Banana and Plantain
(INIBAP), Parc Scientifique Agropolis, 34397,
Montpellier cedex 5, France.
This issue presents information on
characterization of isolates of Fusarium
oxysporum f.sp. cubense from Asia, effective
coordination of Musa germplasm, cooking
qualities of black sigatoka resistant plantain
hybrids, influence of mycorrhizae and
phosphate solubilizing bacteria on the growth
and development of banana in vitro plants,
Fusarium wilt and other banana diseases,
and variation of bunch types in mericlones of
a multi-bunching banana. This issue also
contains a list of publications from INIBAP.
IPGRI / FAO. 1996. Plant Genetic
Resources Newsletter, No.104. IPGRI,
Via delle Sette Chiese 142, 00145 Rome,
Italy. 39 p. [ISSN 1020 - 3362].
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  14
In this issue, several research papers
presented provide interesting information
relating to wild Brassicaceae species utilizable
as vegetables in the Mediterranean areas,
plant genetic resources in Romania, short-
term conservation of mango seed,
characterization of vetch population collected
in Turkey, safe movement of coconut
germplasm and resistance sources for downy
mildew in opium poppy.
IPGRI/FAO. 1996. Plant Genetic
Resources Newsletter. No.105. IPGRI,
Via delle Sette Chiese 142, 00145 Rome,
Italy. 52 p. [ISSN 1020 - 3362].
Comprehensive information regarding utilization
of Iniadi, an early maturing and productive
landrace of pearl millet from West Africa in
the development of improved cultivars in
Africa, India and USA has been provided in
an article entitled: "Use of West African pearl
millet landrace". A review on global values of
biological diversity: the public interest in the
conservation of plant genetic resources for
agriculture has also been discussed in detail.
People and Plants Handbook. Issue
1. Keeping in touch. 1996. UNESCO/
WWF, RBG Kew. People and Plants Initiative.
Division of Ecological Sciences, UNESCO 7,
Place de Fontenoy, 75352 Paris Cedex 07
SP, France 24 p.
It is an interesting periodical intended to
provide information on traditional knowledge,
biodiversity, conservation, use of natural plant
resources, indigenous uses, applied
ethnobotany and community development
related issues; International / National
institutes / Societies involved, new journals
published. Information is also provided on
establishment of global biodiversity information
networks.
Species. 1995.  Newsletter of the
Species Survival Commission. IUCN -
The World Conservation Union,
Number 25, December 1995. 86 p.
[ISSN 1016 - 927X].
Species is one of  the newsletters of the
Species Survival Commission (SSC) of IUCN
- the World Conservation Union. Interesting
information relating to PGR is about the kew
millennium seedbank and wetand International
- A new global force for wetland conservation.
UPWARD Fieldnotes. 1995 (Vol.4,
No.2, December 1995). PO Box 933,
Manila, Philippines.
This periodical is published bi-annually by the
User's Perspective with Agricultural Research
and Development (UPWARD) Network
sponsored by the International Potato Centre
(CIP) with funding from the Government of
the Netherlands. This issue highlights
importance of most crops in rural growth in
Vietnam, stress and importance given to these
for rural research and development in
Indonesia by the Regional Institute for
Legumes and Tuber Crops (RILET). Another
interesting note deals with consultative
meeting on participatory rural appraisal in
Philippines.
Interesting Articles
Jha, P.K., K.K. Shreshta, M.P.
Upadhyay, D.P. Stimart, D.M. Spooner.
1996. Plant genetic resources of Nepal: A
guide for plant breeders of agricultural,
horticultural and forestry crops. Euphytica
87(3): 189-210.
Li, Y. and S. Wu. 1996. Traditional
maintenance and multiplication of foxtail  millet
Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv.)  landraces in
China. Euphytica 87(1): 33-38.
Liou, P.C., F.G. Gmitter, Jr. and G.A.
Moore. 1996. Characterization of the Citrus
genome through analysis of restriction
fragment length polymorphism. Theoretical and
Applied Genetics 92(3): 425-435.
Noirot, M., S. Hamon and F. Anthony.
1996. The principal component scoring: A
new method of constituting a core collection
using quantitative data. Genetic Resources
and Crop Evaluation. 43: 1-6, 1996.
Sharma, B.D. and D.K. Hore. 1996.
Indian Cucumber germplasm and challenges
ahead. Genetic Resources and Crop
Evolution. 43: 7-12, 1996.
Scientific Contributions
Collecting khirni [Manilkara
hexandra (Roxb.) Dubard]
germplasm from central
and south-west India
Khirni [Manilkara hexandra (Roxb.) Dubard] is
a neglected minor fruit of great economic
potential. It occurs widely in dry evergreen
forests of north Central India and the Deccan
Plateau. It is a tall tree with spreading crown
and straight massive bole. It is also used as
commercial rootstock for sapota (Manilkara
achras). In Gujarat and adjoining area
flowering occurs in two seasons, during July-
August and in October-November. However,
October-November flowering sets fruits that
mature in April-May. In North India, flowering
occurs during February-March and fruits
mature in June-July.
Khirni germplasm, comprising 13 accessions
15  IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA NUMBER 20
collected during 1995 from different parts of
Gujarat (Bahruch) and Maharashtra (Akola,
Nagpur and Bhandara), were studied for their
tree canopy development, productive traits
and fruit morphological characteristics. Wide
range of variability was observed in trunk
girth (1.5 - 3.84m), tree height (10 - 25m) and
spread - branching pattern, crown snap, and
fruit morphological characteristics - length,
circumference, average weight etc. (Table
1).
Khirni being heterozygous in nature, seed
propagation has generated a high range of
variability in its plantations in Gujarat and
Maharashtra. It was observed that the canopy
and tree trunk girth development of genotypes
in Gujarat were highly vigorous, tall growing,
with wide spread crown in comparison to
plantations in Maharashtra. It may be due to
favourable soil and climatic conditions. It was
also observed that the rapid deforestation in
the recent past has resulted in the erosion of
khirni germplasm in different areas due to
high demand for its quality timber. This concern
has resulted in its large scale plantation by
forest department in Pawani range, in
Bhandara district of Maharashtra. Thus,
promising genotypes for high yield and better
fruit taste have been identified and
recommended for direct use. [Mathura Rai1,
H.P. Singh2 and P.N. Gupta1 : 1. National
Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Pusa
Campus, New Delhi 110 012, 2. Project
Coordinator, Tropical Fruits, Indian Institute of
Horticultural Research, Hessaraghata Lake,
Bangalore 560 089, India]
Table 1. Variability observed in tree and fruit morphological characters of
khirni
Traits Descriptor states / range
Tree canopy development
Tree habit Upright tall, semi-spreading, spreading and drooping
Tree size Medium large to tall
Branching pattern Spreading and large, sparse to dense
Trunk girth (m) 1.5 - 3.84
Leaf
Shape Oblong to elongated
Size Small, narrow to large and elongated
Colour Light green, yellowish green
Flowering and Fruiting
Flowering period / Fruit set Gujarat and adjoining area: July-August & again in
Oct-Nov. North India: February-March
Maturity Gujarat and adjoining area: April-May
North India: June-July
Fruit characteristics
Length (cm) 1.48 - 2.22
Circumference (cm) 2.80 - 5.26
Average weight (g) 5.20 - 11.0
Seed/fruit (number) 1.00 - 1.80
Seed weight/fruit (g) 0.60 - 0.92
Pulp weight/fruit (g) 4.50 - 10.75
Pulp seed ratio 6.43 - 14.43
TSS (brix) (1%) 21.0 - 26.80
Seed characteristics Brown, black, brown or black with whitish margin
Size small to medium
Shape oval, oblong and flattened
Khirni (Manilkara hexandra) - an underutilized fruit
IPGRI would like to
hear of your
activities and ideas.
Please send notes
and news to any of
the offices.
(See page 1 for address-
es)
NUMBER 20 IPGRI NEWSLETTER FOR ASIA, THE PACIFIC AND OCEANIA  16
Comments and/or suggestions
ICIMOD
International Centre for Integrated
Mountain Development
4/80 Jawalakhel
G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu
Nepal
INIBAP/ASPNET
Dr. Ramon V. Valmayor
Regional Coordinator
Asia and the Pacific Network(ASPNET)
c/o PCARRD Headquarters
Paseo de Valmayor Los Banos
Laguna
Philippines
IPGRI
International Plant Genetic
Resources Institute
Via delle Sette Chiese 142
00145 Rome
Italy
Dr. Kenneth W. Riley
Regional Director
IPGRI Regional Office for
Asia, the Pacific and Oceania
8th Floor, RELC Building
30 Orange Grove Road
Singapore 258352
PROSEA
Network Office for South East Asia
Development Centre for Biology-LIPI
Jalan Ir. H. Juanda 22
P.O Box 234, Bogor 16122
Indonesia
SAARC
Regional Information Centre (SAIC)
New Airport Road, Farm Gate
Dhaka 1215
Bangladesh
Department of Agriculture
P.O Box 119
Thimphu
Bhutan
Dr. K.P.S. Chandel
Director
National Bureau of Plant
Genetic Resources
Pusa Campus
New Delhi 110 012
India
Dr. Xiongming Du
Cotton Research Institute of CAAS
An Yang
Henan 455112
Peoples Republic of China
Dr. Pablo Eyzaguirre
Anthropology & Socio-economics, GD
International Plant Genetic Resources Institute
Via delle Sette Chiese 142
00145 Rome
Italy
Dr. J.C. Gautam
Executive Director
Nepal Agricultural Research Council
Khumaltar, Lalitpur
Nepal
Dr. A.H. M. Jayasuriya
Director
Plant Genetic Resources Centre
P.O. Box 11,Gannoruwa
Peradeniya
Sri Lanka
Prof. Fang Jiahe,
Institute of Crop Germplasm
Resources of CAAS
30 Bai Shi Qiao Road,
Beijing 100081
China
Dr. R.S. Paroda
Director General ICAR &
Secretary DARE
Indian Council of Agricultural
Research
Krishi Bhavan
New Delhi 110 001
India
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan
Chairman
M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation
(MSSRF)
Taramani Institutional Area
Madras 600 113
India
Dr. Schichino Tsuchiya
Director
Division of Fruit Breeding
Fruit Tree Research Station
MAFF, Tsukuba 305
Japan
Useful Names & Addresses/Contributors