20 activities of Global Plant Action IN UZBEKISTAN
IN-SITU CONSERVATION AND DEVELOPMENT
1. Surveying and inventorying PGR for food and agriculture
Collection
of seeds of cultivated plants and their wild relatives are preserved at
different institutes. All the collections have been inventoried. The biggest
collections (more than 100 of agricultural crops) are concentrated at Uzbek Research
Institute of Plant Industry. There are working collections of separate crops as
well: at Uzbek Research Institute of Cotton Breeding and Seed Growing (10.5 tho of accessions); at Institute of Genetics and Plant
Experimental Biology- 5.5 tho of cotton accessions
and 400 phytopathogen accessions; at Tashkent State
University- 800 accessions of genetic cotton collection; at Uzbek Research
Institute of Grain- 1900 accessions of grain, grain legumes, and groat crops; at Uzbek Research Institute of Rice- more than
750 accessions of rice, at Uzbek Experimental Station of Fiber Crops- 200 accessions
of fiber crops, at Uzbek Research Institute of Sericulture- 200 accessions of
mulberry, at Uzbek Research Institute of Vegetables, Melons and Potato- 600
accessions of vegetable and melons; at Uzbek Research Institute of
Horticulture, Viticulture and Wine Making- 1400 accessions of fruits, nuts,
berries and vine; at Uzbek Research Institute of Forestry- 20 accessions of
pistachio; at Botanical Garden- 4 tho and at
Botanical Institute-4.5 tho arboreal plants, herb and
fodder grasses, fungi and algae.
At all the
institutes seeds are preserved in the premises on room temperature, what leads
to necessity of frequent seed re-sowing for maintaining their germination.
2.
Supporting on farm management and improvement of plant genetic resources for
food and agriculture
Supporting
of development of farms and supply with qualities seed material of modern
cultivars on different agricultural crops is carried out on the side of state.
At the same time it is stimulated the interest to growing of the best local varieties
and reproduction of their seeds.
3. Assisting
farmers in disaster situations to restore agricultural systems
By
unfavorable natural factors (hail, flood, frosts and so on) leading to
destruction or damage of crops in the presence of contract with a farm, state
recovers its losses through State insurance. Qualities seeds of cultivated
agricultural crops are realized through state seed growing corporations.
Achievements of science are used for restoration of agricultural systems. Farms
use cultivars, developed on the base of collection accessions and wild
relatives of cultivated plant. Many local varieties, which have been lost in
production and in farms, are preserved in collections of Institutes.
4. Promoting
in situ conservation of wild crop relatives and wild plants for food production
Wild cotton
species are wide studied and used in hybridization for developing of new cultivars
with valuable traits at Institute of Genetics and Plant Experimental Biology
and Uzbek Research Institute of Cotton Breeding and
Seed Growing. Wild species of fodder plants have been studied and recommended
for introduction at Botanical Garden and Botanical Institute.
EX-SITU CONSERVATION
5.
Sustaining existing ex-situ collections
Collections
of arboreal plants; bushes and vegetively reproduced
crops are preserved in live form at following institutes: Uzbek Research
Institute of Plant Industry, Institute of Botany, Botanical Garden, Institute
of Genetics and Plant Experimental Biology, Uzbek Research Institute of Cotton
Breeding and Seed Growing, Uzbek Research Institute of Horticulture,
Viticulture and Wine Making, Uzbek Research Institute of Sericulture. There are
reserves and National Parks in the republic.
6.
Regenerating threatened ex-situ
accessions
Enrichment
of collections with new accessions and restoration of lost ones is carried out
by conducting of expeditions and collection of plants, by exchange and
receiving from genepool of foreign countries. Last
year most considerable losses were in Botanical Garden in connection with
alienation of its territory for zoological gardens construction. As a result
many valuable species of arboreal plants were lost and many kinds of plants did
not strike roots by replanting. Urgent replanting of fruits
and vine collections is required at Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industry.
It is necessary to replenish collection of cotton wild species,
that is created anew at
Gradual
erosion of some cultures is to be observed on
The
republic needs in construction of Genebank of plants,
fungi and algae for long conservation of base collections. It is required reconstruction
of all depositories of duplicate materials at research institutions. Provided
by state budget financing is not sufficient for carrying out of all necessity
work on plant genetic resources. Insufficient financing is especially appreciable
for carrying out of plant genetic resources collecting on the Central Asia
territory and aboard, material and technical securing of seed re-sowing for
germination maintaining and replanting of vegetatively
propagated crops, payment of scientists and technical personnel labor.
7. Supporting
planned and targeted collecting of PGR for food and agriculture
Complex
plan of plant resources collection on
Our
collections have been enriched owing to exchange with Botanical Gardens and Genpools of
8. Expanding
ex-situ conservation activities.
Ex-situ conservation in the republic is carried
out in National Parks and reserves: Chatkal, Bandikhan.
UTILIZATION OF PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES
9. Expanding
the characterization, evaluation and number of core collections to facilitate
use
For
accelerated use of plant resources complex evaluation of accessions is carried
out in research institutes with use of methods of physiology, biochemistry,
electronic microscopy and others. This work is directed on creation of trait collections
on each crop. Investigations are carried out most actively for involvement of
cotton wild species in breeding; search of cotton valuable traits donors; early
ripening, drought resistance, resistance to diseases, high yield and grain
quality donors in wheat; early ripening, drought-resistance, high-yield donors
in maize; revealing of forms with valuable traits of number of cereals and
grain-legume crops, rice, vegetables, oil-bearing and fruit crops.
10.
Increasing genetic enhancement and base-broadening efforts
Collections
are formed according to the principle: species, subspecies, variety, sorto-type, cultivars, lines, clones etc. For the purpose of replenishment of collections and increasing
their diversity by drawing in them of new accessions on different crops through
expeditions and exchange with genepools of other
countries.
11.
Promoting sustainable agriculture through diversification of crop production
and broader diversity in crops
Continental
climate of
12.
Promoting development and commercialization of under-utilized crops and species
Measures on
introduction of untraditional and rarely used crops into agricultural
production are worked by Government: stevia, sugar
beet, amaranth, spurge, guayule, papaya, distichlis, quizotia and other crops. Propagation of stevia, Jerusalem artichoke, batatas
is carried out in farms and firms.
13.
Supporting seed production and distribution
«Law about
seed growing» acts in the republic. State scientific and technical program
«Study, enrichment and use of plant genetic resources» («Plant genepool») was officially approved in 1997. It shows all
work that is carried out by 14 scientific institutions of the republic in this
direction Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industry is organization-curator
Associate Member of AS RUz Abdukarimov
A.A., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Tillyaev R.Sh., Doctor of Biologic Sciences, Prof. Ashurmetov O.A. are leaders of this program. Associate Member
of AS RUz Abdukarimov A.A.
is National Coordinator of Republic of Uzbekistan and Central Asian Net on
Plant Genetic Resources. Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Prof. Kaimov A. is National Coordinator of Central Asian Net on
Conservation of
5
corporations have been created in the republic for seed spreading.
In 1997
«Law of patent right» was passed. Copyrights on invention in accordance with international
requirements are reflected in this law.
In 1997
«Law about protection and use of vegetable world» passed. Questions of rights
and duets of user with objects of vegetable world, regulation of spreading and
number of separate mild plant species, botanical collecting, protection and
reproduction, protection of growth environment, monitoring of vegetable world
objects, state accounting and state cadastre, control for protection and use of
vegetable world objects.
14.
Developing new markers for local varieties and «diversity-rich» products
ORGANIZATION NET
15. Building
strong national programs
Before 1995
a work with plant, fungi and algae genepool was carried
out in different research institutes, but there was no common state program on generesources.
State
Scientific and Technical Program (SSTP-18) «Study, enrichment and use of plant
genetic resources» («Plant genepool») has been
approved by State Committee on Science and Techniques of
Associate
Member of Academy of Sciences of Republic of Uzbekistan Abdukarimov
A.A., Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Tillaev R.Sh., Doctor of Biologic Sciences, Prof. Ashurmetov O.A. are leaders of this program.
Our
National Committee does not take part in Biodiversity Convention. Presently
there is no Organ on Coordination of Animal Genetic Resources.
Coordinative
Council on conservation of Plant Genetic Resources was organized in 1996 under
State Committee on Science and Techniques of the
Leading
scientists, working in State scientific institutions in the field of biology,
genetics and also breeders, phytopathologists,
quarantine service and plant protection specialists, scientists of State
University are included in membership of the Coordinative Council.
There are
working groups on different directions in the Council on:
1. Technical
crops collection (cotton, fiber and oil-bearing crops);
2. Grain,
fodder and grain legume crops;
3. Vegetable,
melons and potato collection;
4. Fruit,
berry, vine crops and mulberry collection;
5. Forest,
herb and ornamental crops, algae, herbarium and fossil plant collection;
6. Phytopathology, quarantine service organization and plant protection.
Work of
Coordinative Council is directed at unification of research institutes efforts
on work with plant genepool, coordination of forming
and realization control of the program, consideration of intermediate and final
work results on task, working out of suggestions for adaptation of decision in
State Committee on Science and Techniques of the Republic of Uzbekistan.
The Council
also organizes carrying out of International Meetings in the republic, solicits
for visa granting to foreigners to carry out expeditions jointly with other
countries and solve a many other questions.
Coordinative
Council of the republic on plant genetic resources carries out working meetings
some times a year. In January, 1998 changes, which were made in Program «Plant genepool» and perspectives of work were discussed.
16.
Promoting networks for plant genetic recourses for food and agriculture
National
Program was discussed on Technical Conference of UNFAO in
Coordinator of
Scientific
institutions of the republic carry out a work on definite directions and crops;
on all the agricultural crops- Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industry; on
cotton- Uzbek Research Institute of Cotton Breeding and Seed Growing, Uzbek
Research Institute of Cotton Growing, Institute of Genetics and Plant
Experimental Biology, Tashkent State University; on fruits- Uzbek Research
Institute of Horticulture, Wine Making; on vegetable crops- Uzbek Research
Institute of Vegetable, Melon Crops and Potato; on grain crops- Uzbek Research
Institute of Grain; on fiber crops- Uzbek Experimental Station of Fibber Crops;
on rice- Uzbek Research Institute of Rice; on mulberry- Uzbek Research
Institute of Sericulture; on culture and wild flora- Botanical Institute, Botanical
Garden, Uzbek Research Institute of Forestry.
17.
Constructing comprehensive information systems for PGR for food and agriculture
In research
institutes work is began on creation of data base of plant genepool.
On the base of VIR's genepool
since 1998 it was began putting into computer of trait collection data. There is a classification of PGR at Botanical Institute and
Botanical Garden. This work will be developing in future.
18.
Developing monitoring and early warning systems for loss PGR for food and agriculture
Data on
collection composition of institutes are analyzed yearly. Plans of re-sowing
and replanting of collection accessions are drawn for their maintaining and
conservation. On the base of ex situ data «Red Book» is published.
19.
Expanding and improving education and training
On IPGRI
and ICARDA’s initiative the first International
Training Course on Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources was carried
out in Tashkent in September, 1997 with participation of Institute of Genetics
and Plant Experimental Biology and Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industry.
Representatives of
IPGRI and
ICARDA regularly supply research institutes of the republic with literature on
plant genetic resources.
20. Promoting
public awareness of the value of PGR for food and agriculture conservation and
use
Scientific
workers gave reports about work that is carried out on plant genepool in the republic on the first International
Training Course on conservation of PGR. Report of National Coordinator has been
hearted on the Board of State Committee on Science and Techniques of the
republic. Translations by radio and television were organized.