National Focal Point

Zambia National Plant Genetic Resources Centre (NPGRC) is the designated National Focal Point (NFP) for implementing and monitoring the GPA for the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA.  The roles and responsibilities of the National Focal Point are as follows:

• To act as the Secretariat to National Steering Committee
• To act as the hub for National Information Sharing Mechanism (NISM)
• To provide technical guidance in the information sharing process.
• To act as the curator of national information on PGRFA
• To continuously receive and update information
• To design and manage a NISM web-site
• To ensure safety of the database and that IPRs are not infringed upon
• To establish linkages with various and relevant government ministries/departments (including planners and policy makers)
• To compile and update incoming information from Stakeholders
• To ensure that agreed standards on PGRFA information are adhered to and where necessary provide editorial assistance to ensure compliance.
• To ensure access of the compiled database to other users


Overall Objective

The overall objective of the National Programme on Plant Genetic Resources is the long-term support of agriculture in general and crop development and improvement in particular thereby contributing to the ultimate purpose of improving the quantity and quality of crops for food security and poverty alleviation. To achieve the above objective we strive to mobilize and conserve the maximum genetic variability of the indigenous and locally adapted crops, their wild relatives and the useful wild plant species so that they are available for both present and future use. Background The traditional landraces, weedy and wild relatives of crop plants, which constitute a significant pool of the available genetic diversity, are continuously being lost or threatened with loss due natural and human driven factors. One of the most important causes of this loss is the introduction of improved varieties. While this is desirable for increased crop productivity, it tends to narrow the genetic base making crops more vulnerable to disease epidemics and other vulgaries of nature. It is this realisation, which has led Government to put in place deliberate measures aimed at the conservation and sustainable utilisation of the locally available crop germplasm.


Organization

The National Plant Genetic Resources Programme is co-ordinated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Co-operatives (MACO) through the Zambia Agriculture Research Institute. The National Plant Genetic Resources Centre (NPGRC) located at Mount Makulu Research Centre holds the National Gene bank and shoulders the overall responsibility for the implementation of the relevant activities under the programme.


The National Plant Genetic Resources Committee

The National Plant Genetic Resources Committee which is composed of representatives from relevant institutions involved in various aspects of crop/plant development and improvement work in the country provides policy guidelines in the implementation of the National plant Genetic Resources Programme and provides a mechanism for collaboration and networking among various stakeholders in the country.


Crop working Groups

The Crop Working Groups consists of relevant crop experts, charged with the responsibility of providing technical guidance or backstopping to the NPGRC and ensure that activities are implemented on a sound scientific and technical basis. Currently there are only three crop working groups that have been formed and these are: 1. Cereals 2. Food Legumes and Oilseeds 3. Fruit tree and Plantation crops


Activities

Inventory involves gathering information or taking stock of crop genetic variability existing both as germplasm collections and that still available in the field. Collection expeditions have been undertaken covering almost all parts of the country and involving all the major traditional crops, some of the minor crops and wild. The following are the major activities under the programme:


1.Inventory and collection of plant genetic resources

Relatives. Crops that have been collected include, Maize, Sorghum, Millets, Rice, Finger millet, Pearl millet, Cowpea, Bean and Groundnut. Major root and tuber crops (cassava and sweet potato) and indigenous/local vegetable species have also been collected. Over 2000 germplasm accessions of different crops have been collected since the inception of the national programme in 1990. The collection has however not been done for all areas and crops and other plants relevant for food and agriculture. Current collection effort is aimed at gap filling in terms of geographical and crop diversity.


2. Conservation of the collected crop/plant material

There are basically two methods for the conservation of plant genetic resources namely; in-situ and ex-situ. The main method used at the National Gene bank is the ex-situ and involves the storage of seed samples and to limited extent maintenance of living collections for such crops like cassava and sweet potato. The ex-situ conservation of seed samples involves drying seeds to moisture contents of below 8% and storage at temperatures of -20°C after hermetically sealing in aluminium foil bags. The seed samples are periodically tested for germination test to see if there is any change in seed viability. For most crops seed regeneration is recommended if the germination is below 85%. There are also some activities relating to the promotion of on-farm conservation that have been initiated in the programme These activities involve farmer participation to managing their genetic resources with a pilot site in Rufunsa, Chongwe district.


3.Characterization and Evaluation

Characterisation serves to provide descriptive information on the highly heritable traits of an accession. Accessions are characterised using morphological data obtained from growing plants. Evaluation focuses on the agronomical important traits such as diseases resistance and yield. The information generated is important for breeders and other end users. About 20% of the accessions held in the Gene bank have so far been characterised using morphological data. Use of molecular techniques in germplasm characterisation is envisaged in the future to complement morphological characterisation.


4. Multiplication and Regeneration

This is done when the seed quantity (amounts) is below the required amounts and when the seed viability has fallen below the required germination percentage i.e. 85% for most crops. This could be lower for some crop/plant species such as vegetables and grasses. These activities are done to increase seed quantity and renew seed quality in order to maintain genetic integrity of the conserved germplasm accessions.


5. Documentation & Information System

A large volume of data and information accompanies plant genetic resources material kept in the gene bank. This is generated through inventories, collections, multiplication/regeneration, management, characterization and evaluation. This data is best handled by use of a computer to facilitate data entry, editing, updating, processing, retrieving and ensuring data reliability. Currently most of the data has been entered in the various databases using an information system developed at the SADC Plant Genetic Resources Centre called SDIS. Data and other information are also being kept manually. Currently there are 6,012 accessions as seed samples and 491 clones of vegetative propagated crops (cassava, sweet potato and livingstone potato) maintained at the National Gene bank. Fingermillet -391


6. Current germplasm distribution

More than 1626 accessions of germplasm has been distributed to stakeholders (farmers, breeders, institutions of learning, etc) from 1991 to 2008.