Selected projects from the Call for Applications 2018: “Support for plant genetic resources collections”

30 Oct 18 Image

Selected projects from the Call for Applications 2018: “Support for plant genetic resources collections”

This call for applications, launched in February 2018, aims to support threatened collections and improve conservation conditions and characterisation of plant genetic resources. Eight projects will be funded for approximately €115,000 in the framework of the support measures provided by the Ministry of Agriculture. 

The missions proposed by the depositors could correspond to:

  • Safeguarding an existing collection threatened in the short or medium term,
  • Acquiring or improving equipment or infrastructure in order to improve the conservation of collections,
  • Improving knowledge about collections (phenotypic or molecular characterisation, etc.)

At the closing of the call for applications on April 15, 2018, 10 projects were received for a budget of approximately €170,000. After analysis of the projects by two experts and the examination commission, 8 projects were selected for actions to be carried out in the course of 2018.

 

Figure 1: Distribution of projects received according to crop type
Figure 2: Breakdown of funded projects by crop type

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of financed projects:

Fruit trees

AFIDOL French Interprofessional association of Olive trees

The objective of this project is to identify the varieties of interest which to date are not present in the national collection maintained at the National Botanical Conservatory (CBN) in Porquerolles in the 150 local varieties listed in France. Molecular analyses carried out in 2018 will make it possible to select reference trees in different collections maintained by various actors (nurseries, public administration, agricultural colleges, associations). This project aims to safeguard the French olive tree heritage through a conservation network centred around the national collection of CBN and security doubles identified in the private collections of members of the network.

This project will be continued in 2019 by the removal of a graft from the reference trees, the identity of which will have been confirmed by the molecular analyses and then by their breeding for implantation on the CBN site in 2020/2021.

 

Regional centre for genetic resources Hauts-de-France

Following the merger of the regions, surveys of old varieties in the Picardy region were carried out by the Regional Centre for Genetic Resources (CRRG). The project involves work at the CRRG to integrate surveys into their collection as well as their molecular characterisation. The objective is to compare them with the trees already present in their collection, to identify what is specific to Picardy. These resources will be conserved in Picardy by the creation of high-stem conservatory orchards.

 

National Botanical Conservatory (Conservatoire Botanique National – CBN) of the Massif Central

CBN maintains a collection of small fruits of the Ribes type (blackcurrant, currant bush …). This collection is threatened by increasing climatic hazards, particularly drought episodes. The project aims to put in place an adequate irrigation system to preserve the collection in the long term.

 

EPCI Communauté de Communes Coteaux Arrats Gimone

The conservatory orchard of Gimont maintains more than 300 varieties of fig trees. This collection is being transferred to a new field. In order to improve the conservation of these resources, a state of the historic collection and the characterisation of the trees over a complete cycle will be realised in 2018. In order to perpetuate the action, two resource persons of the conservatory will also be trained on the characterisation methods.

 

Horticultural species

Association Shamrock

Since 1993, the Shamrock association has been formed to organise the sustainability of the Hydrangea collection, which has about 2,000 accessions and is considered one of the most important in the world in terms of number of taxa and species. This collection has been labelled since 1999 by the CCVS and 2015 by the Drac Normandie et Conseil des Parcs et Jardins. Safeguarding decaying plants is currently being carried out by friends of the association, potentially leading to loss of material. The project aims to finance the construction of a greenhouse on site to act quickly on the affected subjects and thus improve the safeguard of this collection.

 

Roseraie Loubert

This rose garden, labelled by CCVS since 2001, has more than 3,000 rosa resources. This collection is characterised in partnership with INRA on molecular aspects and sensitivities to diseases. Some roses are decaying, so to understand the cause, soil analyses were funded in this project as well as small equipment needed to maintain the collection.

 

SARL Boos Hortensia

Boos Hortensia maintains a collection of 300 Hortensia accessions with 230 heritage or rare resources. The collection requires an implantation on new ground which is better adapted (situation, environment) property of the company. During this new implantation a characterisation of about twenty accessions will be carried out to remove any doubts about their identity.

 

Vegetable species

Pôle légumes Région Nord

About twenty old varieties of shallots are conserved by the Pôle légumes région nord in partnership with the Centre régional de ressources génétiques Hauts-de-France. In order to improve knowledge about these accessions, phenotypic and biochemical descriptions will be produced as part of this project.

 

A new call for joint application to the support fund of the Ministry of Agriculture and GNIS for the inter-branch of seeds and seedlings was launched on September 6 and closed on November 10.

 

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