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Traditional breeding: major challenges and potentials Bert Visser Copenhagen, 13 december 2005 Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Scope of this presentation (1) challenges reaching the rural poor decreasing malnutrition accepting limits to land use absorbing increased meat consumption coping with water scarcity maintaining genetic diversity dealing with power relations Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Scope of this presentation (2) potentials focusing on rural poor harnessing modern technologies facilitating access to modern technologies and breeding materials exploiting genetic resources involving farmers through participatory breeding including organic production and low-external-input agriculture Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Challenges Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Decreasing malnutrition 800 million people undernourished (Borlaug and Dowswell, 2003) population undernourished half of them live on marginal lands and depend on agriculture 33% in Sub-Saharan Africa 16% in Asia/Pacific 10% in Latin America total calories and composition of the diet both relevant Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Meat consumption and water scarcity increase in meat demand will drive world cereal demand 40 – 50% in next three decades irrigated agriculture consumes 70% of global water withdrawal 40% of global food production from irrigated lands 60% of global cereal production from irrigated lands Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Increasing food production three ways expanding land area increasing cropping frequency raising crop yields limited options for area expansion 85% of production must come from existing agricultural lands (Borlaug and Dowswell, 2003) Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Genetic erosion Genetic erosion ongoing on-farm through variety replacement and globalization in situ through habitat destruction ex situ through poor genebank management and underfunding Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Inequalities access to technologies and breeding materials increasingly limited poverty government regulations intellectual property rights inequalities at different levels between states and regions (international level) between population groups (national level) Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Potentials Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands strategic breeding choices (1) crops with shorter growth cycles from one to two/two to three crops/year also increased multiple cropping, shortened fallow period changes in plant architecture (ideotype breeding) more erect stature reduction in tiller number increase in grains per panicle stiffer straw (Kush, 2003) Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands strategic breeding choices (2) direct seeding of rice higher water use efficiency high potential yield increases (20 – 25%) water management and genetic adaptations lower external input needs reaching the rural poor more efficient mineral use Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands strategic breeding choices (3) focus on Sub-Saharan Africa no impact of Green Revolution specific crops, specific conditions focus on breeding in underutilized and neglected crops vitamin A-deficiency may be corrected through Golden Rice, or vitamin A-deficiency might be combatted through improved diet including affordable vegetables and fruits Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Harnessing modern technologies (1) genomics (X-omics) of model species Arabidopsis thaliana as a general reference rice for monocots, cotton for fibre crops, tomato for berry-bearing crops bio-informatics cereal sequence information rate growth 6X overall growth (Bowers, 2003) exploitation of DNA sequence information to accelerate breeding Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Harnessing modern technologies (2) wide crosses advanced backcrossing using wild relatives (Tanksley, 2003) breeding with quantitative trait loci marker-assisted breeding/selection (Tuberosa et al., 2003) preceding fine understanding of individual gene contributions accelerating breeding in wheat and barley with 5 – 7 years Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Exploiting genetic resources from: genebanks as a source of resistance traits to: genebanks as a source for all relevant traits number one from CGN user questionnaire for 30% of QTLs for any trait wild relatives allele superior Oryza rufipogon genes may increase rice yields with 18% thus: wild relatives extremely useful diversity in domesticates relatively better exploited Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Enhancing participatory breeding complementing strengths of breeders and farmers various forms, larger outreach (Sperling, 2002) depends on mutual full acceptance (culture change) removing regulatory barriers to farmers’ varieties many modern farmers’ varieties based on introgression from commercial varieties (Visser, 2005/2006) Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Adapting to low-external-input agriculture increasing efficiency of water and fertiliser use improving resistances QTL breeding pyramiding ‘horizontal’ next to gene-for gene resistances spin-offs for organic agriculture ‘voluntary’ low-external input agriculture (Lammerts van Bueren et al., 2005) Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Conclusions (1) many modern technologies instrumental in traditional breeding huge improvement of breeding process many unutilized options to respond to challenges using non-GM technology wider application of such options needed training of breeders and farmers essential access to technology crucial pivotal role IPR-holders; humanitarian licenses Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands Conclusions (2) realization of potentials depends on training and sharing technology and (intermediate) products possible for traditional breeding, unlikely for GM technology plant breeder’s rights less rigid than patents Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands