October 30, 2009
Tainan, Taiwan
Source:
The World Vegetable Center (AVRDC)
October 2009 newsletter
Dr. Andreas Ebert, Global Theme Leader - Germplasm and Genebank Manager of the Center’s Genetic Resources and Seed Unit, participated in oral and poster presentations in the 5th International Symposium on
“Seed, Transplant and Stand Establishment of Horticultural Crops: Integrating Methods for Producing More with Less” (SEST 2009), held in Murcia, Almería, Spain from September 27 – October 2, 2009.
Protected agriculture is a big business across Europe. Is Spain active in the industry?
Southeastern Spain has the world’s largest concentration of greenhouses, covering more than 30,000 ha, concentrated in the province of Almería and, to a lesser extent, in the province of Murcia. Almería’s mild Mediterranian climate and the use of plastic sheeting greenhouses allowed the province to specialize in the production of out-of-season vegtables. Much of its output supplies European markets during autumn, winter, and spring with tomatoes, sweet pepper, cucumbers, green beans, courgettes (zucchini), melons, watermelons, lettuce, marrow, eggplant, and others. While the agricultural sector contributes on average about five percent to the gross domestic product of Spain, in Almería it contributes more than 18 percent.
Interest in old, locally grown cultivars that are nutritious, with good organoleptic and sometimes medicinal properties, is on the rise in Europe. How are these traditional, local vegetable cultivars protected?
Dr. Jaime Prohens, Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain presented the keynote lecture on “Comparison of morphological, AFLP and SSR markers for the protection of eggplant germplasm” and explained how registration status protects traditional, local eggplant cultivars introduced hundreds of years ago from Asia to Spain. Germplasm of local varieties of vegetable crops can be registered as conservation varieties, and also
by means of a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) or Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status.
Conservation variety status can be obtained for landraces and varieties that are naturally adapted to a specific location or region. Dr. Prohens noted:
- As conservation varieties are genetically diverse, there is no need to prove DUS (distinctness, uniformity, and stability)
- There is also no need to prove VCU (value for cultivation and use)
- Seed must be produced in the region of origin of the variety
- Seed marketing is restricted to the region of origin
- The maximum seed quantity of seed marketed is limited (max. 0.5% of total seed marketed in given country; seed for an area of 100 ha maximum)
Protected Geographical Indication is already used for wine, cheese, coffee, and chocolate to protect the name of specific regional foods in the marketing chain. A total of 329 fruit, vegetable, and cereal varieties are currently protected in Europe.
To protect against imitation, you need tools to characterize and distinguish the materials from other related or similar materials, certify the origin, and establish the uniqueness of the local variety. Are molecular markers suitable for this purpose?
A case study was presented on the utility of morphological and molecular characterization for the protection of eggplant (Solanum melongena) germplasm. Local Spanish eggplant germplasm was separated into three varietal groups: ‘Almagro’ eggplant (the only eggplant variety with a PGI status in Europe); ‘Listado de Gandía’ (internationally known local variety, striped type); and ‘Black’ (conglomerate of different local varieties from different origins).
Morphological data, especially fruit pedicel length and width of the distal part of the pedicel, is useful to distinguish between the local eggplant accessions, but interaction with the environment is causing variation from one year to another. Molecular evaluation using 112 amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) fragments could distinguish the different varietal groups, but differences within each group were dificult to establish. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers provided a clear distinction within the same varietal group and could differentiate between types. Distances based on morphological, AFLP, and SSR markers are positively correlated, although the correlation coefficients are moderate, reflecting the different genetic information provided.
Will farmers benefit from protected cultivars?
Protection of specific local cultivars means added value; farmers can sell them at a higher price. Variety protection is worth exploring for well-accepted local eggplant cultivars grown in Asia (S. melongena) and Africa
(S.aethiopicum), as well as for many other indigenous vegetables.
Dr. Andreas Ebert, Global Theme Leader - Germplasm and Manager, GRSU
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