IPGRI in Central & West Asiaand North Africa

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The International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) is aninternational scientific organization, supported by the ConsultativeGroup on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IPGRI’s mandateis to advance the conservation and use of plant genetic resources forthe benefit of present and future generations. IPGRI’s headquarters arein Maccarese near Rome, Italy, with offices in another 22 countriesworldwide. It operates through three programmes:

• the Plant Genetic Resources Programme• the CGIAR Genetic Resources Support Programme• the International Network for the Improvement of Banana and

Plantain (INIBAP)

Cover illustrationFruit seller in Afghanistan. G. Hawtin

Citation:IPGRI. 2001. Regional Report CWANA 1999–2000. International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Rome, Italy.

ISBN 92-9043-494-5

IPGRI, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, 00057 Maccarese, Rome, Italy© International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, 2001

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IPGRI in Central & West Asiaand North Africa

CWANA 1999–2000

The Central & West Asia and North Africa region 2

IPGRI in CWANA 4

Developing national programmes in CWANA 5

Networks 8

Genetic erosion studies 12

Neglected and underutilized crops 16

In situ conservation 19

IPGRI staff in CWANA 1999–2000 21

Acronyms 22

Contents

About this report

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IPGRI inCentral & West Asiaand North Africa

The report highlights some particularly significant achievements ofIPGRI’s activities in Central & West Asia and North Africa in 1999–2000and describes the impact that this work is having.

Past achievements of IPGRI in CWANA are detailed in IPGRI’spre-1999 series of Annual Reports. Further information is available from IPGRI’s Web site, http://www.ipgri.cgiar.org

The Central and West Asia and North Africa (CWANA) region covers three major centres ofgenetic diversity: West Asia, Central Asia and the Mediterranean. Numerous domesticatedcrops and their wild relatives have their greatest diversity in this region, which is also thecentre of origin for many major staple food crops e.g. wheat, barley, oat, chickpea, lentiland peas. Now, however, this valuable heritage of plant genetic resources is under threatfrom changes in agriculture driven by the need to increase production and keep up with an increasing demand for more food and greater farmer income. Desertification, soilsalinization and overgrazing are adding to the threat of genetic erosion. National andinternational efforts have intensified to take measures to mitigate the loss of this valuablegenetic wealth.

The establishment of the CWANA regional office in 1992 allowed IPGRI to pay greaterattention to the region in its global endeavour to promote the conservation and use of plant genetic resources. IPGRI currently has staff based in three countries in CWANA: Syria (Aleppo), Uzbekistan (Tashkent) and Tunisia (Tozeur). The main goal of IPGRI’s work inCWANA is to help build up sustainable national plant genetic resources programmes. The Regional Team has contributed significantly to the implementation of IPGRI’s strategyparticularly through: the deployment of methodologies for the integrated conservation anduse methodologies to priority crop gene pools of arid and semi-arid agro-ecosystems;strengthening international cooperation and networking; promoting conservation throughuse of underutilized and neglected species; raising public awareness and capacitybuilding. Training and capacity building underpin all IPGRI’s efforts in the region, andbetween 1996 and 2000 more than 380 people from 44 countries took part in trainingactivities organized by IPGRI in CWANA. In addition, the first postgraduate programme inthe region specifically addressing plant genetic resources was launched in the 1999–2000academic year.

Other milestones of IPGRI’s work in this region include: the establishment of new nationalplant genetic resources (PGR) programmes and committees and new ex situ and in situfacilities; the provision of electronic-networking capacities in CWANA; the enhancement of the conservation and use of priority species such as pomegranate, olives, pistachio andalmond; the introduction of an innovative and user-friendly information system for plantgenetic resources; and the launch of major regional projects such as the recently initiatedUNDP-GEF (United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Fund) project on date palm in the oases of the Maghreb.

George Ayad Geoffrey HawtinRegional Director Director General

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The CWANA region comprises 28 countries: 18 in West Asia, five in North Africa and fivein Central Asia. It covers an area of about 19.5 million km2 and has a total population ofmore than 578 million inhabitants. Countries differ enormously in their gross nationalproduct per capita: from US$920 in Kyrgyzstan to US$7040 in Saudi Arabia.

The region has very diverse topography, climate and soil. It covers the fertile valleys of theTigris, Euphrates and Nile, the high mountains of the Atlas, Himalaya and Tien Shan, andthe deserts of the Sahara, Arabia and Central Asia. Erratic and low rainfall, harsh andextensive deserts and limited water resources characterize the climate and theenvironment of much of the region. The forested area is very limited—less than 5% inmost countries—but there is still very great plant biodiversity. Each country harboursthousands of plant species (9000 species are recorded in Turkey alone), of which manyare endemic to the region.

The agricultural sector accounts for an overwhelming majority of the economic activity ofmany of the countries. However, few countries in the region are self-sufficient in majoragricultural products, although some are significant world producers, e.g. Turkey is theworld’s eighth largest wheat producer and sixth largest producer of barley and cotton, andIran is the eighth largest producer of citrus (IFPRI 1995). Potential for expanding the areaunder agricultural production is limited in most countries.

The CWANA region covers three of Vavilov’s centres of origin of cultivated crops (nearEastern, Central Asian and Mediterranean centres). It is a centre of diversity for a numberof globally important crop plants, including cereals (wheat, oat, barley and rye), foodlegumes (chickpea, lentil, pea and faba bean), vegetables (lettuce, turnip, cabbage,radish, onion, garlic, carrot, artichoke and mustard), fruit trees (fig, almond, apricot,pistachio, pomegranate, plum, pear, grape and olive), forage plants (alfalfa, berseem,vetch and medics), spices and condiments (cumin, fennel, mint and oregano) andhundreds of ornamental and medicinal plants.

Landraces of the crops originally domesticated in the region still grow there, particularly inisolated and marginal areas such as mountains and desert oases. However, as agriculture

develops, many are beingreplaced by new high-yieldingvarieties, particularly for majorcrops. Overgrazing andurbanization are destroying naturalhabitats and threatening the wildrelatives of cultivated plants.

In the CWANA region, governmentinstitutions, with some assistancefrom regional and internationalagricultural research centres, suchas ACSAD (Arab Center for theStudies of Arid Zones and DryLands), ICARDA (InternationalCenter for Agricultural Research inthe Dry Areas),

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CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat ImprovementCenter), ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute forthe Semi-Arid Tropics) and CIP (International Potato Center),carry out most plant breeding, as well as conservation andcharacterization of plant and animal genetic resources. This isparticularly true for many food and feed crops that areunattractive to private companies, which tend to focus onmajor food crops and high-value crops such as maize, wheat,vegetables and medicinal and aromatic plants. The informalseed sector is still dominant in most countries of the region.Farmers select, store and treat their own seed, although thereis now increasing participation of private-sector companies inthese activities.

Arable land is limited in most parts of the region owing to thepresence of large desert and dry areas. Rain-fed farmingsupports the cultivation of cereals and food and feedlegumes, while irrigated agriculture is used for industrial cropssuch as cotton and sugar beet. Fruit trees and nuts areabundant and very diversified in both dry-land and irrigatedfarming.

In most countries of the region, agriculture is still dominatedby traditional agricultural systems, although intensification andcommercial agriculture is expanding, especially in irrigatedareas. Wheat and barley are the main annual rain-fed crops although sorghum is importantespecially in the Arabian Peninsula, as are irrigated broad bean and cotton in Egypt. Food legumes—faba beans, chickpeas and lentils—are common in crop rotations and,where irrigation is possible, potatoes, summer crops (such as melons), oilseeds and sugarbeet are gaining importance. Rain-fed perennials include olive, almond, fig, pistachio and fodder trees.

Crop and livestock productivity is generally low in rain-fed production systems. Combinedwith high population growth, especially in the Near East and North African countries, this is leading to increasing food deficits and, thus, increased reliance on imports. This is exerting tremendous pressure on most governments of the region to increase food production to maintain acceptable levels of food security.

Another major feature of the region is the emergence of the newly independent states inCentral Asia. These countries are moving from highly centralized economies, the legacy of the Soviet era, towards market-driven economies. The on-going efforts to privatize large-scale state farms have been beset by enormous problems that have contributed to a significant decline in crop productivity and food production. About one third of thepopulation in these states is now living below the poverty line.

Although very diverse, the CWANA region has similarities that bring together countries asdistant as Morocco and Uzbekistan. These similarities can be clearly seen in the presence ofcommon genepools, and cultural and historical backgrounds, but are also present in the types of problem that challenge the life of people across the whole region.

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IPGRI’s strategy in CWANA is based on its three main institutional objectives:

Objective 1: countries, particularly developing countries, can better assess and meettheir own plant genetic resources needs.

Objective 2: international collaboration in the conservation and use of genetic resourcesis strengthened.

Objective 3: knowledge and technologies relevant to the improved conservation and useof plant genetic resources are developed and disseminated.

IPGRI has placed improving the scientific and technical capacities of national programmes at the core of its efforts in CWANA. A strong national programme is the best way to achieve effective conservation and use of a country’s genetic resources.

Building up national programmes is a long-term process that involves a variety ofstakeholders. IPGRI CWANA efforts are twofold: to enhance the national capacities tobuild self-sustainable programmes in the region and to canvas the broadest participation of actors at the national level. This latter goal is pursued by supporting a step-by-step participatory approach, through supporting the establishment andstrengthening of a national committee on plant genetic resources and the convening of a nation-wide stakeholders workshop in which the role of each national participant isassessed, a national action plan is developed and widely endorsed and commitment forthe implementation of the activities is taken on the basis of the comparative advantagesof the stakeholders.

More than 100 partner institutions from 33 countries collaborate with IPGRI in CWANA.IPGRI’s work is guided by a continuous needs-assessment process of nationalprogrammes carried out through contact with partners, interactions with national/regionalorganizations and through holding national workshops. The opening of the subregionaloffice in Tashkent in 1999 represented a crucial step towards the expansion of IPGRI’sactivities in Central Asia.

Despite the large extent of agrobiodiversity recorded in this region, with the exception ofmajor crops, many cultivated and wild species have not been properly surveyed, studied,used and conserved. To address this need, IPGRI is working with a range of partners tocreate methodologies and techniques that allow national programmes in the region toenhance the use and conservation of their resources. Issues dealt with include surveyingtechniques, ex situ conservation facilities, in situ conservation methodologies, marketinganalyses, and policy and legal aspects.

Generally, IPGRI works on species that are not addressed by other CGIAR centres.Priority species for CWANA are selected from among those particularly suitable for aridand semi-arid areas that play an important role in the maintenance of the fragileecosystems of this region. Emphasis is given to species with the highest levels of diversityand under the greatest threat. These include fruit and nut trees, vegetables, pasture andrangeland species, and medicinal and aromatic species.

IPGRI’s clear strategy and effective operating mechanism are having a significant impactin the CWANA region, as this report illustrates.

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National programmes are critical to advancing the conservation and sustainable use of geneticresources, and IPGRI has put these at the core of its efforts in the region. Few countries inCWANA have organized their plant genetic resources activities into an integrated nationalprogramme. Most work is done through breeding and selection programmes within researchinstitutes, universities and departments within ministries of agriculture, with little coordinationamong the different institutions. Lacking a coherent national policy and a special budget, plant genetic resources do not receive enough attention.

Few countries have developed special laws to protect their genetic resources, although all countries have legislation to protect their forests. All countries in the region also havephytosanitary, quarantine and seed certification legislation for controlling import and export of plant materials; however, none has yet established intellectual property rights (IPR)legislation relating to PGR. Generally, the private sector is not involved in plant geneticresources conservation in the region, although a few private companies are beginning to be involved in plant breeding and biotechnology. Because of the range of development ofnational programmes in CWANA, IPGRI takes different approaches to assisting them, frompolicy development through training to joint development of project proposals. The impact of some of this work is described in the examples below.

Development of policies and mechanisms

LibyaIn Libya a new genebank is expected to open in 2002 as part of the IFAD (International Fundfor Agricultural Development) project ‘Establishment of a facility for the Conservation ofIndigenous Plant Genetic Resources in the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya’. IPGRI has been involvedin the establishment of this facility canvassing support of government departments, assistingin planning the genebank, and funding and training genebank staff. This modern facility willgreatly enhance the ex situ conservation capabilities of the country. Use of the materials in thenew genebank will also help increase collaboration among institutions within the country. Staffat the genebank will evaluate in particular the local varieties of priority food and forage cropsthat have already been collected and stored within the country. They will also begin intensiveresearch, in close consultation with IPGRI, on in situ conservation in the country.

YemenIPGRI’s work in Yemen has resulted in the country’s establishing a national committee for plantgenetic resources. Over several years, IPGRI staff held a series of meetings and consultationswith authorities in Yemen, working in particular with the Yemeni genetic resources centre atSana’a University. In 2000 this led to the Ministry of Agriculture issuing a decree to establish a national steering committee that will coordinate all activities on genetic resources in thecountry. This committee will develop a strategic plan for management of PGR in Yemen, whichshould lead to regular funding for a clear programme of activities.

Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia harbours a large amount of genetic diversity. Biodiversity is especially rich inthe saline coastal areas and the country’s flora includes over 320 medicinal plant species.

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In early 2000, the Minister of Agriculture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia approved therecommendations resulting from a series of meetings between IPGRI staff and Saudiscientists, and Ministry officials in 1999. This included the establishment of a systematicand coordinated programme of activities for the conservation and use of plant geneticresources in Saudi Arabia. Initial steps include establishing a national network ofinstitutions involved in PGR activities. IPGRI is continuing its involvement in this essentialwork by providing technical and scientific advice, training and information. IPGRI will becollaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Water to run a national workshop toreview strategies and technologies for conservation and use of PGR and develop astrategic action plan for the country. Funds have been mobilized nationally to construct anex situ seed genebank, and germplasm collecting has already started.

EgyptOver several years IPGRI has encouraged and supported the Egyptian government toestablish a coordinated effort to conserve genetic resources in the country. In 1999 thiswork paid off with the official establishment of an Egyptian national PGR programme. In1999 IPGRI took part in a German-funded appraisal mission that made a series of specificrecommendations to the Egyptian Government, including a framework to create a centralcoordinating agency with satellite units around the country that will also involve NGOs,farmers and the private sector. IPGRI is also helping to train staff for the newly establishedgenebank in the Sinai in techniques for conserving genetic resources for the agriculturaldevelopment of dry and desert areas.

UzbekistanUzbekistan is situated in the middle of the central Asian centre of diversity from which morethan 40 crops originate, including apple, garlic, melon, onion, Prunus spp., spinach, walnutand several pulses and spices. Wild relatives of many crops can still be found in the country,particularly in mountainous areas, and local farmers still cultivate many old varieties. Thenational plant germplasm collection of Uzbekistan contains more than 80 000 accessions.The largest ex situ holdings are at UzRIPI, with more than 50 000 samples of 120 agriculturalcrops. All these collections are actively used. In 1999 IPGRI worked with UzRIPI on a seriesof collecting missions that are described in more detail on p.12.

The government of Uzbekistan has recognized that conserving plant genetic resources isessential for sustaining the development of its agriculture and so, after a series of meetingsthat took place during 1996–1999 (see box) with IPGRI staff, the government established a national coordination council on PGR consisting of representatives of several ministries.IPGRI staff worked closely with the council during 1997 and 1998 to develop a projectproposal for the construction of a genebank for conservation of plants, fungi and algae.

PGR meetings in CWANA 1996–2000 International Workshop on PGR in Central Asia October 1996 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

CAN-PGR Coordination Committee Meeting September 1997 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

International Meeting on PGR June 1998 Aleppo, Syria

Second CAN-PGR Coordination Committee Meeting April 1999 Tashkent, Uzbekistan

1999–2000 7Regional Report for CWANA

The council also developed a regionalplan for collecting endangered plantsand local varieties of cultivated plantsand their wild relatives in the CentralAsian region. UzRIPI is the leadorganization in the implementation of this programme, which involves 14other Uzbekistani scientific institutions.Collaboration with other countries isincreasing, with joint collecting missionsand germplasm exchange.

TrainingTraining is central to IPGRI’s work to establish viable national PGR programmes in clientcountries. The GPA (Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Better Use of PlantGenetic Resources for Food and Agriculture) highlighted training and capacity building aspriorities for action (FAO 1996), as almost 80% of the country reports referred to lack oftrained staff as a serious constraint to the development of their national programmes.Further, the GPA recommended action to develop regional capacity for advanced trainingin PGR and to establish effective collaborative arrangements between relevant institutionsin developed and developing countries. Specific requirements included modules foruniversity courses in various disciplines such as ex situ and in situ conservation andintegrating genetic resources training into wider academic curricula on agriculture, researchand development. This approach corresponds with IPGRI’s training strategy ‘to helpcountries and regions to become self-reliant in meeting their training needs’.

Between 1996 and 2000, IPGRI provided training in CWANA for 384 researchers from morethan 44 countries through five main strategic activities: training-needs assessment, on-the-job training, post-graduate teaching and supervision, producing undergraduate trainingmaterial in local languages, and group training and short specialized courses.

Examples of specific IPGRI training activities on PGR in CWANA 1999–2000

• Six MSc theses completed under the supervision of CWANA staff; the speciesinvestigated were wild emmer, wheat, oleander, almond and pistachio.

• Two PhD research studies were initiated.

• Forty-eight researchers (from Syria, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Lebanon and Egypt)received on-the-job training from IPGRI CWANA staff.

• Thirteen short training courses were organized in collaboration with ICARDA, resulting inmore than 324 researchers (from more than 40 countries) trained.

• The first CWANA plant genetic resources course was launched at the American Universityof Beirut in autumn 1999 and eight students have been trained.

An important component of IPGRI’s training work in the region is the Plant GeneticResources Post-graduate Programme organized in collaboration with AUB (AmericanUniversity of Beirut) in Lebanon. This programme, the first of its kind in the CWANA region,was started in 1999 and provides post-graduate students with courses that can also be used for partial fulfilment of MSc degrees. A similar initiative is also being pursued with theUniversity of Hassan II in Rabat, Morocco.

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IPGRI has always worked to develop a highly efficient networking approach to geneticresources. Networks link members with common interests, allowing them to shareresources, information and technologies. Many countries in CWANA have realized thatconserving plant genetic resources requires not only nationally coordinated efforts but also regional collaboration to share the burdens of the work, avoid duplication of effort and make use of the particular skills that individual countries possess.

Technical support to regional networks

IPGRI has helped establish two major networks involving national PGR programmes in theregion—WANANET (West Asian and North Africa Network on Plant Genetic Resources) andCATCN/PGR (Central Asian and Transcaucasian Network on Plant Genetic Resources)—whose secretariats are hosted by IPGRI in Aleppo and Tashkent, respectively.

The West Asia and North Africa Network on Plant Genetic ResourcesWANANET was established in 1992 by IPGRI with the support of FAO (Food andAgricultural Organization of the United Nations) and ICARDA. The network is organizedaround six working groups each with their own collaborative programmes of research anddevelopment. This cooperative effort has played a valuable role in strengthening nationalPGR programmes. Recent achievements include case studies on fruit tree species (i.e.almond and pistachio), which are helping secure the future of the biodiversity of thesespecies in the region, and the development of techniques to assist in locating geneticdiversity, from which unique statistical tools for use in the analyses of the available geneticresources have been developed.

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Starting in 1998 the Steering Committee of WANANET, with support from IPGRI, began torestructure the network by broadening the membership participating in its work and byseeking greater support and recognition from governments and regional donors. In 1999,IPGRI surveyed the electronic communication capacities of countries in the region andassessed what NARS (national agricultural research systems) in the region would need todo to bring their electronic information capacity up to the level required for an Internet-based virtual working environment. Based on the findings of these studies IPGRIdeveloped a prototype communications system.

The system is based on an electronic network anchored on a Web site with high speed,easy accessibility and rich content. Members are able to extract information easily andcommunicate efficiently. Staff in the CWANA office are using Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco,Syria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, as case studies to integrate the system into existingcapacities of the national programmes. This ‘Knowledge Centre for Plant GeneticResources in CWANA’ has a number of elements:

• A genetic resources information system managing taxonomy, site, accession,characterization, evaluation, molecular and diversity distribution (surveying) data.

• A geographical information system, which is an analytical and statistical database using ArcInfo and ArcView GIS (geographic information system) tools.

• An integrated document management system consisting of archiving, workflow and document management databases.

• An electronic library, providing comprehensive information resources with links to articles, magazines, books, slides, audio/video etc.

• Databases on stakeholders, consultants and events.

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CWANA Domain

Sub-DomainNorth Africa

Sub-DomainArabian Peninsula

Sub-DomainWest Asia

Sub-DomainCentral Asia

EgyptLibya

AlgeriaTunisia

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Saudi ArabiaKuwaitBahrainQatarU.A.E.OmanYemen

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The CWANA Knowledge Centre

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The electronic system can also be used for distance training and presentations. Lecturescan be delivered to participants and lecturers interact with students. WANANET membersare also using the network to develop databases and applications in the areas of GIS andgeostatistics. A number of databases have already been made available through theCWANA Website including collecting (passport data referring to IPGRI-supportedexpeditions in CWANA), training (data on IPGRI alumni in the region), library (IPGRICWANA specialized library) and characterization data (data on characterization workcarried out so far), and forestry information digitalized maps and slides.

The Knowledge Centre will be fully operational by early 2002 and IPGRI is training staff inthe national programmes to take full advantage of the system. Several experiments withelectronic videoconferences have shown that this can be a highly cost-effective way tohold meetings, allowing participants to address scientific issues in group discussions. The telecommunication costs are far less than the costs involved in physically travelling tosuch meetings.

The Central Asia and Trans-Caucasus Network on Plant Genetic ResourcesThe Central Asia Network on Plant Genetic Resources was established with IPGRIsupport in 1996; this work is carried out in the framework of the World Bank supportedproject, CAC (Collaborative Research Program for Sustainable Agricultural Production inCentral Asia and the Caucasus), and implemented by CGIAR. In 1999, it was expanded toinclude the Caucasus. The network now covers Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia,Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Countries becomemembers only after their application is endorsed at ministerial level within the country.This very effectively has helped bring the value of genetic resources to the notice of thegovernment decision-makers. The network coordinates regional activities on PGR throughprojects organized by nine working groups.

Working Groups of The Central Asia and Trans-Caucasus Network on PGR

• cereals

• grain legumes

• fodder and pasture crops

• fruits, berries, subtropical cultures and viticulture

• vegetables and melons

• industrial crops

• wild (edible) medicinal and aromatic plants

• cotton

• forest species

Network members collated up-to-date information on ex situ collections in the region.This has allowed them to make much greater use of the germplasm available within thenetwork, for example by joint collecting missions and germplasm characterization on

Pistacia vera. Operating as a network has also allowed much more efficient collaborativelinks to be built up between Central Asian countries and VIR (Vavilov Institute of PlantIndustry) in St. Petersburg, Russia. VIR is conducting joint collecting missions withnetwork members that are helping to replenish ex situ collections.

IPGRI established a new CWANA office in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April 1999 hosted bythe CGIAR Program Facilitation Unit (PFU). The office provides technical and secretarialsupport to assist in coordinating network activities and developing project proposals.

Significant network achievementsCurrent network activities include: building up a database containing the passport data on15 fruit and forest species; collaborative research on and joint collecting of fruit, foresttree species and vegetables crops; exchange of information and germplasm; and sharinggermplasm characterization and evaluation data.

The Forest Species Working Group is compiling information on methodologies to assessinter- and intraspecific diversity of the following genera that are important within theregion: Pyrus, Malus, Abies, Pistacia, Juniper, Betula, Vitis, Juglans, Salsola, Haloxylon,Crataegus and Juniperus. This will provide network members with a range ofmethodologies for helping to manage forest genetic resources.

Work on the regional database for priority forest trees was carried out at the UzbekResearch Institute on Forestry. Computerizing passport data have been prepared forJuniperus setavschanica, J. semiglobosa, J. turkestanica, Amygdalys vulgaris, Juglansregia, Pistacia vera, Haloxylon aphyllum, Populus, Vitis venifera, Pinus pallasiana, P. sylvestris, Picea schrenkiana and P. excelsa. The database will be accessible throughthe Internet and will allow network members to have easy access to information on theseimportant forest genetic resources in Central Asia.

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Effective conservation, both in situ and ex situ, requires a clear understanding of the extentand distribution of genetic diversity and how they are changing over time. Genetic erosionoccurs when genetic diversity between and within populations is lost, for example whenwhole habitats are destroyed (through deforestation), farming stocks are lost (throughdisease or war) or specific crops or varieties are no longer grown (through changingfarming systems or the introduction of new varieties).

IPGRI is running a project to locate and monitor genetic diversity around the world. In CWANA, project staff worked to refine methodologies used in agroecologically basedsurveying of genetic resources, particularly of vegetables, to increase the effectiveness of planning and prioritization of germplasm collecting and in situ conservation. These were used during 1999–2000 in several survey expeditions with national partners in the region, to collect the diversity in a range of vegetables. Information on the surveys is outlined below.

UzbekistanVegetables are important agricultural commodities in Uzbekistan and they are a majorcomponent of the diet of the population. Uzbekistan, like many other central Asiancountries, is home to a wealth of genetic diversity in both wild and cultivated vegetables.Today, this unique heritage nurtured by generations of skilled farmers is threatened withgenetic erosion. Farmers are increasingly choosing to grow commercial varieties to meetmarket demand. Nevertheless, hundreds of landraces are still being cultivated on small-scale farms, awaiting proper survey. One of the first initiatives that IPGRI took afterestablishing its office in Central Asia was to survey and collect local vegetable andcondiment species in Uzbekistan.

IPGRI worked with the UzRIPI (Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industries) in 1999 tocollect eggplant, watermelon, turnip, celery, nigella, carrots, basil, coriander, sesame andcabbage, along with their wild relatives. The missions targeted the Fergana valley, which is particularly rich in vegetable diversity.

Collecting teams found that only older farmers still grow local basil landraces, youngerfarmers preferring to cultivate the more lucrative commercial varieties. Wild relatives ofmany crops are under threat as their habitats are eroded by development for housing,canals and reservoirs, as well as by overgrazing and overharvesting. IPGRI is workingclosely with national programme staff to develop plans for minimizing these threats andhelping to guarantee sustainable in situ conservation of Uzbekistan’s outstanding geneticdiversity (see also p.6).

Forestry

Fundamental research in Syria and LebanonIPGRI expanded its forestry research in CWANA in 1998 in response to the alarming rate atwhich forest genetic resources were being eroded. The institute selected Syria and Lebanonas the initial focus of its work, organizing two workshops to develop programmes of researchand to identify priority species for immediate attention. Pinus brutia and Pistacia atlanticawere selected as priority species in Syria and Pinus pinea and Ceratonia siliqua in Lebanonbecause of their socioeconomic importance, ecological value and conservation status. TheG

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meetings also proposed three research studies todevelop proper strategies for the conservation anduse of these species: an ecogeographic survey togather baseline information on distribution ofspecies and associated ecological andenvironmental characteristics; a study of thegenetic diversity of the resources to reveal thevariation among and within populations; and anassessment of use and genetic erosion threatpatterns would help define the preciseconservation status of the priority species.

Priority speciesPinus brutia forests are among the most important forest ecosystems in the easternMediterranean, and in Syria in particular. Covering around 50 000 hectares, P. brutia is oneof the most prominent forest tree species in this country. Moreover, the species is also afocus of the national afforestation and reforestation programme. The ability of P. brutia togrow in the most adverse climatic and soil conditions, as well as its growth potential underfavourable conditions, makes it very important for multipurpose forestry.

Pistacia atlantica is one of the seven wild relatives of pistachio (P. vera). Although notcultivated, this species is an important rootstock for cultivated varieties. It is droughtresistant and thrives well in calcareous and basaltic soils. Locally, the species is stillappreciated for its hard wood and nuts.

For centuries the carob tree (C. siliqua) has been cultivated in Lebanon for its seed-podpulp, which is used to make molasses. Recently, there has been a shift to growing selectedvarieties for their seed, which is used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic products. However,wild populations of C. siliqua are being uprooted and replaced with more profitable speciesor grafted with other varieties.

Pinus pinea is a very valued Mediterranean tree species because of its commercialized nutproduction. In Lebanon natural P. pinea forest—an area of 10 000 hectares—is intensivelymanaged for nut production. Whether this management is sustainable and what the impactis on the genetic resources is not known.

Research activitiesIPGRI started ecogeographical surveys of Pistacia atlantica and Pinus brutia in Syria inearly 1999. Partners included MAAR (Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Syria)and ACSAD in Damascus and the Tishreen University, Lattakia. Research teams began bymapping population distribution, gathering data about climate, soil and populationcharacteristics and defining the ecozones where these two species grow. Based on theresults of these surveys, the researchers identified sites harbouring the greatest amount ofgenetic variation and the widest range of useful characteristics in the local treepopulations. Samples of the trees at the site were collected and the genetic diversity theycontained was studied with molecular markers (RAPDs and AFLPs). This work was carriedout at ICARDA by a visiting scientist from Tishreen University.

IPGRI is also sponsoring research at the University of Tishreen to assess the affect of forestfires over the past 12 years on P. brutia. The annual recurrence of forest fires, which is a

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phenomenon in the whole Mediterranean basin, is one of themajor threats to P. brutia. Using the fire records of theForestry Directorate of MAAR as a guide, the historical firespots were located and data were recorded on, amongstothers, the area (m2) of the affected site, natural regeneration,land use changes, soil characteristics and distance to thenearest road. Fire distribution maps for each year have beendeveloped and the fire data are being analysed andcompared with data on climate, geography and land use toidentify high fire-risk areas.

An IPGRI sponsored MSc research study at AUB inLebanon is mapping the distribution of P. pinea in Lebanonand assessing its intra- and inter-population diversity. Theproject is also examining main socioeconomic factorsaffecting the genetic erosion of the sites where this speciesis found. Results of this comprehensive study are expectedin early 2001.

Also in Lebanon, in 1999, IPGRI launched a project oncarob (C. siliqua). The research was carried out with AUB,the Saint Joseph University, Beirut, and MA-DRDNR. An ecogeographic survey charted the distribution of carobtrees over most of the country and identified zones, which

were assumed to include carob stands having more or less the same level of geneticvariability. Using the information of the ecogeographic survey, researchers took samplesfrom 16 selected populations for genetic analysis at AUB. The laboratory work has beenfinalized and data analysis is underway.

The results of the ecogeographic studies of P. brutia, P. atlantica and C. siliqua have beencompiled in a GIS system and are available on CD-ROM. The CD contains information aboutthe distribution and characteristics of the three species along with soil and climatic data layers.

Rescuing fruit trees in AfghanistanIn collaboration with the FAO Regional Office in Peshawar, Pakistan, IPGRI made a surveyand collecting mission in Afghanistan in 1999 to rescue valuable germplasm material ofsome priority fruit tree species (Pistacia, Prunus amygdalus and Junglans regia) threatenedby genetic erosion. The survey covered various districts throughout the country, gathering42 almond samples, 11 pistachio samples, 55 walnut samples and 41 apricot samples. Awell-documented report on the status of the surveyed species was produced. The missionwas followed up by IPGRI and FAO, who are working on the preparation of a joint projectproposal for the safe maintenance of the sampled germplasm through in situ/on-farmconservation in Afghanistan, and ex situ back-up conservation in Pakistan.

Rediscovering pistachios in Central Asia

Pistachio is an economically important horticultural crop for the whole region, providing asource of income for resource-poor smallholder farmers. Iran, Turkey and Syria are amongthe world’s largest exporters of pistachio nuts. However, the resource base of Pistacia

1999–2000Regional Report for CWANA

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species is threatened by severe genetic erosion as local varieties are replaced by a fewcommercial types and wild species are being destroyed by human activities. Wild relativesalso play an important role in conserving ecosystems, particularly in areas prone todrought or with poor soils, and are important as a source of pest and disease resistanceto use in breeding improved cultivated varieties.

Pistachios are managed as forest species by research institutions in Central Asia and, as such, are preserved in state-owned nature reserves. No major study on the use ofPistacia diversity had been made by these countries. The birth of the new independentrepublics in Central Asia has been followed by a surge of interest in these countries in the conservation and enhancement of their indigenous natural resources. This interesthas benefited P. vera, which is seen today not only as a forest species but also as animportant horticultural species that can generate additional income for the localpopulations. IPGRI, through its Tashkent office, is assisting Central Asian countries insurveying, collecting, conserving and characterizing the diversity of P. vera in their region.Partners include the FAO–CIHEAM (Centre International de Hautes Etudes AgronomiqueMéditerranéennes) Nut Network and national programmes in Italy, Spain and Greece.

Five species of pistachio originally grew in Central Asia, but as the climate became drier,those species with small fruit died out. The largest populations of wild pistachio are inTajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan, at between 600 and 1700 metresabove sea level. In recent times the trees have been cut for firewood and to makecharcoal. Now less than 300 000 ha of Pistacia forest remain, mostly in fragmentedstands of 30–70 trees. Natural stands have a very low yield, with as little as 1 kg of nutsper tree in some years. However, some trees produce 15 kg of nuts per year,demonstrating scope for selection for yield. The P. vera varieties that grow in the regionhave a high concentration of natural oils and are extremely resistant to drought. Otherspecies can tolerate temperatures as low as -41°C and some have high concentrations ofvaluable tannins.

Early in 2000 a multinational team, led by two experts from the Uzbek Forestry ResearchInstitute, surveyed and collected Pistacia in Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan andKyrgyzstan. The material collected showed a wide range of diversity, especially in height,leaf size, structure and nut ripening.This mission also trained youngresearchers from the centres visitedon how to survey, collect andcharacterize tree species. Follow-upevaluation studies are shedding newlight on the relationship betweenCentral Asian pistachios andcultivated varieties widely grown inother parts of the CWANA region. These efforts will ultimately contributeto establish capacities in Central Asiafor a more effective use of theexisting genetic diversity of P. veraby scientists in the region. Collectedmaterial will be safeguarded in ex situfield collections and freely sharedamong scientists from the nationalprogrammes of the five Central Asiancountries involved in this cooperativeproject.

At least 5000 species arecultivated for food around theworld but most attention has beenfocused on only a handful ofmajor crops. Yet, minor orunderutilized crops often play acentral role in poor people’s livesand are closely tied to the historyand cultural identity of thecommunities that have grownthem for centuries. In many cases,the potential exists for morewidespread use of these species.They include crops that couldmeet the needs of farmerswanting to increase yield fromtheir land and consumers seeking

a more natural and varied diet. They can offer opportunities for farmers to tap differentmarkets and thus represent important new sources of income for rural people. Despitetheir local and potential importance, these species have been largely neglected byresearchers. Information on their agronomy is often lacking, there is little genetic diversityavailable in genebanks for breeders to use and the seed industry largely ignores them.

As a follow up to a conference on priority setting for underutilized and neglected speciesheld in Aleppo in 1998, IPGRI began a pilot study in Lebanon of a number of priorityspecies that are harvested from the wild by the local populations: sage (Salvia spp.),oregano (Origanum spp.), chicory (Cichorium spp.) and Gundelia spp. The work showedthat there is no organized marketing, conservation or research on these crops in Lebanon.Human pressure on the wild populations is increasing and the survival of the resourcebase is threatened. The results will be valuable to the Lebanese national programme todevise a conservation strategy to protect the genetic resources as well as promote thedomestication and cultivation of these valuable species.

Joining hands to safeguardpomegranate species

Farmers in what is now Iran and Armenia have been cultivating pomegranate for over 5000years, and the monuments of ancient Egypt bear sculptures of the fruit. Punica granatum isa valuable tree producing very juicy fruit (up to 65% of the weight of the fruit can be juice)that is rich in vitamins and minerals. Pomegranates originate from Central Asia whereunique wild groves can still be found thriving in the bottom of gorges where they benefitfrom the residual moisture of the sparse rainfall. Over the generations these conditionshave produced a very wide range of varietal diversity. Pomegranate is particularly welladapted to growing in the fragile ecosystems of the CWANA region, tolerating extremedrought once the trees are established.

Little more that 100 000 ha are cultivated worldwide, with a total production of 800?000tonnes. However the crop has potential as a source of income, particularly for small-scalefarmers in CWANA. Because of this, pomegranate is a priority fruit species for IPGRI inCWANA and other national, regional and international groups are giving greater attention tothis underutilized fruit tree.

16 Neglected and underutilized cropsN

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More than 500 varieties are known around the world, but only 50 are commonly grown.Breeders distinguish between ornamental and fruit-producing varieties but the narrowgenetic basis remains. The world’s largest collection of Punica germplasm is maintainedex situ by the Garrygala Research Station in Turkmenistan. This field germplasm collectionholds some 1117 accessions. The Turkmenistan collection suffers from severe shortage offunding, which jeopardizes the maintenance of this unique diversity. In October 2000,IPGRI sent a team of experts to the genebank to make an initial characterization of thecollection and document the germplasm maintained in the field. This has resulted in aclearer understanding of the need for further characterization and for regeneration of thecollection, and funds are being sought to address the most urgent tasks. IPGRI is alsoworking at the policy level to establish the elements of a national programme that willprovide continued financial support for the collection.

16In March 2000 IPGRI organized an expert consultation on pomegranate. The meetingbrought together scientists from Syria, Libya, Tunisia and Turkmenistan to develop aworkplan to improve conservation and use of Punica species. Priority activities pursued by

IPGRI immediately after thismeeting included the completionof a descriptor list for Punicaspp. in collaboration withCIHEAM’s network onunderutilized fruit trees. This listwas then translated into Russian.

In 2000 IPGRI launched anecogeographic andsocioeconomic survey ofpomegranate in Syria, incollaboration with the Universityof Aleppo, and worked withnational programme staff in Libya and Tunisia to launchgermplasm surveys andcollecting missions.

Wild chicory in LebanonSome of the many edible plants species in Lebanon are harvested heavily from the wild by local communities, putting them at risk of genetic erosion. During 2000 a student of Saint-Esprit University, Beirut, in collaboration with IPGRICWANA, studied wild chicory (Chicorium intibus) collected from sites of the highDamour water basin in Lebanon. The 96 accessions gathered from 14 different sitesare representatives of different agro-ecosystems of the high Damour water basin. All the accessions were planted in multilocation trials to assess a set of key agro-morphological traits, such regeneration ability after cutting and shape ofleaves. The results show that wild ecotypes from three sites (Majdel Baana,Bmehray and Majdel Meouche) have agro-morphological traits that could be of great interest to breeders. Domestication and crop improvement of wild chicorywould reduce pressure on wild populations of this species.

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Enhancing the contribution of neglected and underutilized species to food security and to incomes of the rural poor

This project proposal was submitted to IFAD and received preliminary approval in mid2000. Its implementation will start with a regional stakeholder meeting in December 2000.CWANA is one of the three target areas for this project, together with Asia and LatinAmerica and the Caribbean. The focus of this project in the CWANA region is onmedicinal/aromatic plants and vegetable species. CWANA staff will also be involved in theglobal coordination of the other regional components of the project. The project’s goal is tocontribute to raising the incomes and strengthening the food security of small farmers andrural communities around the world through securing and exploiting the full potential of thegenetic diversity contained in neglected and underutilized species. Specific objectives ofthis project include:

• increasing the demand for and use of neglected and underutilized species throughdevelopment and application of appropriate processing technologies, commercializationand marketing strategies

• improving the quality, and increasing the availability of germplasm of the mostpromising species and varieties, and

• securing the genetic resource base and expanding the distribution of priority cropsthrough development and application of integrated conservation strategies.

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The use of agricultural diversity by breeders andfarmers can make a major contribution toachieving sustainable agriculture. The in situconservation of such diversity is achieved throughmaintaining crop varieties in farmers’ fields and intheir natural habitats. It allows the processes ofevolution and adaptation of plants to continue,ensuring that new genetic material is generatedover time. A major challenge for in situconservation is the need to develop nationalprogrammes’ knowledge of how to determinewhere, when and how in situ conservation will be effective.

In 1995, IPGRI and its partners began an international project to increase our scientificunderstanding of the basis of in situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity on farm. The nine partner countries (Burkina Faso, Ethiopia Hungary, Mexico, Morocco, Nepal, Peru,Turkey and Vietnam) are all within regions of primary diversity for crops of worldwideimportance. All have national programmes organized to conserve crop genetic resources,including ex situ conservation facilities, and all have expressed a strong interest in developingtheir capacity to support in situ conservation. The global project is developing national andglobal management frameworks to implement in situ conservation, collect and analyseinformation to determine the amount and distribution of genetic diversity in farmers’ fields,define who is maintaining this diversity, and why, and broaden the use of agriculturalbiodiversity and participation in its conservation by farming communities and other groups.

The IPGRI CWANA group is closely involved in the project in Morocco and Turkey. Staff from the group developed a database to document the roles of pests and diseases in on-farm conservation and started a GIS analysis using data from the CWANA countries.

In situ/on-farm conservation of agricultural biodiversity in Central AsiaThis project proposal was developed in collaboration with the Standing Committee onScientific and Technological Cooperation of the OIC (Organization of the Islamic Conference)and submitted to UNEP-GEF (United Nations Environment Programme Global EnvironmentFund)1. The project will focus on fruit trees species in Central Asian countries and theirsustainable maintenance through in situ/on-farm activities, and will result in on-farm/in situconservation areas and enhanced capabilities of farmer communities in collaboration withnational plant genetic resources programmes in the region. Locally developed traditionalvarieties have been shown to be essential components of crop production and participationby local farmer communities is a determining factor in effective in situ conservation.

Participatory management of PGRin oases of the Maghreb

This UNDP-GEF Project was approved in 1999. The five-year project, which focuses ondate palms within a holistic oasis ecosystem approach, is being carried out jointly byMorocco, Algeria and Tunisia. The main objective of the project is to safeguard the diversityof date palm by promoting the use of local types with good qualities. IPGRI is implementing

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the project from Tunisia, with national programmestaff from collaborating countries. Geneticerosion is threatening date palm in the Maghrebregion because the national programmes onlymultiply and distribute a limited number ofcommercial varieties. This situation is madeworse because existing market forces areencouraging farmers to grow only a few high-value varieties. The project is taking theapproach of increasing the number of date palmvarieties that are available for planting, which willgradually increase the range of fruits that areavailable. It will also seek to open up alternative

markets for the products. This approach aims to protect the diversity of date palm in the longterm, through helping to ensure returns to farmers that are competitive with the production ofhigher yielding varieties. The project will work on pre-screening palms in situ in the oases tospeed up the process of selecting varieties for multiplication. At the same time, project staffwill develop techniques from existing methods to multiply a greater range of date palmvarieties. To protect this investment of effort over the long term and encourage partnershipsbetween the farmers and government, the project will also focus on the strengthening of theknowledge and abilities within its national partners to manage IPR relating to the material.

Local types of faba bean in MoroccoFaba bean is grown throughout northern Morocco where many local types are still to befound. In one village alone—Timmeddite, in Taounate province—there are up to 10 differentlocal types of this crop. These local types are identified by the size of the pod, the numberof seeds each pod bears and the colour of the seed. As part of the in situ project, staffstudied the morphology of the faba bean germplasm they had gathered to help achieve abetter scientific understanding of the basis of on-farm conservation in Morocco. Thischaracterization work was linked to the farmers’ perception of the local types and clearlyidentified the useful characters in the material that was collected.

Useful local types of Moroccan faba beanName Distinctive characteristicsFoul Beldi Plants with many branches and determinate heightBeldia, Beldi Mixture of grain shapes and coloursR’guig Small seedFoul S’ghir Small grainsMatouasate Medium size, type equinaSbaï Large number of grains per pod (over seven) and long podSdassi ‘Aguadulce’ typeRbai Few grains per podGhlide Large grain and pod eaten freshLoul khal Pink colour and mixture of shapes

Using this baseline information, project staff discussed with local partners how to increasethe value to these local faba bean types. To make the different strains more popular, thenational programme is collecting cooking recipes to publish as a book and is promotingthe use of the crop as animal feed.

1999–2000Regional Report for APO

1 Project approved 2001.

George Ayad Regional Director

Stefano Padulosi Senior Scientist, Integrated Conservation Methodologies and Uses

Carmen De Vicente Plant Molecular Geneticist

Abdallah Bari Associate Scientist, PGR Information/Data Management and Analysis Methodologies

Tom Bazuin Associate Scientist/Forest Genetic Resources

Kheder Durah Regional Network Manager, Information Specialist

Rami Khalil Media and Public Awareness Officer

Muhabbat Turdieva Forest Genetic Resources Scientist

Achtar Suha* in Situ Research Assistant

Adib Mamelly Finance and Administration officer

Zakaria Aletek Publications Assistant

Linda Fattal Programme Assistant

Nadia Issa Programme Assistant

Fouad Mustafa Technician

*Left during March 2000

21IPGRI staff in CWANA1999–2000

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AARINENA Association of Agricultural Research Institutesin Near East and North Africa, Lebanon

ACSAD Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands, Syria

AFLP Amplified fragment length polymorphism

AKC Agriculture Knowledge Center or ‘the ‘Knowledge Centrefor Plant Genetic Resources in CWANA’

AOAD Arab Organization for Agricultural Development

AUB American University of Beirut, Lebanon

CAC CGIAR Collaborative Research Programfor Sustainable Agricultural Production in Central Asia and the Caucasus

CATCN/PGR Central Asian and Transcaucasian Network on Plant Genetic Resources

CGIAR Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

CIHEAM Centre International de Hautes EtudesAgronomique Méditerranéennes, France

CIMMYT Centro Internacional de Mejoramiento de Maíz y Trigo

CWANA Central and West Asia and North Africa

FAO Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Italy

GEF Global Environmental Facility

GFAR Global Forum on Agricultural Research

GIS Geographic information system

GPA Global Plan of Action for the conservation and better useof plant genetic resources for food and agriculture

IAV Hassan II Institut Agronomique et Vétérinaire Hasssan II

ICARDA International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Syria

ICRISAT International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics, India

IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development, Italy

IPR Intellectual property rights

IPGRI International Plant Genetic Resources Institute, Italy

MAAR Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform, Syria

MA-DRDNR Ministry of Agriculture, Directorateof Rural Development & Natural Resources, Syria

NARS National agricultural research systems

NGO Non-governmental organization

NUS Neglected and underutilized species

OIC Organization of the Islamic Conference

PGR Plant genetic resources

RAPD Randomly amplified polymorphic DNA

UzRIPI Uzbek Research Institute of Plant Industries

UNDP-GEF United Nations Development Programme Global Environment Fund

UNEP-GEF United Nations Environment Programme Global Environment Fund

VIR Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, Russia

WANA West Asia and North Africa

WANANET West Asia and North Africa Network on PGRAcro

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IPGRI in Central & West Asiaand North Africa

ISBN 92-9043-494-5