Why genetic diversity matters

Leading international scientists to discuss agricultural biodiversity during ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meetings in Denver

In Nepal, farmers are keen to adopt new high yielding rice varieties to be grown on good land. But they also hang on to their traditional rice types, because they realize that these older varieties give them a dependable harvest in marginal conditions, such as water-logging, that modern varieties simply cannot cope with. And farmers take the diversity contained in modern varieties and breed with it to enhance the performance of their own traditional varieties.

In the developed world biodiversity is seen as the raw material from which breeders craft more productive varieties. By unlocking the genetic riches of old traditional landraces and the wild relatives of crops, breeders can find the qualities needed to respond to changing growing conditions and market demands. That raises questions of who should benefit from the genetic resources. The meeting will be hearing about initiatives to grapple with the formidable policy challenges to achieve fair sharing of the access to and the benefits from biodiversity.

Beyond breeding, however, diversity is proving its worth in farmers' fields around the world. Breeders and farmers have always known that they can protect themselves from pests and diseases by the astute use of crop diversity. Crop rotation makes use of diversity in time. Planting mixtures or variable varieties makes use of diversity in space. And both have a place on even the most modern farms.

These are just some of the topics that will be covered by participants from developed and developing countries, representing the private and public sectors. The symposium has been organized by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI) in collaboration with the Plant Genetic Resources Division of the CSSA. Speakers include:

• Emile Frison – Director General IPGRI, Italy
• Orlando de Ponti – Nunza BV, the Netherlands
• Bhuwon Sthapit – IPGRI, Nepal
• Stephen Smith – Pioneer Hi-Bred Int, USA
• Rodomiro Ortiz – IITA, Nigeria
• Jaime Estrella – IPGRI, Kenya
• Geoff Hawtin – Global Crop Diversity Trust, Italy

From its headquarters in Rome, IPGRI strives with its global partners to ensure that plant diversity makes a sustainable contribution to improving the well-being of people, especially the rural poor in developing countries. IPGRI is one of the 16 Future Harvest Centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR).

The Annual Meetings of ASA-CSSA-SSSA, will be held Nov. 2-6, at the Colorado Convention Center, Denver, CO, under the theme, "Changing Sciences for a Changing World: Building a Broader Vision". Over 2,800 research papers that cover such topics as plant genomics, turfgrass science, international agriculture development, soil nutrient management, and sustainable agriculture will be presented. Over 4,000 delegates from more than 100 countries are anticipated. A detailed program book is available at www.asa-cssa-sssa.org/anmeet.

The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) www.agronomy.org, the Crop Science Society of America (CSSA) www.crops.org and the Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) www.soils.org are educational organizations helping members advance the discipline and practice of agronomy, crop and soil sciences by supporting professional growth and science policy initiatives, and by providing quality, research-based publications and a variety of member services.