Rome, Italy
29 April 2025
The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture has published two important new resources for researchers and plant breeders working with peas (Pisum sativum L) and olives (Olea europaea). These booklets provide key descriptor lists that aim to facilitate access to information and increase utilization of these important crops.
The newly released publications offer strategic sets of characterization and evaluation descriptors for peas and olives. These descriptors represent the minimum information needed to effectively document, identify and utilize these crops in breeding programs, conservation efforts and research.
"Descriptors are critically important for several reasons: they provide a standardized language for accurately identifying plant material, help gene bank managers organize collections, allow breeders to find specific traits, prioritize conservation of unique varieties, thus facilitating knowledge transfer," said Kent Nnadozie, Secretary of the International Treaty.
Both booklets were developed in collaboration with national programmes, international academic and research partners and CGIAR centres, including the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT). The booklet on peas received substantive contributions from members of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR). The booklet on olives benefited from inputs from experts and gene bank curators of the network coordinated by the International Olive Council (IOC).
These descriptors are specifically designed to support studies on genetic and morphological diversity, conservation, domestication, and utilization. Particular emphasis was placed on including descriptors relevant to germplasm utilization in the context of intensifying adverse weather driven by climate change.
Special presentation event
These valuable resources will be presented at a special event on 6 May 2025, along with other updates on the Global Information System (GLIS) portal, including a module for in situ documentation. All interested parties and individuals are encouraged to register online to attend the special event Strengthening Partnerships on PGRFA Information Exchange and Knowledge Sharing.
These publications represent an important step in the International Treaty's ongoing work to enhance the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) worldwide, and they will also be presented to the Sixth meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on the Global Information System (SAC-GLIS-6) that will be held in Rome on 7 and 8 May 2025.
Articles 5 and 6 of the International Treaty guide countries in promoting the conservation and sustainable use of PGRFA. An essential component of Article 5 is the characterization and evaluation of crops and their potentially useful traits needed to develop new crop varieties. The International Treaty also stresses, through Article 17 on the Global Information System, the importance of collecting and making publicly available information on scientific, technical and environmental matters related to PGRFA.
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