| Evaluation of wheat germplasm 32. The Committee recognizes that breeders should have a widespread service at their disposal from gene banks and that as far as possible all new wheat germplasm should be evaluated. 33. The Committee proposes to establish a pilot scheme and recommends that material from existing collections in the three major centres designated (USSR, USA, Italy) be given to approximately 10-15 institutes in all parts of the world for preliminary evaluation using the minimum descriptors (and standard descriptor states) to be drawn up by the Working Group, on single row observations. 34. It is suggested that 1,500 samples be evaluated in 1977-1978 (500 samples from each of the 3 centres) and that FAO should be asked to distribute the subsamples to the institutions and gather in the results which will be passed to Boulder, Colorado. 35. The designation of the institutes should be a task for the Secretariat and this will depend upon the institutions' acceptance of the role of a genetic resources centre as defined by the FAO Panel of Experts on Plant Exploration and Introduction. In this way the Wheat Committee envisages centres collaborating in the global network for the specific purpose of international evaluation. Initially, the following centres should be approached but not to the exclusion of others: Argentina (INTA), Brazil (EMBRAPA). Bulgaria (Sofia), Czechoslovakia (Prague),Ethiopia, FRG-Netherlands (Braunschweig, Wageningen), Hungary (Tapioszele), India (IARI), Italy (Bari), Kenya, USSR (VIR and sub-stations), USA (USDA), Proposed next meeting 36. It is proposed that the Committee on Wheat Germplasm Resources should hold a meeting after the computerization of data (para 34) and the report of the Working Party (para 29) are available. It was agreed that, if the Board approves. Kyoto University Germ-plasm Institute in Japan would host the meeting in the first week of September 1977. The cost of a meeting of the Committee in Japan in 1977 is estimated at $ 10,000. Other business 37. The Committee recognized that its report entails an action programme and it expressed some concern about monitoring the implementation and progress of the activities proposed for wheat, and the manpower of the existing IBPGR Secretariat to do this. this question will be discussed at the Committee's next meeting. It was recognized that the speedy dissemination of information is an important role of the Secretariat in keeping the Board's Committees informed. Professor Dr. W. Hondelmann, Chairman |
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