INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION: 1. INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION FOR IMPROVEMENT GENETIC DIVERSITY OF FORAGE CROPS (JAPAN, BULGARIA) YANA GUTEVA 1, SIYKA ANGELOVA 2, TZVETOSLAV MIHOVSKI 3, KENJI OKUMURA 4, TAKU HAYASHI 5 1, 2 Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, Sadovo, Bulgaria 3 Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture, Trojan, Bulgaria 4 Agricultural Research Center for Hokkaido Region, Japan 5 Hokkaido Prefectural Konsen Agricultural Experiment Station, Japan
According to the Material transfer agreement and Convention on Biodiversity was carried out cooperated mission with participation of scientists from Bulgaria and from Japan. Three research INSTITUTIONS were involved: Gene bank of Bulgaria (IPGR, Sadovo), Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture, Trojan, Bulgaria and Gene bank of Japan (NIAS: National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences). The financial support for this mission was provided by the Japanese partners. The collecting mission was carried out during July 19th to August 4th, 2006 in Bulgaria. Five floristic regions were visited: Central Balkan, Strandza, Rila, Pirin, Rhodopi Mountains. Totally 123 accessions of forage plants were collected from 51 localities (Table 1).
Table 1. Result of cooperated collecting mission carried out in 19.07-4.08.2006 in Bulgaria Species Number of accessions 1 Trifolium pratense L. 55 2 Trifolim repens L. 51 3 Trifolium balansae Boiss. 1 4 Onobrychis viciifolia Scop. 1 5 Grasses (Festuca ssp., Dactylis glomerata L.) 16 Total: 124
The objective of the mission was to pick out ecotypes and landraces of genus Tif Trifolium from diverse regions of Bulgaria. Priority was given to Trifolium pratensis and Trifolium repens that posses a higher potential as forage crops. The collecting sites could be described mainly as meadows and pastures areas as well as open areas within the forests. The collected material was shared alike between the three participating parties for multiplication, characterization, evaluation and utilization according to direct research purposes or further needs for research and breeding. We decided collected accessions to be multiplied in the field in isolation of cereal crop. Next step - characterization in a field nursery 49 plants of accession (7x7) x 4) will be carried out during two next years (2008-2009).
Collecting sites: Rila Mountains
Central Balkan Mountains
Balkan Mountains North
Rhodopi Mountains
2. JOINT COLLECTING MISSIONS (Bulgaria and Switzerland) for characterization and evaluation of natural populations of Festuca pratensis and Festuca arundinacea in their habitats in Bulgaria Beat Boller 1, Siyka Angelova 2, Yana Guteva 3, Siyka Stoyanova 4, Maria Petrova 5 1 Agroscope FAL Reckenholz, Zurich, Swiss 2,3,4,5 Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, Sadovo, Bulgaria
Since 2005 started cooperated research project Characterization of Festuca spp. (Festuca pratensis Huds. and Festuca arundinacea Schreber) from diverse habitats of Bulgaria (2005-2008) 2008), financially supported by SCOPS, Switzerland.
The objective is to enlarge the genetic basis of the collections from forage grasses with new germplasm by collecting in a wide range of distinct ecological niches and to correlate variation in important plant characteristics with site-related factors like management, type of vegetation, altitude etc. The inventory of the forage collection in the Bulgarian gene bank for all Festuca spp. showed that t there exist very few accessions with Bulgarian origin.
Sites characterization: In June 2006-2007 we characterized the sites of earlier and newly collected accessions with maximum available habitat information. During two successive years was described the botanical composition (Dietl,1995) of the natural habitats as well agricultural management practices now and from the historical point of view.
Within a square of 25 m 2 the abundance and yield of all species was estimated. The percentage of target species was evaluated in a random sample.
Permanent meadows in Rhodopi Mountains and in Balkan Mountains could be described as rich complex of multi species plant communities. The grass species dominated and they composed about 55-70% of the yield. The main type of vegetation of collecting localities was: Lolio perennis-arrhenatherum elatioris, Holcus lanatus-festuca t pratensis, Cynodon dactylon-lolium perenne, Festuca pratensis-poa silvicola, Lolietum multiflorii, Agrostis vulgaris-festuca falax.
Type of grasslands: Lolio perennis-arrhenatherum elatioris i Agrostis vulgaris-festuca falax. Cynodon dactylon-lolium perenne Holcus lanatus-festuca pratensis
ude m a.s.l. altit 1300-1400 1100-1200 600-700 400-500 100-200 New collected accesions grouped by Altitude Festuca pratensis (21), F. arundinacea (4), F. rubra (3) 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 4 number of sites 5 6 Totally 28 population of Festuca pratensis (21), F. arundinacea (4), F. rubra (3) from 26 sites were collected. 50 to 100 tillers near seed ripening per population were picked.
Multiplication and characterization of collected germplasm in field experiments In September 2006/2007 was carried out multiplication under isolation of wheat field. 120 plants per population was planted into isolation plots. After overwintering samples was harvested and cleaned individually for 60 plants per accession and as bulk for the rest. Seed quantity harvested varied between: 150 g( (minimum) and 300 g (maximum) clean seeds per accession. The harvested seeds during the first and second season of multiplications will be used for next step of evaluation. All produced seeds of evaluated accessions will be preserved in the gene bank as composed sample by equal seed quantity per plant.
seedlings of Festuca characterization of collected germplasm 1 3 22 4
In April (2006 and 2007) the field nursery with 60 plants per accession (6 replications of 10 plants each) was planted as follows: Festica pratensis 39 accessions and two controls (cv. Preval and cv. Cosmolit); Festuca arundinacea 12 accession three controls (cv. Albena, cv. Belfine and cv. Barolex). Observations were carried out according to UPOV guidelines. Next steps: Agronomical characterization will be carried out both in Bulgaria and in Switzerland ; Genetic characterization (microsatellites, SSR) will be determined in Switzerland; Seed storage protein patterns will be determined at IPGR Sadovo
Conclusion Characterization and evaluation data and interpretation of results with respect to habitat information will be analyzed by multivariate statistics. The results will be interpreted in view of recommendations for in situ and ex situ conservation. The evaluation data as result of completed experiments will be published and presented in a database which will be placed at the free disposal of partners and researchers.