The Status of Conservation, Utilization, and Risk Management of Genetic Resources in Taiwan

Abstract

Genetic resources may be used through complementary ex situ and in situ conservation approaches organized at the regional, national, and/or global levels. Genetic resources as defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) refer to physical, tangible genetic materials as well as genetic information and knowledge. Five major germplasm conservation projects covering crops, forests, aquaculture, livestock, and microorganisms have been carried out at national institutes in Taiwan. The Plant Genetic Resources Center was established at the Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute in 1993. To September 2008, seed collections of 69,319 accessions are being conserved in long- and medium-term storage rooms. In field genebanks, collections and preservation of germplasm of fruit trees and medicinal plants include approximately 4968 accessions and are being maintained in several repositories. In total, 1745 accessions of clone germplasm collections are being cultured in vitro in tissue culture rooms. In addition, so far, more than 61,249 accessions of genetically modified (GM) rice T1 seeds and 32,799 accessions of T2 seeds have been processed and conserved in a genebank. These seeds are available to distribute to scientists/ researchers for phenotypic screening or functional genomic research. The Tree Seed Bank was established by the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute in 1956. It conserves orthodox seeds of woody plants collected from natural forests for the perpetuation of seed stocks of 47 families, 151 species, and more than 700 seed lots. The conservation of farm animal genetic resources project was established by the Taiwan Livestock Research Institute in 1987 for further utilization of local breeds in the animal sector. New and emerging technologies, such as DNA library of local breeds, are being applied to reveal the genetic basis of disease resistance, adaptation to environmental stresses, and production efficiency. Capacity building for risk management of animal cells and/or tissues in cryopreservation banks with liquid nitrogen preservation has been in operation since 2005 to preserve valuable samples of fish and other aquaculture and fisheries species and wild relatives of livestock. Tilapia is one of the most important cultured freshwater fish species economically in Taiwan. In order to maintain its genetic variability and diversity, in situ bio-banks for stock breeds and conservation of tilapia and other aquacultured fish in culture systems were established by the Freshwater Aquaculture Research Center of the Taiwan Fisheries Research Institute in 2005. Capacity building for management of germplasm described in this report is a key to stimulating sustainable utilization of genetic resources, especially local varieties/breeds. Action plans on risk management, safety conservation, species identification, hybridization, and commercial utilization of genetic resources for food and agriculture have been formulated to develop markets for biodiversity-based products. Efficient management of genetic resources is essential to ensure the present and future security of food and agriculture. As a participant in global efforts to conserve genetic resources, we expect greater benefits and responsibilities. Particularly, in term of global climate change and food crises, actions are needed to equip and manage genetic resource conservation systems as an effective component of national and international food and agriculture security.