The Establishment of the Gene Bank of Kosova, Collection and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources

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1 Albanian j. agric. sci. Special Edition RESEARCH ARTICLE Agricultural University of Tirana (Open Access) The Establishment of the Gene Bank of Kosova, Collection and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources SHUKRI FETAHU 1*, DUKAGJIN ZEKA 1, IMER RUSINOVCI 1, SALI ALIU 1, AVNI BEHLULI 1, SYLË SYLANAJ 1, EVA THORN 2 1 University of Prishtina Hasan Prishtina Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, Str. Bill Clinton nn Prishtina, KOSOVA 2 Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden *Corresponding author; shfetahu@hotmail.com & shukri.fetahu@uni-pr.edu Abstract The aim of this research was presentation of the challenges related to the establishment of Gene Bank of Kosova (GBK), together with the results achieved for the inventory, collection, evaluation and "in situ", "on farm" and "ex situ" conservation of plant genetic resources (PGR) within the GBK, during the period ( ). The Programme for Conservation of PGR, in the Republic of Kosova was established in The vision of the Programme was effective exploring of PGR as a vital component of national cultural heritage. Specific objectives were: analysis of the types and number of PGR accessions, distribution and frequency according to altitude and their use for professional and scientific research. The efforts for GBK establishing, began in 2004, within the project "SEEDNET" between: CBM-Sweden and MAFRD-Pristina, Kosovo, which was blocked by Kosovo s party itself. In 2007, the Kosovo s Contracting Party was changed, and the Agreement was signed by University of Pristina, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, with the same national coordinator, Dr. Shukri Fetahu. Thereafter, the implementation of the project for establishment of GBK, and professional and scientific activities began. A total of 353 accessions were collected: Maize and Cereals 210 (58.65%), Vegetables 29 (8.10%), Legumes 59 (16.48%), Industrial crops 24 (6.7%), Fodder crops 31 (8.65%) and the Fruits and Vitis 5 (1.39%). The GBK, now is the institution with professional-scientific character and national importance, in the service of conservation and use of PGR in Kosovo, with the mission of conservation of the national heritage of the PGR, for future generations. Keywords: Plant genetic resources, gene bank, conservation, accession, species. 1. Introduction 1.1 The challenges of establishing Kosovo Gene Bank In the past, because of the political and social circumstances of the time, Kosovo had not established the Gene Bank for Plant Resources. Institutional efforts for the GBK establishing began in the 2004, in the framework of the international project, South East European Development Network on Plant Genetic Resources "SEEDNET". In that year a cooperation agreement was signed between the CBM (Swedish Biodiversity Centre) and Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Development "MAFRD" in Pristina, with national coordinator Dr. Shukri Fetahu, Faculty of Agricultureand Veterinary. The project was aimed to help the Western Balkan countries, regarding the status of PGR, related to the inventory, collection, research, utilization and conservation of PGR, and *Corresponding author: Shukri Fetahu; shfetahu@hotmail.com & shukri.fetahu@uni-pr.edu (Accepted for publication ) ISSN: , Agricultural University of Tirana other activities at the national, regional and international levels. But, surprisingly the MAFRD blocked the signed agreement for three years ( ), and during this period the project did not give any positive result, and MAFRD doesn t offered any explanation and justification for such blockade of the project! In 2007, we were forced to change Kosovo Signatory Party. The renewed agreement was signed by the University of Pristina, Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary respectively, with the same national coordinator, Dr. Shukri Fetahu. After the renewal of the agreement, since 2007, the National Committee for PGR, intensified work according to the priorities and objectives of the project. The project financed the purchase of equipment and working groups, in all stages and professional activities, while the University of Prishtina, financed

2 Fetahu et al., 2016 the reconstruction of the GBK facility, and thus the GBK was founded. An institution, which until that time had been missing Kosovo, with professional and scientific mission, but of national importance for PGR. 1.2 Plant Genetics Resources (PGR) and Mission of Gene Bank of Kosova (GBK) Plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) are the basis of global food security. They comprise diversity of genetic material contained in traditional varieties, modern cultivars, crop wild relatives and other wild species. Gene banks play a key role in the conservation, availability and use of a wide range of plant genetic diversity for crop improvement for food and nutrition security [1]. The mission of GBK is: inventorying, collection, evaluation, regeneration, characterisation, utilisation and conservation of the PGR to ensure the conservation and access to them. In the last two decades the importance of the conservation of PGR and the role of on farm conservation has been evaluated as a repository of agro biodiversity [2]. Therefore, collection and conservation of the plant genetic diversity is main responsibility of the Gene Bank [3]. Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources is essential to meet the demand for future food security [4]. Agriculture now and in the future will be faced with many new challenges, regarding crop production and food security. Food and fibre production will have to increase dramatically to meet the needs of a growing and modernizing population with a proportionally smaller rural labour force [5]. On other side only a few crops are used in modern agriculture and these often have a narrow genetic base. This is in contrast with the large number of landraces with a substantial genetic variation used by earlier generations. PGR are a vital component of national cultural heritage. Actually they are undergo the erosion by modern agriculture, including replacement of mixed crop subsistence farming by commercial farming, urbanization and industrial development [6, 7]. Therefore agriculture today is characterized by a sharp reduction in the diversity of cultivated plants, only 30 species feed the world, with the three major crops: maize, wheat and rice [8]. The Convention on Biological Diversity [9] of the United Nations recognises that signatory countries have sovereign rights over their resources and biodiversity. Therefore, the aim of the research was to present challenges related to the establishment of GBK, together with the results achieved for the inventorying, collection, evaluation and "in situ", "on farm" and "ex situ" conservation of PGR within the GBK, during the period Material and Methods The National PGR Committee had this institutional composition: Faculty of Agriculture and Veterinary, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Sciences - Department of Biology, Institute of Agriculture in Peja, Kosovo and the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning. The Programme activities are being carried out within the activities of 6 different working groups (WG): Maize and Cereals; Fruits and Vitis; Vegetables; Industrial Crops; Fodder Crops and Medicinal and Aromatic Plants. Method of collecting, were conducted during this period, by each WG, and project, activities were carried out according to the following methods and operative plan: 1.Organizing inventorying and collecting missions in rural areas: The planning of expeditions (plans, documentation and information on geographical, agroecological details). 2.Compiling the passport data of the collected samples: After collecting, Descriptors were used to compile passport data of the collected accessions. 3.Conservation of accessions: (active and base collections), accessions were prepared for conservation according to international standards. 4.Documentation: Obtained data were documented, computerized, collated and analysed among WG in the project, at national and international level. 5. The data for 25 genuses, 32 plant species with 380 collected accessions, particularly for landraces, were analyzed for their distribution, according to altitude, using the GPS device. Also the percentage of accessions frequency and distribution was presented. The descriptive parameters were calculated: X, SE, DS, CV, variance for the of vertical territorial distribution amplitudes for minimal and maximal altitude of the PGR accessions. Descriptors for evaluation were selected from the descriptor lists developed by the working groups of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources and the Biodiversity International. 3. Results and Discussion Page 110

3 The Establishment of the Gene Bank of Kosova, Collection and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources 3.1 Description of territory and Land use in crop production The Republic of Kosovo, with its unique geographical location, occupies a surface area of 10,908 km² of territory. By total area, agricultural land is 583,801 ha or 53.52% and 42.61% or ha of forest land (VSK-89). The highest peak is Gjeravica (2656m a.s.l), while the lowest point is 275m a.s.l. in Vermica and the difference between these points is 2381m a.s.l. Spatial distances of Kosovo border from the Adriatic Sea is less than 99 km, and the average annual rainfall ( mm). In these spaces, separated two main agro-ecological zones (Kosovo Plain and Dukagjini Plain), with some special subareas, with wide range of plant species, and the rich diversity of PGR (Table 1). According VSK (1989), the total cul tivated area was 408,691 ha (70.0%); fields and gardens 300,565 ha (51.48%); 9321 ha orchard (2,06%); 9321ha of vineyards (1.59%); 86749ha Meadows (14.85%) and grasses ha (29.95%). 3.2 Gene Bank of Kosovo and achieved results Before the establishment of the Gene Bank, the Department of Genetics had collected different plant material, mainly maize landraces, but also wheat cultivar collections from the region, who for a long time are cultivated in Kosovo, and such collections were the starting material that was stored in Gene Bank of Kosovo. Within the "SEEDNET" project were organized 12 field expeditions for inventorying Table 1. Diversity of PGR, collected within GBK ( ) and collection of PGR, in the period During a 10 years period ( ), in various ways and forms were collected, plant genetic resources of various species, but the part of the genetic material were also the pure lines of wheat accessions in different generations. Currently within the GBK is included diversity of plant genetic resources: 25 genus and 32 different of plants species with a total of 380 accessions (Table 1). Some of the populations of different species are unique and with special values, are cultivated for centuries as the case of maize, beans, potatoes and peppers, and belong to specific ecological zones, and different altitudes. Such populations are heterogeneous, such as are formed under the influence of natural and farmer selection, some of them are older than 100 years, and used for food because the own characteristics and specific values they have. The result of the project was a total number of 380 accessions. Maize and cereals prevailed with the total number of 215 accessions (56,57% ), followed by 114 vegetables accessions (30%), industrial crops 20 (5.26%), forage crops 13 (3,42%), medicinal and aromatic plant 7 (1,84%) and Fruits- Vitis 7 (1,84% ) and other species (Triticum monococcum, Triticum dicocum ect). (Table 1). Regarding the status of the accessions, they are mainly landraces, which are still grown by some farmers and used as a source of high quality human and animal food. Nr Genus species No. of Nr. Genus species No. of 1 Zea mays Ocium basilicum 1 2 Phaseulus vulgaris Cicer arietinum 7 3 Avena sativa 8 16 Lens culinaris 1 4 Alium cepa 2 17 Aegilops ovata 1 Alium porrum 7 18 Helianthus annus 3 5 Hordeum vulgaris 3 Triticum aestivum* Capsicum annum 11 Triticum monococum 1 19 Solanum Lycopersicum 3 Triticum dicocum 1 7 Solanum tuberosum 17 Triticum polonicum 1 8 Dactilis gllomerata 8 20 Aegilops ovata 1 9 Medicago sativa 5 21 Helianthus annus 3 10 Gentiana lutea 1 Prunus cerasus Primula veris 1 Prunus avium 1 12 Cucurbita peopo Pyrus communis 3 Cucurbita maxima 3 24 Vitis vinifera 1 13 Salvia officinale 4 25 Prunus persica 1 * W. Wheat - Breeding material in different generations. Total number of accessions 380 Page 111

4 Fetahu et al., 2016 However there is a risk of the loss of diversity of plant genetic resources at various levels, for many reasons, especially the modernization of agriculture, abandonment of rural areas, and this leads to the extinction of plant resources. Since the beginning of the cultivation of maize hybrids in Kosovo in the period ( ), it was determined the intensity of genetic erosion, to the local populations of maize in the range of 1.83% [6]. Analysis of territorial distribution according the altitude, for some species that are with greater frequency, and collected more accessions in different locations are presented in graphs (1,2,3 and 4). The distribution and frequency of populations according their altitudes had different frequency curve of their cultivation. Propability of presence of accessions according to altitude varies, as more as it leave the average, the values above and below the average, the frequency decreases, and this results in a greater variance of populations and their territorial vertical distribution, for the collected accessions. Descriptive analysis of the populations distribution, according to territorial vertical zones is presented (Table 2). Table 2. PGR and spatial diversity of cultivation and collection in Kosovo Species Mean SE Mean SD Variance CV Min. Max. Maize Beans Chickpea Potato 654, Pumpkin Barley + oat Pepper According to the analysis, the beans and potatoes accessions have larger amplitudes, the bean populations grown from 365m to 1335m a.s.l., the difference between them is 970 m, while for potatoes, the amplitudes were 441 to 1033m, with a difference 592m. Heterogeneous territory with its specific areas and other characteristics, allowed to have a wide diversity of different PGR species, when we add this the experience of farmers and their traditional production according the specific areas, the diversity of species and populations of plant genetic resources increased even more, and makes the Kosovo a territory with rich diversity of PGR, not only between species but also within species (Table 2). Results from the inventorying of PGR, in Kosovo, have similarities in terms of distribution and frequency of local populations in the Western Balkans, dominated by maize, cereals, then the vegetables accessions [10]. The ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) is a global concern and plays a central role for food security in the future. It is estimated that worldwide 90% of gene bank holdings are seeds, i.e. seed storage is the predominant mode of plant genetic resources conservation [11]. Food legumes are the next largest group, accounting for about 15 percent of all accessions while vegetables, fruits and forage crops each account for 6-9 percent of the total number of accessions maintained ex situ. Roots and tubers, as well as oil and fibre crops each account for 2-3 percent of the total [5]. The largest numbers of ex situ accessions are wheat, rice, barley and maize accounting for 77 percent of the total cereal collections [12]. Page 112

5 The Establishment of the Gene Bank of Kosova, Collection and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources Figure 1. Percentage distribution of accessions according their altitudes. 4. Conclusions In general, the result of this project shown a significant positive impact in establishing Gene Bank of Kosovo, on the present and future work, in the field of plant genetic resources for collection, conservation and utilities of PGR, but also the field of plant breeding and entire crop production. The collection of 380 accessions represent richness of biodiversity, that is now prevented from being lost and will be available for the entire scientific community. There is however an impending danger of extinction caused by many factors, such as intensive agricultural practices and use of modern cultivars and hybrids, migration of the population from villages to the cities, aging of the population in rural areas that traditionally cultivated local populations etc. 5. Acknowledgements This research was financially supported by the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA). Guidance was also provided by the Swedish Biodiversity Centre (CBM) at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. The authors of this paper are expressing their gratitude. 6. References [1] FAO: Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Rev. ed. Rome. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Rome, [2] Krasteva L, Neykov S, Velcheva N, Chavdarov P,Yun Zh, Guo M, Tsvetkov Y: Inventorying and Collecting Local Genetic Resources from Vegetable Crops for Their Conservation and Targeted Use. Agroznanje, vol. 14, br , UDK: 635.1/ [3] Elezi F, Mayrhofer V.Sh, Aliu S, Gixhari B, Ibraliu A: The Albanian Gene Bank and the program for the conservation of plant Page 113

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