Cost Action 871

Main Objectives

The main objective of this Action is to improve and apply technologically advanced techniques for plant genetic resources conservation of crops that are grown and or conserved in Europe with main emphasis on long-term conservation through cryopreservation.

The Action also aims to deepen cooperation in Europe, by regular meetings, scientific contribution to international conferences and collaboration with industries, in order to comply with the secondary objectives:

Objective 1: To screen in detail the current utilisation of plant cryopreservation in Europe. Current research on plant cryopreservation in Europe is limited, fragmented and not coordinated. Therefore a listing of all initiatives that are currently ongoing is essential.
Objective 2: To screen and compare the efficiency of existing plant cryopreservation protocols. Many cryopreservation protocols are used today. The most commonly applied ones are the vitrification, encapsulation- dehydration and classical slow cooling.
Objective 3: To improve fundamental knowledge about cryoprotection through the determination of physico-biochemical changes associated with tolerance towards cryopreservation. A multidisciplinary approach evaluating simultaneously multiple variables and including orthodox as well as recalcitrant plant species will lead to the unravelling cryoprotection.
Objective 4: To develop new plant cryopreservation protocols. These will be based on existing protocols (objectives 1 and 2) and findings generated in objective 3. The resulting cryopreservation protocols will be:
- efficient (at least 50 % post-thaw recovery)
- user-friendly (technically not too demanding and with a limited number of steps)
- fast (and thus applicable to large amounts of germplasm)
- broad (applicable to a wide variety of plant species and tissues)
Objective 5: To assure the genetic stability and true-to-typeness of plants after cryopreservation. It is desirable to assess the genetic integrity of plants surviving cryogenic storage to determine if they are 'true to type' after cryopreservation. This can be done at the morphological, histological, cytological, biochemical and molecular levels.
Objective 6: To apply cryopreservation to European plant germplasm collections. This will be promoted through workshops and technical guidelines.
Objective 7: To proof the environmental, social and economic impact of plant cryopreservation.

Main Outcomes

The main outcomes of this COST Action will thus be:

The establishment of a network of European plant cryopreservation specialists
Proceedings of technical recommendations for cryopreservation
Proceedings of proof of conformity after cryopreservation
The establishment of a tentative virtual lab
Long-term plant germplasm collections

General Benifits

It is virtually impossible to assign monetary values to the benefits generated by crop genetic resources conserved in ex situ collections. It is simply the basis for agriculture. Private and public funded breeding programmes need new germplasm to improve current cultivated crops which are demanded by the industry and the consumers. The value of crop genetic resources conserved in ex situ collections includes not only current use value and expected future use value, but also option value, associated with the flexibility to respond to some unknown, future events.

Benefits to the Scientific Community

A better understanding of the mechanisms involved in tolerance to cryopreservation can lead towards the detection of genes/proteins involved in resistance to freezing, cold and drought stress, which are essential components for developing future breeding strategies for marginal areas and their crops. Especially unravelling mechanisms that induce tolerance to drought conditions is of outermost importance in view of the ongoing climate change/global warming.

Benefits to the society

The action will provide alternative and efficient methods for preserving plant genetic resource for the long-term. This safe, long-term conservation of European plant collections is the assurance that European industries, farmers and consumers will have continuously and ready access to new plant germplasm. Due to the development of better plant biodiversity conservation systems, farmers will have ready and fast access to more varieties which are pest/pathogen free and which can have unique features, like flower colour, disease resistance, cold tolerance. As such they can respond rapidly to disease outbreaks as well as to specific market needs.

Benefits to the consumers and environment

Currently, agriculture in Europe relies on the continuous production of pest/disease resistant plants produced by private and public funded breeding programmes. These breeding programmes therefore need to rely on a collection of interesting source material which provides the genes for resistance. The provision of resistant breeding lines in consequence guarantees that crops need less pesticide (environmentally safer and more sustainable) and result in fewer residues in the food chain. It is expected that these processes of introgression will move to processes of incorporation i.e. the cultivation of species which are currently out-of-fashion or whose potential is not properly discovered.

Benefits for the European Agriculture

The incorporation of more germplasm of under-utilised species will further increase biodiversity on farms, and variability of products for consumers. The trend towards organic farming in Europe can be supported more if biodiversity becomes available from safe collections.

Benefits for the employment

Continuing the development of better plant preservation tools, and provided the Biodiversity Action Plans are followed, existing facilities and organisations for the preservation of biodiversity will soon have an increased workload. In addition, straight-forward safe-storage methods will open prospects for companies to provide storage facilities/services. Access to large collections where plant material is safely stored, will open prospects to companies for a regular and quick launch of new material. This will also generate job opportunities.