AUSTRALIA—GERMANY WORKSHOP ON BIODIVERSITY

The Shine Dome, 13-17 March 2006

Towards genomics-based strategies for the utilisation of genetic resources
by Prof Dr Andreas Graner, Institut für Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpfkanzenforschung

The utilisation of genetic resources in cultivated plant species and their wild relatives depends on the existence of comprehensive ex situ collections and the unrestricted availability of their germ plasm. In this regard, the IPK holds a comprehensive collection totalling about 147,000 accessions and representing more than 2,700 botanical species. Apart from the conservation of genetic resources, research activities at the Genebank are geared towards development of genomics-based strategies to improve the utilisation of genetic resources for plant breeding. Together with recent advances in bioinformatics, the availability of gene-specific sequence information opens new opportunities for the utilisation of genetic resources. The availability of candidate genes that underlie agronomic traits will facilitate a gene-based utilisation of genetic resources, which, at least in theory, can be extended to any given trait. There is hope that the application of allele mining strategies will entail a quantum leap in the utilisation of plant genetic resources. They will not only allow a deliberate selection of the most appropriate germ plasm but will provide access to those collections which, because of their large size, are hard to handle by conventional means.