Pratibha Brahmi

Access and Benefit Sharing Mechanism under the Multilateral System of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA) is of critical importance for food and nutritional security. The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture recognizes the efforts of farmers and local communities involved in on-farm conservation and management of PGRFA. The international exchange of PGRFA for research, breeding and conservation is the key requirement for food security and sustainable agriculture. Access to global gene pool which is a network of international and national gene banks and other institutions is a major benefit under the Treaty. Facilitated access to this vast gene pool under the Treaty is provided under the terms and conditions of the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA). India has already notified the guidelines for the implementation of the Treaty and is already using SMTA for exchange of PGRFA with Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). The guidelines are notified under the provisions of national legislation that is Biodiversity Act, 2002. The chapter details the multilateral system (MLS) of Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) under the Treaty, option for benefit sharing under SMTA, and provisions of providing facilitated access under the Treaty and access to PGRFA as per the provisions of the treaty in India.

Utilization of Exotic Plant Genetic Resources in Wheat Registered Germplasm

Utilization of Exotic Plant Genetic Resources in Wheat Registered Germplasm Genetic Resources (PGRs) are material of plant origin which are of value for present and future generations of human kind. Since times immemorial these resources are being collected and conserved for further utilization in crop improvement programmes. Countries are highly interdependent on these genetic resources including the diversity rich nations where the major food production is dependent on crops which have actually originated in other countries. Thus, PGRs are continually exchanged for use in developing better crop varieties, resistant to various pests and diseases and to improve quality, quantity and other valuable or desirable traits. This unique germplasm is provided soft protection and registered at ICARNational Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources since 1996 through the Plant Germplam Registration Committee. An analysis on the extent of utilization of exotic germplasm in for developing trait specific unique germplasm was done. To start with the data was analysed for wheat germplasm registered from year 1996-2014, and it was found that 75% of the exotic germplasm was used as parents for the lines which were registered at ICAR-NBPGR.. .