This manual provides guidance on establishing and managing demonstration farms and field gene banks to conserve agrobiodiversity in Ethiopia. It outlines approaches for ex situ conservation including field gene banks and community seed banks. Standards are provided for collecting and storing germplasm and managing field gene banks. The manual also describes how to select host farmers and crops for demonstration sites, and recommended practices for agronomy, participation, knowledge sharing, monitoring, and ensuring sustainability.

1. Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute
Enhanced Management and Enforcement of
Ethiopia’s Protected Area Estate Project
Demonstration Farm And Model Farms Of Agro Biodiversity
Production, Conservation and Management Manual
By
3. Tahir Nura

2. Out line
• Introduction
• Objective of the manual
• Conservation of PGR in Ethiopia
• Conservation approaches for PGR
• Ex situ conservation
• Exploration, collection and Documentation of PGR
• Cold room storage
• Field gene bank
• Field Gene bank Establishment
• Standards for Acquisition of Germplasm

3. OUT LINE
• Factors affecting Field Gene bank Layout
• Standards for sample collections of horticultural
crops
• Field gene bank management
• In situ conservation
• Community seed bank
• Factors to be considered when establishing CSB
• Process of CSB establishment
• Demonstration site for agro biodiversity
conservation
• Selection criteria for host farmers
• Conservation practices in demonstration

4. OUTLINE
• Agronomic practices of demonstration site
• Methods of participation and knowledge
dissemination
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Sustainability

5. Who should use the Training manual ?
Those working toward the objectives of:
• Expanding the mission of a national PGR
conservation programm.
• Linking farmers into national conservation and
breeding efforts
• Designing total agroecosystem conservation
programmes
• Improving small farmers' livelihoods through the
use of local crop resources
• Identifying national centres of high crop genetic
diversity Increasing agricultural production using
local crop genetic resources.

6. Background
• Earth is home of approximately 240,000 species
of plants of which only about 5,000 have been
carefully studied (Anderson et al., 1988)
• Mankind is dependent on 25 to 30 food plants.
• rice, wheat and maize provide 60 % food for the
people of the world .
• The food grain demands by the year of 2020 is
anticipated to be around 250 million tones.

7. Background cont..
• This is both an opportunity and a challenge to
geneticists and plant breeders to produce
more when there is little possibility of any
substantial increase in the cultivated land .
• Plant genetic resources (PGR) are the
backbone of agriculture which play a positive
and unique role in the development of new
cultivars.

8. Background cont…
• Plants, which could withstand better
under biotic and abiotic pressures, are
thus the keys for sustainability in
agriculture.
• Genes for such traits are often available
in wild species and farmers varaities.
• Researchers need to exploit fully to
achieve desired objectives.
•

9. Background cont…
• currently genetic erosion of PGR is getting common
because of several factors, like
– habitat fragmentation
– over-exploitation (overgrazing and excessive
harvesting) competition from exotics (accidental
and planned introductions)
– deforestation ,land degradation, Population
growth, and climate change
– The main cause of genetic erosion in the last 40
years has been the spread of modern, commercial
agriculture and the replacement of diverse farmer
plant varieties with modern, hybrid varieties
(Salazar, 1992, 18).

10. Background cont…
• Especially, protected areas in Ethiopia is gradually
shrinking in size and deteriorating in quality due to the
pressure imposed by the surrounding community for
exploitation of resources.
• Also the agro biodiversity of the surrounding or
catchments areas gradually decline.
• To reverse these problems and ensure sustainable
conservation of agrobiodiversity, EBI launched a
project on Enhanced Management and Enforcement of
Ethiopia’s Protected Area Estate in collaboration with
UNDP and Ethiopian Wildlife Protection Authority
(EWCA).

11. Objective of this manual
• The main objectives of this manual is to
provide conservators, trainers , demonstration
farm facilitators and farmers with information
how to produce and conserve field and
horticultural crops in the project areas..
• To aware the farmers the importance of PGR
conservation.

12. Beneficiary
• Direct beneficiary of this manual will be demonstration farm managers in
protected areas of the project and also conservators, trainers, farmers,
research organizations, higher learning institutions, and other stakeholders
will also benefit directly or indirectly from this manual.
• How to utilize the manual:
• This manual will be used as a practical guide by the demonstration farm
manager while carrying out his/her day-to-day activities of the
demonstration farm’s routine activities.
• Organized farmers around demonstration farms and other stakeholders
shall also make use of this manual while planning conservation, seed
multiplication, seed regeneration, evaluation and restoration programmes.

13. Conservation of PGR in Ethiopia
• Over 6000 species of higher plants are
believed to be found in Ethiopia
• 10% of these spp are endemic.
• Ethiopia is a centre of origin for cultivated
crops such as coffee, tef, enset.
• centre of diversity for many crop species such
as durum wheat, barley and sorghum.

14. Conservation of PGR in Ethiopia
cont..
• Currently, 89 crop species of 86599 accessions were
conserved by Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute.
• 79354 accessions conserved in cold room and 7245
accessions in field gene bank) also
• 200183 accessions were distributed for different
stakeholders (national and international research
institutions as well as universities).
Conservation approaches for PGR
• There are two approaches in conservation of Plant
genetic resources i.e. ex- situ and in- situ

15. Conservation approaches for PGR
Ex situ conservation
• Conservation of biological diversity outside its
natural habitats
Applied to species with characteristics of :
endangered
– Economical importance
– Species of ethno-botanical interest
– Species of interest for the restoration of local
ecosystems
– Spp of taxonomically isolated .

16. Ex situ conservation cont..
• Ex-situ conservation comprises
– cold room storage
– field gene banks
– botanical gardens
– Conservation of plant parts (cryopreservation )
and etc

17. Exploration, collection and
Documentation of PGR
• priority should be given to the collecting of
material that is believed to be threatened
– Things to be considered during collection
What to collect ?
Where to Collect?
When to Collect?
How to Collect?
How much to Collect?

18. Field gene bank
• conserve Plants that cannot be conserved as
seeds because of their recalcitrant nature.
• Used to conserve clonally propagated plants as
live plants
challenges for FGB
– require large areas
– costly
– vulnerable to pests and diseases, natural disasters,
political unrest, extreme weather, fire, vandalism, and
theft, and they often are at risk due to policy changes
on land use.

19. Field Gene bank Establishment
Standards for choice of location
1 .The agro-ecological conditions ((climate,
elevation, soil, drainage ,optimum rain fall)
2. The site of FGB should be located so as to
minimize risks from natural and man-made
disasters and hazards
3. FGB should be located so as, to minimize risks of
geneflow and contamination from crops or wild
populations of the same species to maintain
genetic integrity.

20. Field gene bank Establishment cont..
4. should have a secured land tenure and should be large
enough to allow for future expansion of the collection
5. The site of the field genebank should be easily accessible to
staff and supplies deliveries and have easy access to water,
and adequate facilities for propagation and quarantine.
6. It should be far away from settlement areas and village
nearby.
7. For those reproduced vegetativly, one plant is sufficient to
maintain the genetic variations but more plants are needed
for security and it’s recommended a minimum of five plants
(5) are maintained for each accessions.
8. If the field gene bank is new one; we have to use layout
system depending on the topography of the environment.

21. Field gene bank Establishment cont..
We have to divide the site into blocks in between. There
must be roads to pass through.
9. Use adequate spacing and plant density in the plot to
avoid competition that will result in weak plants or
allow rapid spread of diseases or insect pests.
10. Avoid selecting only strong plants to retain in the
field gene bank, as that will reduce genetic variation.
Select the planting material carefully so that only
healthy material and vigorous parts of the plant are
used when planting new fields or replanting empty
plots.
11. When materials are transferred to other sites or
countries, follow the specific regulations for the safe
transferor of germplasm for that crop.

22. Field gene bank Establishment cont..
12. Correct and clearly written labels are important
in germplasm collections.
13. When new plants are established, allow an
overlap of few months before destroying the older
field to ensure the plants establish well in the new
field

23. Standards for Acquisition of Germplasm
• All germplasm accessions added to the genebank
should be legally acquired, with relevant technical
documentation.
• All material should be accompanied by at least a
minimum of associated data as detailed in the
FAO/Bioversity multi-crop passport descriptors.
• Propagating material should be collected from
healthy growing plants whenever possible, and at
an adequate maturity stage to be suitable for
propagation.

24. Standards for Acquisition of Germplasm
cont..
• The period between
– collecting
– shipping
– processing and
– transferring to the field genebank should be as short as
possible to prevent loss and deterioration of the material.
• Samples acquired from other countries or regions
within the country should pass through the relevant
quarantine process and meet the associated
requirements before being incorporated into the field
collection

25. Factors affecting Field Gene bank
Layout
• There are many types of disturbing factors that
may upset a field gene bank layout.
– Soil heterogeneity
– Plant competition
– Climatic factors

26. Standards for sample collections of
horticultural crops
• A sufficient number of plants should be
maintained to capture the genetic diversity
within the accession
• A field gene bank should have a clear map
showing the exact location of each accession
in the plot.

27. Standards for sample collections of
horticultural crops cont..
• The appropriate cultivation practices should be
followed taking into account
– micro-environment
– planting time
– rootstock
– watering time
– pest, and disease and weed control.

28. Standards for sample collections of
horticultural crops cont..
• During germplasm collection the researcher
has to consider the following factor
– How many plants per accessions should be
maintained?
– How the plants are laid out within the genebank;
and
– What cultivation practices need to be applied to
ensure optimal growing conditions of the
accessions in the collections?

29. Standards for collection of Germplasm
•It will depend on the nature of the species that
are intended to be conserved.
•Species-specific standards will have to be
developed depending on the
– biological characteristics of the species
– its phenology
–reproductive mechanism
– population structure.

30. Field gene bank management
• Appropriate cultivation practices such as
– fertilization
– irrigation
– pruning
– trellising
– rootstock and weeding should be performed to ensure
satisfactory plant growth.
• Plants and soil should be regularly monitored for pests and
diseases.

31. Field gene bank management cont..
• avoiding inter-growth of accessions,
• proper labelling and
• field maps and periodic assessment of identity
using morphological or molecular techniques.

32. 2.1.2 In situ conservation
• defined as “the continuous cultivation and
management of a diverse set of populations by
farmers in the agroecosystems where a crop
has evolved” (Bellon et al. 1997)
• In-situ comprises conservation of plant genetic
resources using Biosphere reserves (protected
areas) and on-farm conservation.

33. Community seed bank
• community-based seed storage used for the
distribution of seed and grain to the local
communities on a loan basis
• important in promoting and sustaining the
cultivation of a variety of crops.
• serve as a buffer against environmental and
economic losses

34. Factors to be considered when
establishing CSB cont..
• Availability of intra-specific diversity in the
community (diversity base)
• Sufficient seed production for community
demand
• Availability of good-quality and healthy seed
(e.g., presence of formal outlets for local
landraces)
• Farmers exchange, save, and select seed

35. Factors to be considered when
establishing CSB cnt..
• Market caters to a broad range of
varieties/options
• Existence of associated traditional knowledge
• Adequate knowledge of selection and seed
health
• Interest of youth in agriculture
• Policy support for local varieties

36. Process of CSB establishment
• We need to do the following activities during
the CSB establishment
– Motivating and organizing farmers
– Choosing crop species and varieties Seed health
(local quarantine) and seed processing (cleaning)
– Seed storage (facility, furniture, equipment and
methods)
– Registration of a variety (passport data)
– Seed regeneration
– Monitoring of operations and results

37. Demonstration site for agro biodiversity
conservation
• A field demonstration shows technologies or
practices in farmer’s fields and under farmer’s
conditions (Bell and Rickman, 2013).
• In-field demonstrations help farmers
determine how farmer’s varieties, products,
and cropping practices compare to standard
practices on their farms (Herendeen et al.,
Undated).

38. Establishment of demonstration site cont..
Identifying the Problem
– the first step is identifying problems which include
collecting and analyzing information to design agro
biodiversity conservation demonstrations.
• Inventory and Selection of the crops for demonstration
– It is to conduct inventories of existing crops , varieties
and knowledge appraisals at the community level.
– Agro biodiversity inventories are fundamental reference
points to monitor the loss of genetic resources.

39. Table 1. Selected crops species for demonstration site in three
project areas.(As sample )
SN Project sites Selected species Remark
Field crop Hort. Crops
1 Babile Maize ,sorghum
,ground nut etc
2 Kafta shiraro Maize
Sorghum
Datepalm
3 Chebera
chrchura
Maize
Sorghum , teff
barley
Spices,
ginger,coffe
e,root and
tubers

40. Selection criteria for host farmers
• It is done through consultation between
program staff, government extension agents
and local leaders.
• A few projects have a set of written criteria,
but most programs use informal guidelines.
• The most common criteria for selecting hosts
is a requirement that they be a “progressive
farmer.

41. Selection criteria for host farmers
cont..
• Other common criteria for selecting host
farmers include:
– The farmer must be willing to contribute towards
the implementing the demonstration
– The farmer must be willing to teach others and
have strong pedagogical skills.

42. Site selection
• often made by farmers using guidance
provided by program staff and government
extension agents. These are:-
– Accessibility
– Availability of water
– Soil condition

43. Conservation practices in demonstration
• Restoration
• Seed Multiplication
• Characterization and evaluation
Agronomic practices of demonstration site
• Land Preparation
– bush clearing
– removal of stones and rocks
– ripping
– leveling of the soil.

44. Agronomic practices of demonstration
site
• Sowing of Seeds
– Sowing by hand
– Seed Drill
• Precautions to be taken while sowing seeds
– Seeds must be planted at the correct distance or
intervals from each other.
– Seeds must be sown at the correct depth in the soil
– The seeds that you sow should be of the highest
quality.
– Seed must be sown at right season (time)

45. Agronomic practices of demonstration
site cont..
• Fertilizers
– nutrients (like nitrate, potassium phosphorus
magnesium etc)
– Manure
– Compost are common ones
Crop Protection
– Weeding
– Pests and disease control

46. Agronomic practices of demonstration
site cont..
• Harvesting of Crops
– harvesting is the cutting and gathering of the
matured crop. This includes
– Threshing
– Winnowing

47. Methods of participation and knowledge
dissemination
• Field days
– important to improve the cost-effectiveness of the
demonstration.
– provide an ideal opportunity for farmers to meet
again.
• appropriate times could be:
– At the time of planting
– At mid-season when differences in crop growth are
apparent
– At harvest time when yields, costs and benefits can be
compared

48. Methods of participation and knowledge
dissemination cont..
• Other common methods or knowledge
dissemination are
– Farm walks (farm visiting)
– Farmers rallies
– Folk media (song, drama ,story telling and dance)
– Group meetings
– Experience sharing through motivational tours
– Participatory agro biodiversity conservation practices
– Formal training days

49. Monitoring and Evaluation
• Determining whether or not the intended
objectives have been met.
• Monitoring is not only concerned with the
transformation of inputs into outputs, but can
also be
– Physical and financial monitoring

50. Sustainability
• To be sustainable, farmers and extension
agents need continuous support even after
the project ends.
• Linkages between farmers and other
stakeholders are critical for sustaining learning
and adoption in demonstration site
management.