The document summarizes the current status of the Italian National Germplasm Database called PlantA-Res. It was created in 2004 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Policy to implement objectives around access to plant genetic resources outlined in the International Treaty. It is coordinated by the CRA-FRU research center and includes data on over 46,000 accessions of 70 crops from 31 partner institutions. The database allows searching and access to passport data and characterization information to facilitate sharing of Italian plant genetic resources data nationally and internationally. Future plans include expanding the number of accessions and characterization data in the database.

1. Current status of the germplasm data
sources: the case of Italian National
Germplasm database
M. Antonietta Palombi, Petra Engel,
Mario Giorgioni, F. Roberto De Salvador and C. Fideghelli
CRA – Fruit Tree Research Centre, Rome.
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2. PlantA-Res (http://planta-res.entecra.it)
.
fully bilingual
PlantA-Res is the Italian online portal dedicated to activities concerning the safeguard
and sustainable utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture
(PGRFA) in Italy, according to the International FAO Treaty for PGRFA.
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3. How is the PlantA-Res website born?
In 2004, the Ministry of Agriculture, Alimentation and Forestry Policy (MiPAAF), after
the ratification of the ITPGRFA and in response to this launched a Research
Programme named “Plant Genetic Resources/FAO International Treaty (RGV/FAO),
specifically targeted at the implementation of the objectives outlined in the Treaty, for
the access to plant genetic material and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits
arising from their utilization.
CRA-FRU was chosen for scientific coordination of a total of 31 Partners:
Research activities are aimed at the collection, conservation, characterization,
documentation and utilization of more than 70 crops essential for the Italian
agriculture, 26 of which are currently included in the Multilateral System of the
ITPGRFA.
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4. The website structure
“Home page”;
“The Project”;
“ Institutions” involved;
”The Database”;
”The Network” of Plant Genetic Resources;
”The News” section which reports on events, PGRs newsletter
and other relevant publications;
“Contact us” with information about participants.
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5. The Database
AIMS:
- facilitate access to information on the material
maintained in the different collections;
- give information concerning the evaluation of
agronomical, qualitative, technological and ornamental
aspects of this material.
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6. The Database
It currently, includes 239 genera for a total of 46,889 accessions,
grouped in 10 categories.
493
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7. Participants
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8. Passport Descriptors
(FAO/IPGRI MCPD + 4 additional descriptors )
HOLDING INSTITUT E
COLLECT ING SITE
InstCode
Collsite
IDENTIFICATION AND TAXONOMY
Latitude
AcceName
Longitude
Genus
Elevation
Species + SpAuthor
ADVANCED MATERIAL
SubTaxon + Sub TAuthor
BredCode/ BredDescr
Syn
Ancest
CropName + Cropname ENG
Donor Info
OrigCtry
DonorCode
SampStat
DonorNumb
ACQUISIT ION AND MAINT ENANCE
OTHER INFO
AcqDate
DuplSite/ DuplDescr
CollSrc
OtherNumb
Storage
YearReg
AccNumb
Remarks
MLSStatus
CropNameEng
AEGISStatus
AcceURL
COLLECTED MATERIAL
AcceUSE
CollCode/ CollDescr
Avail.
CollNumb
CollDate
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9. Search within the Database (1)
Research within the database allows to choose between one or more elements of the 7 core
criteria for the identification of an accession, or starting a more targeted search by
combining multiple criteria. Depending on the criteria chosen, the system generates a list of
accessions corresponding and also indicates the total number of these.
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10. Search within the Database (2)
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11. Specific Descriptors (1) example: Apple
as elaborated by the "Working Group on Agricultural Biodiversity", operating under the "National Plan on
Biodiversity in Agriculture", established by the Italian Ministry of Agriculture. Adopted from UPOV
1. Tree vigour
18. Fruit size
2. Tree type
19. Fruit: ribbing
3. Tree habit
20. Fruit: crowning at calyx end
4. Type of bearing
21. Fruit: bloom of skin
5. One-year-old shoot: length of internode
22. Skin: ground colour
6. One-year-old shoot: number of lenticels
23. Skin: relative area of overcolour
7. Beginning of flowering time
24. Skin: overcolour (bloom removed)
8: Flower: main colour (balloon stage)
25. Skin: pattern of overcolour
9. Flower: arrangement of petals
26. Skin: number of lenticels
10. Flower: position of anthers with respect to anthers
27. Fruit: length of stalk
11. Leaf blade: attitude in relation to shoot
28. Fruit: depth of stalk cavity
12. Leaf blade: length/ width ratio
29. Fruit: width of stalk cavity
13. Leaf blade: incisions on margin
30. Fruit: depth of eye basin
14. Leaf blade: pubescence on lower side
31. Fruit: width of eye basin
15. Length of petione
32. Flesh: firmness
16. Harvest time
33. Flesh: colour
17. Fruit shape
34: Fruit: aperture of locules (in cross section)
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12. Specific Descriptors (2)
as elaborated by experts working on the species (in case of no common descriptors lists)
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13. Perspectives
• Increase the number of accessions in the Database,
• Expand the database with specific descriptors of single species,
in order to enable the sharing, at national and international level,
of information derived from the activities of characterization which
institutions have been carrying out for years
• It is hoped that more istitutions (Universities, Regions, private
collectors, …) will join the database in order to make the website a
complete reference portal for Plant Genetic Resources preserved
in Italy.
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14. THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
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