Excursion CGN 2010
Location: Wageningen, The Netherlands
Background information
The Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN) is part of Wageningen University and Research Centre. CGN-PGR maintains the Dutch genebank for plant genetic resources for food and agriculture under a mandate of the Netherlands government. In addition, CGN is involved in on-farm conservation programmes. CGN’s mission is to contribute to global conservation efforts. CGN considers as a leading principle the notion that the value of germplasm depends on the knowledge over and availability of that germplasm. In this context, CGN recognizes the need to integrate ex situ and in situ conservation approaches and the will to collaborate with all stakeholders.
CGN maintains collections of the following crops:
- lettuce, spinach, cabbage, onion, leek, tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber, potato, wheat, barley, oats, maize, faba bean, pea, lupine, clover, flax, grass species, apple, and lily;
In total about 24.000 accessions. The crop pepper contains over 1000 accessions wich includes Wild capsicum species.
Excursion
WildChilli.EU organized this excursion to CGN together with the Curator Fruit Vegetable Crops\Chair ECPGR Solanaceae Working Group. His responsibility is to maintain the crops within the collection of CGN.
Friday morning 10.00 am
We began our little journey through the facilities of CGN starting with an interesting presentation about CGN in one of their meeting-rooms. The presentation was generally focused on CGN's activities but nevertheless very informative. We had a good talk with our host and after a good cup of coffee we were ready to have a peak at their facilities.
A good beginning of the tour was a stop at the seed storage facility. This storage contains all their 24.000 accessions including "spare" copies of other genebanks. The facility is being protected by a gaseous fire suppresion system that will rapidly inert a space incase of fire. In case of fire we would have about 30 sec. to evacuate the building.
The seeds that CGN distributes to researchers etc. are stored here at a temperature of -20C. The seeds where dried to a moisture-level of 3-4% before they where frozen. Every 10 years they have to test the germination rate and when it gets to low they have to regenerate the species.
Regeneration is the renewal of a seed sample by taking a random sample of seeds, sowing and growing the resulting plants under conditions so that the seeds harvested will possess the same characteristics as the original population (Hanson, 1985). Regeneration of seeds is required when the germination percentage has fallen below acceptable levels or shortage of seed occurs. As a rule, the germination percentage should be above 80%. Exceptions are made for accessions that are very difficult to regenerate (like some wild species). For these accessions percentages between 60 and 80 % can be accepted.
They think the seeds should last at least for 50 years before regenerating. We where told that regenerating crops is a very expensive business.
Safety duplicates of a collection are of great importance to safeguard germplasm from loss in case of disaster. Therefore CGN has duplicated nearly all (99%) its accessions and accommodated these safety duplicates at different genebanks. Vise versa CGN has also stored duplicates from other collection holders in their storage facility. The exchange of germplasm safety duplicates follows the so called "black box" approach. The duplicates are stored under optimum conditions, no details are supplied on the material and the safety duplicate holder is not allowed to make any use of the material.
CGN holds about 7.300 safety duplicates of more than 20 collection holders from 13 countries. These accessions are stored at minus 20 0C together with the archived collection and the source material of CGN.
CGN has accommodated its safety duplicates at:
- Horticulture Research International (HRI), Genetic Resources Unit, Wellesbourne, United Kingdom
- Institut fuer Pflanzengenetik und Kulturpflanzenforschung (IPK), Gatersleben, Germany
- John Innes Institute, Norwich, United Kingdom
- Bundesamt fur Agrarbiologie, Linz, Austria
CGN has also triplicated about 75% of their accessions in the Global Seed Vault at Svalbard. Those seeds are also stored under a “black box” arrangement.
The area next to the cooling cells is where they pack the seeds for distribution. 
CGN takes great care of packing seeds. The seed samples are packed in laminated aluminium foil bags. The bags consists of 3 layers: the inner layer of 80 µm polyethylene, an intermediate layer of 12 µm aluminum foil and an outer layer of 12 µm polyester. Polyethylene is necessary to seal the bags, the aluminium is non-permeable to moisture and the polyester is used to give the bag its mechanical strength. Four different sizes of bags are used, depending on the crop and the size of the seed samples.
Our next stop was the Greenhouse. Before we entered we had to wash our hands thoroughly and disinfect them. Virus like TMV (Tobacco mosaic virus) are a real threat to Chilli's and it's commonly spread through tobacco.
The virus is hard to treat on tobacco plants and you actually should always wash your hands when you're nearby Chilli's.
The building we entered is just a small old facility of CGN but it still was impressive. The first thing we noticed was the watering installation. They grow the cultivated varieties mainly on Rockwool but the Wild Chilli species on soil.
The Greehouse is divided into several compartments where they regenerate different crops/plants.
Some C.annuum growing on Rockwool. This compartment doesn't belong to CGN but is it's from the Wageningen University.
Finally where in the Greenhouse of CGN. At the time being they had only one Wild capsicum species growing wich was C.cardenasii. They grow their plants mainly without artificial lights.
In the right corner the C.cardenasii plants. Overall the plants are doing fine considering it's winter here. Next year we will go back when they have more Wild accession growing.
When regenerating germplasm a number of points must be taken into consideration (van Soest, 1990):
- Selection within the original population as a result of regeneration procedures should be minimized.
- No contamination with other samples, both during regeneration and seed handling should be allowed.
- The breeding system of the crop in question is important. Cross pollinating crops need additional measures to assure proper isolation.
- The population size of the original sample should be sufficiently large to avoid genetic drift. Compared to self pollinating species, cross pollinating species usually require a higher number of plants for regenerations to maintain the genetic variation that exists within the population.
To minimize the impact that regenerations can have on the genetic identity of a seed sample, the frequency of regeneration should be kept as low as possible.
Plants that during regeneration clearly seem contaminants and do not belong to the total population are removed.
C.cardenasii flowers.
Reaction from Stef
Friday the 26th of November. 06:00, the alarm goes of. Frost flowers mark the windows and outside the fog makes a chill . Nevertheless I get out of bed without any trouble, hurry up to get ready. Without hesitation I go outside to get my bicycle to drive to the train station. Although it is a half-hour ride the cold doesn’t really get to me, because the burning sensation of chilli is running through my veins. Today I get to see the research facilities of the Centre of Genome research of the Netherlands (later on CGN) .
It was nice and very interesting to spend the day with so much experience in chilli growing around me. I’ve learned a lot from CGN, but also from Lee and Inca. Friday it was the first time I saw so many chilliheads together. Now my hands are itching and I can’t wait to start the new season.
