Characterization and Evaluation of Genebank Accessions as a Pre-selection Instrument for Plant Breeding Objectives and Strategies

Abstract

The federal German ex-situ collection of agricultural and horticultural plants at the Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK)—the IPK Genebank—with its headquarters in Gatersleben and a satellite collection for fodder crops at Malchow/Poel, is one of the most comprehensive plant genetic resources (PGR) collections worldwide. In addition to collection, conservation, documentation and distribution activities, the characterization and evaluation comprises a major part of the work at the IPK Genebank, particularly in field trials of collected material with common geographical origin or habitat. Evaluated traits of grasses include plant development before and after winter, growth type, length and width of flag leaf and plant height or resistance to diseases. We assessed Irish Lolium perenne accessions for relevant breeding traits to give an example of IPK Genebank activities. On the basis of the monitored traits we are able to predict the behavior of plants against abiotic stress (e.g. drought, late frost and winter hardiness), serving as a pre-selection instrument for different plant breeding objectives and strategies.