February 19, 2008
Bioversity International, with the International
Rice Research Institute and the Africa Rice Centre,
has just published a completely revised set of
descriptors for wild and cultivated rice.
Descriptor Lists are a vital tool for researchers
interested in diversity to ensure that they have
standardized metrics for describing varieties under
study.
"The original list of descriptors for rice was
published in 1980," said Adriana Alercia, who is
responsible for descriptors at Bioversity. "It was
in wide use and was considered the most valid system
for rice." The new set of descriptors has been
expanded to include wild relatives of the genus
Oryza and to harmonize the descriptors as far
as possible with those of the International Union
for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, which
are geared to new commercial varieties. The list
also highlights a set of minimum descriptors which
can be used to discriminate among varieties with a
high degree of certainty.
The new descriptor list has been drawn up in close
consultation with experts at IRRI and the African
Rice Centre and has been reviewed by 22 experts in
the field.
Ruaraidh Sackville Hamilton, who heads IRRI's rice
genebank, welcomed the new descriptor list. "The
descriptor list offers a universal language for
describing rice diversity," he said. "If all rice
researchers adopt this scheme it will produce a
rapid, reliable and efficient means to store,
retrieve and communicate information about rice
diversity. And that is essential to make better use
of the genebanks."
Also published recently by Bioversity International,
a translation into
Portuguese of the descriptors for cowpea.
A
technical brief on how to develop crop descriptor
lists is also available.
For further information, contact
Adriana Alercia
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