Evaluation and Utilization of Vegetable Genetic Resources for the Tropics

Liwayway M. Engle, S. Shanmugasundaram, and Peter Hanson

Abstract

The Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC) established in 1971 in Taiwan, holds one of the largest collections of vegetable germplasm in the world. In 2003, AVRDC has a total of 48,827 germplasm accessions, including 335 species of 149 genera from 151 countries. The collection is conserved under long-term storage conditions and complemented with an active collection for distribution and utilization. The AVRDC germplasm collection served as the genetic base in pre-breeding selection for resistance/tolerance to environmental stresses. Annually, AVRDC sent about 9,000-25,000 accessions to 80 countries intended for various research and development programs. Results of various germplasm evaluation initiatives for Capsicum, tomato, mungbean, vegetable soybean, and indigenous vegetables have already been reported. In tomato, AVRDC line with bacterial wilt resistance developed in the 1970s and 1980s was derived from North Carolina cultivars 'Venus' and 'Saturn' and 'UPCA 1169' from the Philippines. In mungbean, germplasm from the Philippines and India have played a major role in the development of improved cultivars for Southeast Asia, providing 38.2% and 57.4% of the materials, respectively. The resistance to Cercospora leaf spot (Cercospora canescens, C. cruenta) and powdery mildew (Erysiphe polygoni) were obtained from India while accessions from the Philippines provided high yield, uniform maturity, earliness and bold seed. The Philippines has released six lines from AVRDC mungbean materials including the widely cultivated 'VC 1973A'. With AVRDC as the executing agency, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) agreed to fund the project "Collection, Conservation and Utilization of Indigenous Vegetables" that aims to improve the conservation and utilization of indigenous vegetables in South and Southeast Asia. The project was undertaken in five countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. Based on morphological traits, potential yield, preference, and high functional properties, a total of 167 accessions comprised of Amaranthus sp (22), Cucurbita moschata (18), Benincasa hispida (15), Abelmoschus esculentus (14), Corchorus sp. (13), Basella alba (12), Trichosanthes cucumerina (11), Ipomoea aquatica (10), Luffa aegyptiaca (10), Luffa acutangular (7), Spinacea oleracea (7), Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedalis (7), Momordica charantia (5), Cucumis sativus (4), Trichosanthes dioica (4), Hibiscus sabdariffa (3), Brassica oleracea var acephala (2), Lagenaria siceraria (2), and Phaseolus vulgaris (1) were recommended for further evaluation and utilization in the participating countries.