The Production Group develops and implements methodologies of seed multiplication and regeneration, in this case of Phaseolus beans, to meet the germplasm requests of users of the global collection (35,898 materials for 44 taxa to date) throughout the planet. Since we don?t know in advance what users may ask, this implies the conservation of the entire collection and its availability at any time (403,057 samples distributed to date, with an annual average distribution of 4-6,000 samples). The access to materials and the distribution are done through a mechanism established with the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture of the United Nations (FAO), and the Instituto Colombiano Agropecuario (ICA), particularly for matters relating to plant quarantine.
The responsibility to conserve this heritage (of 109 countries to date) and to distribute samples of it has for the Production Group a number of implications, rarely satisfied with the original material. The original seed must be increased while preserving its original genetic integrity, and ensuring its plant health and viability at the highest level, to allow the international distribution. Therefore, we must avoid mechanical mixtures, genetic contamination by accidental crosses, the genetic drift and genetic erosion within the accession. As good practice in germplasm banks, the Production Group produces additional copies for safety backups and for the country of origin if required. From the same lot of seeds increased under these conditions subsamples will be prepared for the regular verification of viability. Given the size and diversity of the collection a timeline of 25 years has been defined as the sustainability basis for all operations, including those of the Production Group.
To accomplish these objectives, the Production Group currently has three stations with contrasting environments in Palmira, Tenerife and Popayan. Also, it has glass-houses and mesh-houses in these sites for the processes of multiplication and regeneration. We take advantage of these production cycles to verify the identity of the species, advance the characterization of germplasm through the use of morphoagronomic descriptors, which will be reflected on the website of the Program, and will serve for the future management of the collection. This characterization is part of the verification of the diversity of the collection, being thus an important aspect of relevance for the Program.
The classification of a core collection representing the diversity of the global collection is a research activity under way to advance the assessment and ensure a better use. In collaboration with the Genetic Quality Laboratory, genetic and molecular studies are being developed to advance our understanding of the original diversity to ensure the genetic integrity of the original material and to improve the representativeness of the world collection.