Key characterization and evaluation descriptors: methodologies for the assessment of 22 crops

Bioversity International, with the financial support of the Global Crop Diversity Trust (the Trust) has led the development of strategic key sets of characterization and evaluation descriptors for 22 crops included in Annex I of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). The strategic sets of data standards are designed to facilitate access to and utilization of plant genetic resources information. Together with passport information, descriptors are critical to the effective sharing of evaluation data and to the efficient use of plant genetic resources. Passport, characterization and evaluation descriptors are included on the GENESYS portal, to facilitate access to information and promote the utilization of germplasm accessions.

Along with the definitions of key sets of data standards, which are also available on Bioversity’s web site, the project also documented the standard development process, the outcome being these detailed methodologies for each crop.

These guidelines provide the background information and objectives and give insights into the structure and elements of the methodologies developed by Bioversity to devise the crop-specific standards. They include specific methodologies for each crop and serve as a reference guide to develop further standards. Each methodology describes the development process for each key set of descriptors.