Article 1293 of alt.sustainable.agriculture:
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From: wcsbeau@superior.carleton.ca (OPIRG)
Subject: Vavilov Centres (fwd): Request for Information
Message-ID: <CCM1Ls.9xr@cunews.carleton.ca>
Summary: Scandinavian and other researchers looking for help
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Organization: Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Date: Tue, 31 Aug 1993 06:20:16 GMT
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Forwarded from sci.bio.ecology. Replies to original poster, as listed
at end of article.

D. Murray, OPIRG-Carleton


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From: engel@biobase.aau.dk (Jacob Engelbrecht)
Subject: Vavilov Centers
Message-ID: <CCD32q.K97@biobase.aau.dk>
Keywords: genetic erosion
Organization: The Danish BioBase
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 1993 10:13:37 GMT
Lines: 79


Request for information on Vavilov centers.

Background:

	It is essential to save the heritage of genetic diversity , in
order to leave a healthy planet the coming generations.  Since cultural
plants is based on vary few variants, wild plants is essential to keep
the genetic heritage of variation.

	The Russian scientist - in botanics and genetics - Jurij
Nikolaevitj Vavilov (1887 - 1943) researched in these matters in the
twenties and the thirties.  He gave name to the so called
"Vavilov-centers" - geographic regions where cultural plants such as
wheat, coffee and corn originate.  Here these cultivated plants exists
in wild form and therefore with a high level of genetic variation and
subsequently high ability of adaptation and surviving.

	Vavilov-centers are mentioned in Al Gores book "Earth in the
Balance.  Ecology and the Human Spirit", chapter VII where he writes:
"Amazingly as it seems there are only twelve such centers in the world,
and each of them are homeland for about twelve of the most important
plants in the modern agriculture.  ....  Most of these variation centers
of the species exists as Vavilov formulates it in the belt between
twenty and forty five degrees northern latitude in the neighbourghood of
big mountain chains as the Himalayas, Hindukush, mountains in the Middle
East and the Balkan ..."  (here retranslated from Danish)

	As more and more land is used for agriculture wild plants and
Vavilov centers are threatened with extinction - an environmental
disaster from which there is no way to recover.

	We - a group of Scandinavians and people from Kazakhstan working
with establishing an ecological test research and education center in
Alma Ata - the capital of Kazakhstan- would be grateful, if we could get
some help to seek further information on this matter.

Acquired knowledge:

1) A comprehensive background-article on Vavilov centers and
   bio-diversity.

2) A map over where such centers exists - especially in Central Asia.

3) Does there exist such a Vavilov Center in Kazakhstan, and if so which
   species originate there?

4) References to articles or books by Vavilov in English, German,
   Scandinavian or Russian.

5) Does any international enviromentalist organizations, nature
   protection organizations or funds take any particular interest in
   such centers, and do there exist any kind of programme for protecting
   them?


This is posted for a friend:

Mikael Hertoft
Scandinavian Kazakhstan Society
Nyhavn 21
DK-1051 Koebenhavn K
Denmark

Either reply directly to him, or by e-mail to me.


Jacob Engelbrecht

Department of Physical Chemistry
The Technical University of Denmark
Building 206
DK-2800 Lyngby
Denmark

phone: +45 4288 2222 ext. 2478 (operator)
phone: +45 4593 1222 ext. 2478 (tone)
  fax: +45 4593 4808
e-mail: engel@virus.fki.dth.dk



Article 150 of sci.bio.ecology:
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From: JONATHAN HASKETT <jhaskett@ASRR.ARSUSDA.GOV>
Subject: N.I. Vavilov and Vavilov Centers - References
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References Related to Vavilov Centers and N.I. Vavilov:
Thanks to Ludmilla Pachepsky for providing this information

Note: Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov was worked to death in a
Soviet labor camp near the Volga river. The location of his
grave is unknown.

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References available in the University of Maryland Library
System

Vavilov, Nikolai Ivanovich,  1887-1942.  World resources of
cereals, leguminous seed crops and flax, and their utilization
in plant breeding.  [Translated by Marc Paenson and Z. S. Cole]
Moscow,  Academy of Sciences of the USSR,  1957 [i. e.
Jerusalem, Israel Program for Scientific Translations, 1960;
available from the Office of Technical Services, U.S. Dept. of
Commerce, Washington] v.  illus., ports., maps.  25 cm. Added
t. p. in Russian. Each vol. has also special t. p. Contents: v. 1.
Agroecological survey of the main field crops.

Vavilov, N. I.  (Nikolai Ivanovich),  1887-1943. [Proiskhozhdenie i
geografiia kulturnykh rastenii.  English] Origin and geography of
cultivated plants /  N.I. Vavilov ; departmental editor, V.F.
Dorofeyev ; translated by Doris Cambridge [England] ;
New York, NY, USA :  Cambridge University Press,  1992. xxxi,
498 p. :  ill. ;  24 cm. Includes bibliographical references and
indexes.

Vavilov, N. I. (Nikolai Ivanovich),  1887-1943.  The origin,
variation, immunity and breeding of cultivated plants:
selected writings;  translated from the Russian by K. Starr
Chester. New York,  Ronald Press  [1951]  xviii, 364 p.
illus., maps.  26 cm. Chronica botanica,  v. 13, no. 1-6
Includes bibliographies.

Popovskii, Mark Aleksandrovich. Delo akademika
Vavilova /  Mark Popovskii. Ann Arbor, MI :
Ermitazh,  1983. 278 p., [10] p. of ill. :  ports. ;  22 cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.

Popovskii, Mark Aleksandrovich. The Vavilov affair /
Mark Popovsky ; with a foreword by Andrei Sakharov.
Hamden, Conn. :  Archon Books,  1984.  viii, 216 p. ;
23 cm. Includes index.  Bibliography: p. [201]-209.

*      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *

From the UnCover System on CARL:

Crow, James F.  N.I. Vavilov, martyr to genetic truth. Genetics.
MAY 01 1993 v 134 n 1  Page:   1

Babkov, V.V.  Happy Genius of nikolai I. Vavilov. In: Russian
journal of developmental biology.  JAN 01 1993 v 24 n 1
Page: 62

Cohen, B.M.  Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov: The Explorer and
Plant Collector. Economic botany. JAN 01 1991 v 45 n 1
Page:   38

Treshnikov, A.F. Academician N.I. Vavilov and the
Gergraphical Society of the USSR. Soviet geography.
MAY 01 1989 v 30 n 5  Page:   375

Mednikov, Boris M.  The life and work of Nikolai Vavilov.
Impact of science on society. 1989 n 154  Page:  125

Alexeyev, V.  The Works of Nikolai Vavilov and the
Study of Human History. Social sciences. 1989 v 20 n 2
Page:   20

*      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *

There is some useful information in "HortScience"
May,1993 Vol 28, Number 5,  "A publication of
the American Society for Horticultural Science, Nashville,
Tennessee, 22-29 July 1993. P. 408, Workshop 7,
Sustainability of vegetable breeders genetic resource.
Titles and Address from pg. 470. This material
is included to provide some idea of related discussions
occurring in this field and to provide pointers to other
knowledgeable workers in this area.


Titles:
Sustainability of vegetable germplasm - Have we been
too efficient for our own good:  The CIP Case. Wanda W.
Collins, Department of Horticulture Science Box 7609,
North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695

Conserving and using crop genetic resource collections:
The contributions of public sector plant breeders, geneticists
and curators. Laura C. Merrick, Sustainable Agriculture
Program, University of Maine, 5722 Deering Hall, Orono,
ME 04469-5722

Saving germplasm by utilizing it. James L. Brewbaker,
Professor of Horticulture and Genetics, University of
Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822

Genetic Markers and plant genetic resource management.
Peter K. Bretting* and Mark P. Widrlechner, USDA/ARS
North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, Iowa
State University, Ames IA, 50011.

Summary: Genetic variation is a fundamental resource
required for the continued success of vegetable breeding.
Loss of land races, wild relatives, and other forms of
vegetable crop germplasm has caused concerns for the
sustainability of these resources among vegetable
breeders, politicians, and other policy makers. The scientific
merits of this concern was discussed  from a vegetable
breeder's perspective via the following questions: 1) Are
vegetable breeders contributing to the loss of genetic
resources? Wanda Collins discusses the consequences of
widespread acceptance and use of new vegetable cultivars
on in situ sustainability of vegetable germplasm. 2) Are
vegetable breeders efforts to sustain their genetic
resources adequate? Laura Merrick discusses the current
status of vegetable germplasm collection, storage, and
documentation efforts. 3) Are there examples of previously
unused or under exploited genetic resources that are now
being used? Jim Brewbaker provides examples using sweet
corn and leucaena germplasm. 4) Are new technologies
available that will improve the management of genetic
resources? Peter Bretting and Mark Widrlechner summarize
the uses of genetic markers for genetics resource
management.

*      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *      *

Hope this is useful
Jonathan Haskett
jhaskett@asrr.arsusda.gov


