Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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PRESENTED PAPERS 57 Medicinal and aromatic plants in the Israeli Gene Bank (IGB) Eli Putievsky Agricultural Research Organization (ARO), Division of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, The Volcani Center, Bet-Dagan, Israel Introduction Israel is located at the meeting point of three phytogeographical regions: Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian and Saharo-Arabian. Thus it represents all three regions, with the consequence of profuse richness of plant species and varieties. Moreover, Israel is part of the Fertile Crescent and is located on the border between desert and temperate regions, where domestication of Old World crop plants began. Therefore, quite a number of its native species are wild relatives, feral derivatives or even direct ancestors of cultivated plants. In addition, other local species may have an untapped economic potential. The Israeli Gene Bank (IGB) was established in 1979 and affiliated to two Ministries: the Ministry of Science (MOS) and the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA). The structural functions of the IGB are shown in Fig. 1. The headquarters are at Bet-Dagan (Volcani Center). Ministry of Science Ministry of Agriculture IGB Scientific Board IGB Director IDC Director Information and Documentation Center IGB’s Long-Term Storage Facility In situ conservation sites and gene parks Ex situ collections Wild Wheat Amiad Fruit Trees Mattityau Allium Rehovot Herbs Newe-Ya’ar ARO Bet Dagan WIS Rehovot Nahal Oren HU Botanical Garden Jerusalem HUJ Rehovot TAU Ramat Aviv Haifa University HU Jerusalem Fig. 1. Structure of the Israeli Gene Bank (IBG) for Agricultural Crops.
58 WORKING GROUP ON MEDICINAL AND AROMATIC PLANTS: FIRST MEETING Today we face various types of immediate threats to the Israeli genepool: - rapid increase in the human population and with it increased urbanization; - road construction, industrial parks and military installations; - pollution resulting from industry, traffic, sewage, agricultural fertilizers, etc.; - farming activities such as general overgrazing, goat grazing, stubble burning, etc.; - forestry activities and fire; - collecting of plants from nature; - tourism; - gene contamination through introduction of new cultivars. The IGB is responsible for the collection, preservation, documentation and practical evaluation of genetic resources of crop plants and their relatives across Israel; it holds in its central storage facilities some 16 000 accessions of indigenous species, landraces, agricultural and horticultural crops and their germplasm. The Information and Documentation Center (IDC) at the IGB is responsible for the documentation of genetic resource holdings in all genebank collections throughout Israel, and for maintenance of the database and the information network. Other activities of the IGB include: national and international exchange of plant material; promotion of national and international collaboration and coordination; organization of and participation in workshops, conferences and training activities; and support and guidance of research on genetic resources. Today, the IGB also focuses on the collection and preservation of the genetic diversity of plants that are direct ancestors, wild relatives or landraces of domesticated plants which are endemic to our region. The establishment of a central modern seed bank as a long-term storage facility is in process (investment of more than US$ 2.5 million), and it will start to function in late 2004. Until the IGB's new facility is finished, each specialist will be responsible for his own collection. Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) in Israel are handled by a group of specialists located at the Newe-Ya'ar Research Center, where seeds and living plants are preserved (ex situ) and include all aromatic and some medicinal plants (Fig. 1). MAPs in Israel All the threats that endanger any wild plants in Israel also endanger MAPs, especially the threat of collecting for dietary purposes. In Arabic culture, plants like za'atar (Origanum syricum) or three-leaved sage (Salvia fruticosa) are part of the diet. Therefore in 1956 a law was adopted (The Plant Protection Law) which made the gathering of certain protected plants illegal. Besides this law, some areas were designated as "National Park" and/or "Reserve Area" in which no grazing or cutting is permitted. Special permission allows collecting of plants and seeds from all the wild MAP populations in Israel. Throughout the last 20 years or so, ex situ collections of some MAP species have been established. Table 1 lists part of these collections (more than 15 different species including 584 accessions), all growing at the Newe-Ya'ar Research Center, in the north of Israel. Besides these living plants we hold a large collection of MAP seeds, collected from wild populations in Israel and abroad, and seeds that are collected regularly from the ex situ plants at Newe-Ya'ar.
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ISBN 92-9043-633-6 Cover photos: co
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Status of medicinal and aromatic plants in - Inia

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