SylbV01-00-00. pmd

I. Course Title
: Plant Diversity and Conservation*
II. Course Code
: PGR 502
III. Credit Hours
: 3 (2+1)
IV. Why this course ?
Students need to gain knowledge on biodiversity, especially agrobiodiversity and
crop wild relatives germplasm conservation with particular emphasis on genebanks
for various species and explants.
V. Aim of the course
The students will grasp the science underpinning biodiversity and agro-biodiversity,
concept of PGR, threats to diversity and impact of biotic homogenization for the
diversity crisis, concerned legal issues and data recording, various concepts and
approaches of plant conservation.
VI. Theory
Unit I
Biodiversity an overview: genetic, species and ecosystem diversity, higher plant
diversity, species richness and endemism, biospheres, Gene centres, importance of
Indian gene centre. Origin and history of agriculture, conservation and agricultural
development, the central role of agro-biodiversity: trends and challenges, centers
of crop plant origin and diversity, dynamics of domestication, plant domestication
and evolution of crop plants, Crop Wild Relatives, patterns of variation, classification
of cultivated plants, concept of gene pool, geographical distribution of crops of
Indian origin.

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Plant Sciences–Plant Genetic Resources
123
Unit II
Status and trends of agrobiodiversity; Global challenges and conservation of agro-
biodiversity-
in-situ, ex-situ,
Impact of climate change on agrobiodiversity, Managing
plant genetic resources: Basic science issues; Institutional aspects of managing
agrobiodiversity, PGR networks.
Unit III
Agrobiodiversity and livelihoods: Food and nutrition systems, Traditional knowledge,
TKDL, Farmers’ seed systems and participatory breeding, Valuing PGR and
ecosystem services; Value chains of neglected and underutilized (potential crop)
species, community biodiversity management.
Unit IV
IPR for innovative entrepreneurship International framework and PGR networks;
International treaties and policies in relation to agro-biodiversity conservation,
sustainable use and germplasm exchange, CBD, UPOV, ITPGRFA, Nagoya protocol,
National policies and legal frame work, Biodiversity Act, PPV and FR Act, Global
Plan of action, germplasm registration, IP issues with respect to ITKs and
communities, safe guarding biodiversity, case studies, digital sequence information
vs
tangible genetic resources, recent advances in biotechnology and synthetic biology,
new forms of life and threats to biodiversity.
Unit V
In situ
and 
ex situ
conservation: concept of biosphere reserves, gene sanctuaries,
on-farm conservation, seed genebanks, Perma-frost conservation, field genebanks,
botanical gardens, herbal gardens, 
in vitro
repositories and cryo-genebanks; short-,
medium- and long-term conservation, concept of base, active and working collections.
Importance of seed gene banks; seed structure and function; seed storage behavior,
physiological and genetic changes during storage, theories of ageing, viability
equations, dormancy. Genebank standards for various crops, ISTA, AOSA, Bioversity
International guidelines; monitoring viability of stored samples; strategies for revival
and rescue of rare genetic material. Multiplication and regeneration of stored
germplasm, Principles and practices of germplasm regeneration and maintenance,
breeding systems and mode of reproduction; maintaining sufficiently large
populations for effective conservation of farmer landraces.
Unit VI
History and principles of plant tissue culture, Laboratory requirement and general
techniques, Tissue culture media, Cellular totipotency, Clonal propagation and
clonal multiplication, Somatic embryogenesis, Somaclonal variation, Meristem
culture and virus elimination, Cell culture, Anther and pollen culture, Genetic
engineering, 
In vitro
collecting of plant germplasm, 
in vitro
techniques in germplasm
exchange, 
In vitro
conservation strategies, Concept of 
in vitro
active, base genebank
and DNA genebank, Introduction to plant cryopreservation, Cryopreservation
techniques, Cryopreservation of vegetative propagules and 
in vitro
explants, Genetic
stability.