Publications

Report

The Strategy for the Development of the Plant Genetic Resources System of Ukraine for 2024–2028

The Strategy defines the directions of the development of the Plant Genetic Resources System
of Ukraine (PGRSU) at the current stage of development of the country’s society and economy
and defines its main principles, which must be formed by the end of 2028. To implement the
goal of this Strategy, strategic and operational goals and objectives are provided with relevant
indicators of achievement (fulfilment), expected results, measures for monitoring the
implementation of this Strategy at each stage and resource needs.

Report

The first status report on the conservation of farm animal genetic resources (AnGR) in the Nordics

This report presents the status of all Nordic native breeds and offers the first comprehensive overview of the 40-year journey in official Nordic collaboration for conservation Nordic farm animal genetic resources (AnGR). It examines the diversity, distribution, and conservation status of these farm animal breeds. By presenting the current methods used for conservation, it also highlights internal and external pressures in the Nordic region.

Conservation efforts over the past 40 years have been fruitful; thus, the report also showcases successful conservation efforts by various stakeholders. The differences in conservation strategies among Nordic countries are also reported, particularly the criteria for classifying breeds as protected.

We trust that this report addresses various needs for information and enhances understanding of the continuous necessity to protect native breeds and the critical importance of data collection in these efforts. Let this report inspire readers to recognize and promote the conservation of the national heritage of the Nordic countries.

Report

The NordFrost Project Report – Farm Animal Gene Banks in the Nordic Region: Added Value Through Nordic Cooperation

The network project titled “Nordic animal gene banks – added value through Nordic cooperation” (NordFrost), has aimed to strengthen the collaboration and competence for ex-situ conservation of animal genetic resources (AnGR) in the Nordic region. This project was launched as a case study following the Horizon2020 funded IMAGE project (2016-2020) where it was concluded that there is a broad variation in the current state of practices and the distribution of responsibilities related to cryoconservation activities between the Nordic countries.
The national strategies on conserving AnGR emphasise ex-situ conservation in varying degrees. However, collection of samples, metadata, back-up storage of material or common strategies and action plans for ex-situ conservation on a regional level does not exist. This makes conservation of AnGR an exposed area that threatens the resilience of Nordic food security. By developing new collaborative models, strengthening Nordic infrastructure, and enhancing the development of Nordic strategies for ex-situ conservation in the region, this network will contribute to increased sustainability for populations and future Nordic food security.

Scientific article

Genetic markers identify duplicates in Nordic potato collections

Chrominski P., Carlson-Nilsson U., Palmé A., Kirk H.G., Asdal Å. and Ansebo L.

Report

Equines in the Nordics

With roots as far as the Bronze age, equines have played an invaluable role in history, both with regards to agriculture and forestry, warfare, transportation and leisure, and therefore hold important cultural significance in the Nordics. The link between horses and the welfare benefits of their caregivers makes the species an important part of society as well. Since the agricultural and industrial revolution, the equine sector has been influenced by a range of challenges due to the dramatic change in the role of horses in society, especially for the Nordic native breeds. However, as society adapts and finds new ways to use and protect them, there is a hope for the future.

Although there has been cooperation between the Nordic countries in the horse sector, a collective report of the status of all the Nordic countries has been missing. This report marks a start for this type of effort by considering both commercial and native breeds. Further, it comprises the horse sector in the Nordics, with a special focus on the native horse breeds and the possibilities they carry for environmental sustainability, their socio-economic importance, their genetics as well as their risk status.

The report further evaluates the Domestic Animal Diversity Information System (DAD-IS) maintained and developed by FAO as a tool for gathering information about the development and current status of the native breeds. The goal of this report is to identify knowledge gaps and areas of improvement for the Nordic equine sector and the collected data of the native horse breeds.

One of the biggest challenges has been to find validated information sources for the population numbers of the breeds in each country – there are varying estimates for both commercial and native breeds. The numbers have significant impact for the determination of managing strategies of the populations. Reports for each of the countries (Denmark, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) are presented, and depict the current role of horses, breeding, population development and economic values of the equine sector are listed in each of the country-reports. The information in the country reports were derived from a questionnaire and by using DAD-IS.

Ministerial declaration

Access and Rights to Genetic Resources 2023 The Kalmar II Declaration

Genetic resources are genetic material of actual and potential value that may be important to humans and life on earth. A great variety of genetic resources is a prerequisite for natural selection, adaptation, and evolution. Access to the world’s genetic resources and a fair and equitable sharing of the benefits that arise from their use are therefore important matters that are regulated in several national and international forums.

The Nordic countries have a long history of more than 50 years of collaboration within conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources.

The technological and political advancements since the adoption of the Kalmar Declaration twenty years ago have made it evident that a new Nordic take is needed. The Nordic Council of Ministers Declaration on Access and Rights to Genetic Resources 2023 – The Kalmar II Declaration, address these changes.

Annual review

NordGen Annual Review 2023

The Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen) is the Nordic countries’ gene bank and knowledge center for genetic resources. NordGen is an organisation under the Nordic Council of Minister and works with the mission of conserving and facilitating the sustainable use of genetic resources linked to food, agriculture and forestry.

NordGen Annual Review 2023 provides a review of NordGen's work done in the past year.

Report

NordGen PPP-report 2021-2023

The Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) is the joint genebank and knowledge center for genetic resources in the Nordic countries. Our mission is to conserve and promote the sustainable use of genetic diversity among animals, forests and plants that are important for Nordic agriculture and forestry.

NordGen PPP-report 2021-2023 provides a information about projects conducted within the framework of The Nordic Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for pre-breeding during the years 2021-2023.

Scientific article

Multi-location trials and population-based genotyping reveal high diversity and adaptation to breeding environments in a large collection of red clover.

Nay MM, Grieder C, Frey LA, Amdahl H, Radovic J, Jaluvka L, Palmé A, Skøt L, Ruttink T, Kölliker R

Scientific article

A Flock of One’s Own: Nordic Human-Mountain Cattle Kinship-Making Practices.

Charlotte Kroløkke, Anne Nørkjær-Bang, Ulla Ovaska, and Mervi Honkatukia.

This article employs critical cultural and anthropological perspectives to investigate the ways in which Nordic mountain cattle are kinned and become positioned as kin. It does so by empirically foregrounding photographic material, elicited from the 3MC Traditional Transboundary Cattle Breeds’ photo competition, along with photo elicited interviews with 13 of the participating photographers. Nordic mountain cattle become “kinned” as “mothers,” “family members,” “friends,” “colleagues,” and “pets” through a range of kinship-making practices such as naming, gendering, and anthropomorphizing cattle with distinct human-like personalities. The article concludes by turning to the affective values and cultural logics that situate mountain cattle as forms of Nordic cultural heritage. In these entanglements, mountain cattle resurrect Nordic cultural heritage and temporality facilitating new Nordic naturecultures in which humans are simultaneously (re)connected to nature and cultivated as future (new) citizens.

Report

Seed Longevity and Survival of Seed Borne Diseases After 35 Years Conservation in Permafrost: – Report From the 100 Year Storage Experiment

The Nordic Gene Bank (predecessor to today's plant section of The Nordic Genetic Resource Center, NordGen) established the 100 year seed storage experiment in Coal mine no. 3 outside Longyearbyen, Svalbard, in 1986. The experiment was established with the aim to monitor the longevity of seeds in this Nordic back-up seed collection that were deposited in the coal mine from 1984 and to gain general knowledge about the longevity of seed stored under permafrost conditions, as well as studying the survival of seed borne plant pathogens.

Seed samples have regularly been withdrawn for analysis according to a fixed withdrawal and analyze plan, that will continue until the last samples are analyzed in 2086.

Report, Conservation plan

Action Plan for the Conservation of the Faroese Horse

Horses were brought to the Faroe Islands by Norse settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries. Over the centuries, the geographical remoteness in the North Atlantic Ocean forced these horses to adapt to their surroundings. Only the horses that could withstand the weather survived, and the Faroe Islands became home to a horse breed that was small, strong, hardy, and agile. The small horses were used by farmers for agricultural purposes and occasionally for transport between villages. Most of them roamed the mountains all year and no targeted breeding took place. The oldest record available of horses on the Faroe Islands is from 1857, which counted 844 horses with 396 mares, and 476 foals and stallions.

Exportation of the horses to coal mines in Britain combined with modernization of the agriculture on the Faroe Islands, resulted in a breed that nearly went extinct. By the 1960s, there were less than ten horses of the breed left alive. A rescue operation was initiated, and suitable horses for breeding were used, however many of them were already related. All Faroese horses alive today, are descendants of only four individual horses.

In 1978, the Faroese Horse Association (Felagið Føroysk Ross) was established to conserve the Faroese indigenous horse breed and they have kept a studbook ever since. In 2018, the online pedigree registration system Føroya Fongur was created, in which online access is provided to the studbook with extensive information about the Faroese horse breed.

By the end of 2023 there were 82 living Faroese horses. The breed can thank their survival to the hard work and dedication from individual horse owners and enthusiast through the years, and through the work of the Faroese Horse Association. You could say that the conservation of the Faroese horse this far is a success story as the breed has managed to survive and increase in numbers over the years. However, there are still several big challenges and threats facing this small and hardy breed. There is a critical need to act today to secure that the breed will be around for future generations as well. The Faroese horse is, after all, a living and breathing part of the Faroese cultural heritage.

All Nordic countries, including the Faroe Islands, have adopted The Global Plan of Action for Animal Genetic Resources (GPA) established by FAO in 2007. This framework obligates all parties to contribute to the conservation, sustainable use and development of animal genetic resources. One of the main areas of concern expressed in the GPA, is that there is too little research and information about many of the native farm animal breeds. Increased characterization, involving phenotypic, genetic, and historical information on breeds is needed (FAO, 2007).

The purpose of the Action Plan for the Conservation of the Faroese Horse is to highlight concrete actions and measures that need be implemented to conserve the horse breed for the future.

Scientific article

Parallel Lives: Human–Cow Entanglements at a Finnish Prison Farm

C Kroløkke, M Honkatukia

This article investigates cow caretaking practices in a Finnish prison and living gene bank. Building upon work in Feminist Science and Technology Studies, Critical Animal Studies, and Critical Heritage Studies, we seek to understand how human and nonhuman animal lives are partially folded together, while also discussing the worlds cultivated in a space of conservation and incarceration. Empirically, the article draws upon multispecies ethnography undertaken during two separate visits to Pelso Prison in central Finland. We conclude that cows emerge as not simply working animals. They are viewed as valuable genetic material vital to the Finnish nation state as well as given names and granted personalities. Meanwhile, in the company of an endangered cattle breed, inmates gain new value as care-workers and conservationists “saving” the breed. In this space of exception, precarious interspecies lives are interwoven.

Report

Statistics: Forest Seeds and Plants in the Nordic Region – Version 2023

The Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) is the joint genebank and knowledge center for genetic resources in the Nordic countries. Our mission is to conserve and promote the sustainable use of genetic diversity among animals, forests and plants that are important for Nordic agriculture and forestry.

Statistics: Forest Seeds and Plants in the Nordic Region – Version 2023 is the second edition in a biennial statistics report on forest seed and plant material in the Nordic countries. The first edition was published in 2021. This edition has been expanded by including more statistics and more species than the first report, as well as including more recent data from the years 2020 and 2021. The report compiles statistics and reports contributed by representatives of each country in the NordGen Forest Regeneration Council.

Annual review

NordGen Annual Review 2022

NordGen Annual Review 2022 describes NordGen's activities and results during the year. Among other things, this was a year when we inaugurated our new head office, finalised a strategic period and launched, organised and participated in a wide range of activities, projects and events.

Report

Access and Rights to Genetic Resources: A Nordic Approach (II)

In 2003, the Nordic Council of Ministers issued the report “Access and Rights to Genetic Resources: A Nordic Approach”. Considering the international framework developed on access to genetic resources and benefit sharing from its use, the report and the ministerial follow-up, the Kalmar Declaration, provided a set of recommendations on how the Nordic countries and the Nordic Gene Bank should respond to this development regarding different types of genetic resources. Since then, several new and relevant international developments have occurred. This has created a need for renewed awareness and new recommendations on the Nordic approach to access and rights to genetic resources by the Nordic countries and The Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen). In this updated report, several new issues are addressed such as for example the digitalization of genetic information and new international agreements like the Nagoya Protocol and the implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.

Report

New FAO guidelines for the management of animal genetic resources

PJ Boettcher, P Ajmone-Marsan, R Baumung, J Boes, L Colli, C Ginja, M Honkatukia, J Kantanen, G Leroy, JA Lenstra

Biotechnology offers powerful tools for the management of livestock genetic diversity. Genomics, bioinformatics, reproductive technologies and tools for cryopreservation of germplasm are particularly important. These biotechnologies have undergone notable advancements in recent years. Developing capacities and sharing expertise are two ways by which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) supports its member nations. For these reasons, FAO has drafted two new guidelines, on: (1) genomic characterization; and (2) cryoconservation. The guidelines update previous versions from the early 2010s by providing information on exploitation of relevant recent biotechnological developments. They were prepared in collaboration with: (1) members of the International Society for Animal Genetics; and (2) partners of the IMAGE research consortium, including NordGen.

Scientific article

Carcass characteristics of Nordic native cattle breeds

Therkildsen, M., Vestergaard, M., Kargo, M., Keto, L., Ertbjerg, P., Thorkelsson, G., Gudjónsdóttir, M., Kjetså, M., Honkatukia, M., Egelandsdal, B., Svartedal, N., Røe, M., Fikse, F. W., Karlsson, A. H. and Hessle, A.

Native livestock breeds are part of the history of the Nordic people and comprise a resource for future food production. In this study, net gain and carcass characteristics of two Danish, three Finnish, one Icelandic, six Norwegian and five Swedish native cattle breeds were retrieved and compared to commercial breeds: two beef breeds and two dairy breeds. Breed data were collected from national databases and sorted into six animal categories: young bull, bull, steer, heifer, young cow and cow, for which means and standard deviations were calculated within each country. The native breeds ranged from small-sized milking type breeds with low net gain, carcass weights and EUROP classification to larger multipurpose breeds with high net gains, carcass weights and EUROP classification.
All Finnish and most of the Norwegian and Swedish native breeds had lower net gain and carcass weight than the dairy breeds in the same category and country, but with similar carcass conformation and fatness scores. The two Danish native breeds had higher net gain, carcass weight and conformation class than the reference dairy breed, but lower than the reference beef breeds. The net gain and carcass traits of the Icelandic native breed were similar to the smallest-sized native breeds from the other countries. The carcass traits of the native breeds indicate that they have comparative advantages in an extensive production system based on forage and marginal grasslands. They may also succeed better in the value-added markets than in mainstream beef production.

Report

Innovations in cryoconservation of animal genetic resources: Practical guide

The livestock sector faces a range of challenges, including climate change, emerging diseases, competition for natural resources and evolving demand for animal-source foods, which is increasing globally, especially in developing countries. Genetic diversity of livestock is a key resource for allowing livestock keepers to address these challenges, but this diversity has been in a state of decline. The diminishing genetic diversity thus represents yet another obstacle for sustainable livestock production. Cryoconservation (i.e. ex situ – in vitro conservation) of genetic resources through gene banking provides one of the most powerful tools governments and other stakeholders have to manage genetic diversity in both the short and long term and thereby provide future generations with the tools to meet the challenges ahead.

Annual review

NordGen Annual Review 2021

The Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen) is the Nordic countries’ gene bank and knowledge center for genetic resources. NordGen is an organisation under the Nordic Council of Minister and works with the mission of conserving and facilitating the sustainable use of genetic resources linked to food, agriculture and forestry.

NordGen Annual Review 2021 provides a review of NordGen’s work done in the past year.

Manual, Report

Cultivation Manual: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the Nordic and Baltic Region

The Nordic Genetic Resource Centre (NordGen) is the Nordic countries’ gene bank and knowledge center for genetic resources. NordGen is an organisation under the Nordic Council of Minister and works with the mission of conserving and facilitating the sustainable use of genetic resources linked to food, agriculture and forestry.
”Cultivation Manual: Medicinal and Aromatic Plants in the Nordic and Baltic Region” provides knowledge on cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants.

Scientific article

Optimum contribution selection (OCS) analyses prompted successful conservation actions for Faroese horse population

Anne Kettunen, Signa Kallsoy Joensen and Peer Berg.

Faroese horse, an endangered indigenous horse breed, is a part of the cultural and societal heritage of the Faroe Islands. Population history describes a severe bottleneck, prompting for quantification of the genetic diversity (level of inbreeding, probability of gene origin, effective population size) and assessment of sustainable conservation potential (Optimum Contribution Selection, OCS) of the Faroese horse population.

Report

Statistics: Forest Seeds and Plants in the Nordic Region

The Nordic Genetic Resource Center (NordGen) is the joint genebank and knowledge center for genetic resources in the Nordic countries. Our mission is to conserve and promote the sustainable use of genetic diversity among animals, forests and plants that are important for Nordic agriculture and forestry.

Statistics: Forest Seeds and Plants in the Nordic Region is a report with statistics on forest seeds and plant material in the Nordic countries. The report is primarily based on country reports (2013-2020), from the Nordic cooperation, through NordGen Forest Regeneration Council.

Scientific article

The Conservation of Native Domestic Animal Breeds in Nordic Countries: From Genetic Resources to Cultural Heritage and Good Governance

Ulla Ovaska, Auli Bläuer, Charlotte Kroløkke, Maria Kjetså, Juha Kantanen and Mervi Honkatukia.

This article examines the extent to which farmers and stakeholders recognise the genetic and cultural significance of conservation, and how the requirements of good governance are met in current conservation arrangements. Moreover, we contemplate the potential to amalgamate the management of animal genetic resources and their cultural environment.

Report

NordGen PPP-report 2018-2020

In the Nordic countries some of the world’s northernmost agricultural areas are located. Agriculture and horticulture in the Nordic countries require a plant breeding which develops varieties adapted to the particular growing conditions of the high north in terms of a demanding climate. Over time, structural changes in the seed industry led to fewer Nordic breeding companies and as a consequence increased dependency on large multinational companies. In this context, the first steps were taken to strengthen the Nordic collaboration within plant breeding and the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for PreBreeding was born. This folder compiles information about the four PPP-pre-breeding projects which have been active during the third period between 2018 to 2020 and what is expected to come in the future.

NordGen Annual Review 2020

NordGen Annual Review 2020 describes NordGen's operations during the year.

Annual review

NordGen Annual Review 2019

NordGen Annual Review 2019 describes NordGens operations during the year.

Report

Genetic Conservation of Forest Trees in the Nordic countries

The aim of this report is to highlight the status of forest gene conservation in the five Nordic countries, how the conservation of forest genetic resources is implemented, as well as strengths and challenges ahead.

There is a need to further develop the European work at the Nordic and national level, including the development of more specific climatic zoning to assess the genetic diversity conserved. There is also a need for a systematic evaluation of how the so called Genetic conservation units (GCU) established under the European programme cover the species genetic diversity in the Nordic region. Evaluation, identification of conservation gaps, as well as characterisation of genetic variation captured by the GCU units, could be further developed in cooperation on a Nordic level.

There is a question whether traditional in situ conservation efforts are enough to secure the genetic resources against future challenges, including climate change and pests and diseases. Cryo preservation and assisted migration have been mentioned as additional measures for some genetic resources at stake. The question on how to proceed and make the work as resilient as possible for the future, needs to be discussed at a Nordic and European scale.

This document has been developed by the NordGen Forest Working Group on Genetic Resources, together with the secretariat of NordGen Forest .

Scientific article

Assessing the genetic diversity conserved in the Norwegian live poultry genebank

Brekke, C., Groeneveld, L. F., Meuwissen, T. H. E., Sæther, N., Weigend, S., & Berg, P.

The aim of this study was to evaluate genetic diversity within and between lines at the Norwegian live poultry gene bank as well as assessing the conservation value in an international context. Eight lines including the national breed, Jærhøns, were genotyped with the 600K Affymetrix® Axiom® Chicken Genotyping Array. The white egg layers were generally more inbred than the brown layers. Comparative analyses were carried out with 72 international populations of different origins. The lines that were last bred for commercial production in Norway, Norbrid, are clearly separated from the rest of the international set and more closely related to the current commercial lines. The brown egg layer Norbrid 7 has the highest relative contribution to genetic diversity. The Norwegian genebank lines are of conservation value in a national and international perspective, as they all add genetic diversity to the global set.

Scientific article

Genetic characterization of a small closed island population of Norwegian coastal goat.

Berg, P., Groeneveld, L. F., Brekke, C., Våge, D. I., Sørheim, K. M., & Grøva, L.

The Norwegian coastal goat is a national and endangered breed. Coastal goat populations are mainly divided with a large mainland and two small island populations. The objective of this study is to describe genetic diversity in the feral Skorpa island population and its relationship to the mainland coastal goat population (Selje) using the Norwegian milk goat population as a reference. Analyses were based on 96 samples genotyped by the CaprineSNP50 Beadchip from three populations; 7 Skorpa (SK), 37 Selje (SE) and 52 Norwegian milk goats (MG). The SK population had significantly less genetic variation and higher levels of inbreeding than the two other populations. It was more distant from the two mainland populations than they were from each other. The marginal contribution of the SK population to genetic diversity was small. Means of introducing genetic diversity into the SK population should be considered if the population is prioritized for conservation.

Scientific article

The status and need for characterization of Nordic animal genetic resources

Line Sass Kierkegaard, Linn Fenna Groeneveld, Anne Kettunen & Peer Berg.

The Nordic countries are committed to conserving farm animal genetic diversity. National reports on phenotypic and genetic characterization point towards a lack of characterization for many Nordic native breeds. Little to no knowledge on the traits of the animals and their derived products leads to potential remaining untapped. The objective of this study was to provide a quantitative assessment of phenotypic and genetic characterization of Nordic native breeds, through a literature search and obtaining census data. Six species and a total of 85 breeds were included. Studies were classified according to six different categories of characterization. Results showed that a large percentage of the breeds are not characterized at all. Moreover, most breeds have extremely low census sizes. A substantial effort to increase population sizes and document characteristics of Nordic native breeds, to promote conservation and sustainable use, is needed.

Scientific article

Heritage Finnish Landrace chickens are genetically diverse and geographically structured

Berres, M. E., Kantanen, J., Honkatukia, M., Wolc, A., & Fulton, J. E.

The Finnish Landrace breed of chickens (in Finnish suomalainen maatiaiskana) traces its origins to almost 1,000 years ago. Today, remnant populations of phenotypically distinct lineages are maintained by a network of volunteer hobbyists in Finland, managed by Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke). Guided by a prior Major Histocompatibility Complex B-locus haplotype study, we sought now to characterize genetically Finnish Landrace chickens using denser genomic sampling. A new panel of 101 selectively neutral SNP sites was used to interrogate genetic variation in 192 individuals sampled from 13 putatively distinctive population units. Individuals partitioned into K = 11 genetic clusters characterized by high levels of genetic diversity, strong patterns of genetic structure and low levels of inbreeding. Evidence of an undocumented genetic lineage was also discovered. Facilitated by an inexpensive SNP assay, this study shows that the genetic integrity of the Finnish Landrace persists and represents a rich resource of natural (adaptive) genomic variation.

Report

40 Years of Nordic Collaboration in Plant Genetic Resources

The current book is a celebration of 40 years of Nordic collaboration on plant genetic resources. International perspectives are highlighted and the first chapter is written with input from Axel Diederichsen from Plant Gene Resources of Canada and Igor G. Loskutov from the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), and the chapter traces lines back to the pioneers and with a specific focus on Vavilov and how he had influenced scientists in the Nordic countries. Roland von Bothmer and Peter Tigerstedt give an overview of the Nordic plant breeding and genetic resources. Jens Weibull discusses the role of NGB (and NordGen) in the European genebank collaboration. A special section is given to a historical recap of how NGB worked with the Gatersleben gene bank in the early 1980s, at a time when computers were large and collaboration with GDR was not straight forward for western countries, and this section is written with inputs from Jan Engels (former Bioversity International) and Helmut Knüpffer (former IPK Gatersleben). The data management systems at NGB and NordGen are discussed by inputs from Dag Endresen (former IT leader at NGB, now at University of Oslo). We also have chapters on the collaboration with VIR and the Baltic States, the 100-years experiment on seed longevity in permafrost, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Regarding the collections, Roland von Bothmer gives the story of the international Hordeum and Triticeae project and Udda Lundqvist of the Swedish Barley Mutant Collection. The celebration book is finished by chapters on the NordGen's Plant Genetic Resource Collection of today with perspectives on conservation and use, amongst others the ongoing Public-Private Partnership project, written by the current staff at the genebank and Anders Nilsson at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp. A special thanks to Helmut Knüpffer, Kit Lundborg, Roland von Bothmer and Sara Landqvist for their comments and proof-readings of this book.

Report

Seed Longevity and Survival of Seed Borne Diseases after 30 Year’s Conservation in Permafrost. Report from the 100 year storage experiment.

The Nordic Gene bank established the 100 year seed storage experiment in Coal mine no. 3 outside Longyearbyen in 1986. Security duplicate samples of the Nordic seed collection had been deposited in permafrost in the coal mine since 1984.

The experiment was established with the aim to monitor the longevity of seeds in this Nordic back-up seed collection and to gain general knowledge about the longevity of seed stored under permafrost conditions, as well as studying the survival of seed borne plant pathogens.

The experimental set up included in total 41 seed lots of 17 agricultural and horticultural crop species commonly grown in the Nordic countries. The seed germination experiment included two or three varieties of each crop. The experimental part dedicated to studies of pathogen survival included seeds from 11 crops naturally contaminated by pathogens.

The test program comprises germination and pathogen survival tests every 2.5 years during the first 20 years and then every 5 years for the last 80 years. In total 25 identical sets of test seeds placed in sealed glass tubes were packed in wooden boxes, one box for each planned test year.

The tests have been carried out according to schedule and this report sums up the results from the first 30 years of the experiment. All tests have been carried out in accordance with the same ISTA-protocols.

Report

Nordic Agriculture and Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation

This report summarizes the discussions and presentations at a workshop held in Oslo on January 18, 2019. The aim was to evaluate how future research can facilitate climate change adaptation and mitigation in Nordic agriculture. The workshop gathered leading actors within the field of Nordic plant breeding. Participants included high-level decision-makers and key stakeholders from Nordic plant breeding companies, farmer organisations, universities and other research organizations. Climate change has already resulted in challenges for Nordic agriculture and the difficulties will continue to increase in the future. It is therefore important to act now to adapt our agriculture to future conditions, especially since the development of new crop varieties takes a long time (8-15 years). In the following pages, specific recommendations are listed. The recommendations have the main goal to support future food security in the Nordic countries by facilitating the development of new crop varieties adapted to our future needs. Special attention is given to the challenge of adaptation to climate change and high-quality food and feed production.

Annual review

NordGen Annual Review 2018

NordGen Annual Review describes NordGens operations during the year. In 2018, NordGen celebrated 10 years as a Nordic institution with joint responsibility for plant, farm animal and forest genetic resources. The year also included a multinational event in Svalbard, participation at the climate COP24 in Katowice, increased capacity in the greenhouse and fields and a review of NordGen's IT platform.

Brochure

Nordic Cooperation on Genetic Resources - What's the Point?

NordGen has been given the prestigious, but demanding, responsibility to not only preserve, but also to facilitate the use of our genetic resources in the Nordic countries. This is important, since the genetic resources, just as any other natural resources, have an immeasurable potential of promoting a sustainable development as well as creating economic growth. Although NordGen work for future generations, we are immensely important today as well. We send seed samples from our collections to researchers in all parts of the world. We help companies to develop pioneering products. We bring people together in networks where new ideas and cooperations are born. On the following pages we will give you a few examples of visible and distinct change in the society which we have contributed to. Read – and be proud! Be proud to live in the Nordic countries, where we cooperate over the national borders in fundamental issues – both today and for the future!

Conservation plan, Report

Second Plan of Action for the Conservation of the Nordic Brown Bee

The brown bee, Apis mellifera mellifera, is the honey bee subspecies that occurs natively in the Nordic region. In the 20th century, other honey bee subspecies were introduced to this region by beekeepers. Today, the native brown bee is endangered due to displacement and introgression by these other subspecies.The conservation of genetic diversity is imperative for maintaining future adaptive potential. Bees are not only important farm animals due to their honey production, but also due to their pollination services. Roughly a third of the world’s crop production is based on insect-pollinated plant species and honey bees represent an important pollinator. A priority list of recommended actions for the conservation of the brown bee in the Nordic region was compiled for the first time in 2015 and updated in this second version in 2019.

Report, Conservation plan

Faroese Horse: Population status & conservation possibilities

The Faroese horse (Føroysk Ross) is an integral part of agricultural history on the Faroe Islands. There is no unambiguous evidence of the origins of the Faroese Horse. It is believed, though, that the Faroese horse was brought to the islands by Celtic or/and Scandinavian settlers approximately 500-800 AD. Molecular genetic studies have indicated the closest genetic relationship with the Icelandic horse. Influences from Dartmoor and Exmoor ponies are also likely. Traditionally Faroese horses were kept free ranging in the mountains, and only gathered and brought to the villages when there was a need for transporting heavy goods. After f inishing their duties, the horses were again turned out without supplemental feeding. This semi-domestic management contributed to the Faroese horse developing into a small, strong and feed efficient horse with a compact body and strong legs and hoofs, well adapted to the climate, terrain and vegetation. The population size of the Faroese horse was likely 600 to 800 individuals at its highest. Mechanisation of agriculture and heavy exportation of Faroese Horses to the British Isles as mining ponies resulted in a drastic decrease in population size. Currently a small population of Faroese horse exists on the Faroese Islands, which stems from a few horses born between the 1940s and 1960s. Today, the Faroese horse is used for recreational purposes. The objective of this study was to conduct a pedigree analysis of the current population of the Faroese horse, as well as to describe the possibilities for a sustainable management of the breed by using optimal contribution selection (OCS).

Report, Brochure

Promoting Nordic Plant Breeding for the Future PPP Public Private Partnership for Pre-breeding

The establishment of PPP for Pre-breeding, development, present status and the way forward are described in this booklet. The success of the PPP is based on:

• Pooled public funding

• Participation from plant breeding companies

• Engagement from research environments

• 50/50-funding between public sources and industry

The history of PPP for Pre-breeding has been a success and this booklet reveals some cases from the fruitful collaborations. The Nordic Council of Ministers is proud to have initiated the PPP for Pre-breeding and we are grateful to the partners, who have contributed to the process: plant breeding companies, universities, NordGen and governments of the Nordic countries, which have decided to continue funding the project. It is vitally important to continue this work because plant breeding is a long term process. There is no finishing line – only the way forward.

Report

More than just weeds: NordGen's work with Cultural Relict Plants and Bernt Løjtnant's inventories from Denmark

The report is about cultural relict plants – which are remaining populations of plants once introduced or cultivation and used as food, spice and medicine, fibres, colours, or other purposes. Such plants are often regarded as weeds, but they are rather part of a biocultural heritage. Some plants can be part of a place’s history and identity. The main part of the report is given to Bernt Løjtnant’s list of species and the inventories he has done on 100 Danish medieval locations as well as a red list of cultural relict plants in Denmark (in Danish text). The report also includes chapters on relict plants in other Nordic regions and NordGen’s collection missions and conservation efforts as well as a discussion of challenges and future perspectives related to conservation of such plants.

Report

Kulturreliktväxter: Levande fornminnen och hur vi bevarar dem

"Kulturreliktväxter – Levande fornminnen och hur vi bevarar dem" handlar om kulturreliktväxter i Norden. Skriften består av två delar. Den första handlar om vad kulturreliktväxter är och varför de är intressanta och viktiga att bevara. Den andra delen - Skötsel av områden där det kan finnas kulturreliktväxter - är en skötselhandledning, som genom praktiska tips och råd berättar hur man på ganska enkla sätt kan anpassa skötseln av en plats s. att reliktväxter kan få möjlighet att överleva och trivas där.

Report

Sorter av köksväxter: Svenska priskuranter från 1800-talet till 1930

Det finns idag ingen fullständig förteckning över sorter av köksväxter som odlats i Sverige samt vilka sorter som kan räknas som svenska. För att få svar på detta genomfördes 2012 och 2014 ett projekt med mål att få en förteckning på sorter av köksväxter som odlats i Sverige. Avsikter var också att ta reda på när de började säljas och när de försvann från marknadensamt om dessa sorter idag går att få tag på i genbank eller hos odlare. Beskrivning av sorterna var också önskvärt att få fram för att kunna skilja sorterna åt och, ifall de finns kvar, kunna utnyttja deras egenskaper, både i sin nuvarande form och i en framtida förädling. Tiden begränsades från 1800-talet fram till 1900-talets början. Den ursprungliga målsättningen att få en fullständig förteckning på sorter av köksväxter som odlats i Sverige från 1800-talet och framåt visade sig vara omöjligt. Det blev en förteckning (bilaga 2) men den har flera brister. Omfattningen av materialet bidrog till detta men ännu mer att det inte fanns en standardisering för sortnamn och sortbegrepp. Tonvikten i undersökningen skulle ligga på svenska sorter, vilket var ännu svårare eftersom det inte går att avgöra när en sort är svensk. Tydligt svenska sortnamn saknades nästan helt på 1800-talet men blev mer vanligt i början på 1900-talet. Det går också att konstatera att det var förvånansvärt många sorter som fortsätter att hänga med från mitten av 1800-talet till 1930.

Magazine

Nordic GENEresources

A New NordGen Provides New Possibilities!
Old Pastures & Old Livestock Breeds: A Perfect Match?
Svalbard Global Seed Vault – Symbol and Reality
Hidden Treasure – 2008 is the International Year of the Potato
A ’Danish Giant’ Asparagus
Climate Change – A Challenge for Plants!
Nordic Cooperation on Genetic Resources under Sweden's Chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2008
The Finnhorse – A Versatile All-rounder
Norwegian Red (NRF) – Enjoying International Success
Contingency Flocks for Poultry
Swedish National Action Plan for the Management of Farm Animal Genetic Resources
The Icelandic Leadersheep
Spruce Memory Enables Rapid Adaptation to Climate Change
Special Tree Forms – A Poorly Utilised Forest Genetic Resource genresurs i våra skogar

Report

Management and Exchange of Animal Genetic Resources – Nordic perspective

This report is based on a project "Legal framework for the rights and exchange of animal genetic resources in the Nordic region" which was funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers and Norwegian Genetic Resource Center and Nordic Gene Bank for Farm Animals (now part of NordGen). The project delivers this report concerning the stakeholders' needs for legal framework and possibilities to assess the value of sales and exchange of genetic material of farm animals in the Nordic region. The project also analysed possible needs for framework and regulations related to animal breeding and animal genetic resources in a global context.

Report

Access and Rights to Genetic Resources

The Report addresses various aspects related to rights and access to genetic resources in the Nordic countries. The report examines all genetic resources, while pointing out relevant differences between types of resources. The report studies the rights and access to the genetic resources managed by the Nordic Gene Bank. It also provides recommendations and alternatives for rights and access to genetic resources within the Nordic countries. It gives an overview of the need for and means of implementing the provisions of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITGRFA) and other international agreements in the Nordic countries. The report further analyses how rights and access to genetic resources relate to international law on intellectual property rights applied to genes and living organisms.