ISHS Acta Horticulturae 663: XI Eucarpia Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics

DEVELOPMENT OF A SPECIFIC SOFTWARE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF THE RECURRENT SYNONYMOUS PROBLEM OF CULTIVARS INSIDE PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES DATABASES: THE CASE OF THE EUROPEAN ECP/GR PYRUS DATABASE

Authors: R. Oger, M. Lateur

Keywords: Central Crop Database, pear, Pyrus communis, information system, fruit tree genetic resources, International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI)

Abstract:

Ninety European curators were asked to introduce their accession name lists into the ECP/GR Pyrus central database. Currently, forty-eight collection curators, representing eighteen countries, have answered in several different ways (electronic files, typed hard copies, hand script copies) and their lists have been encoded into an ‘Access’ database format. The first software adapted to the database is already being used as a “plant finder”. This query module helps the users to find the cultivars they need. One of the most recurrent problems of old fruit cultivars that confuses the management of collections is the number of different names (synonyms) they have received during their travel through time and countries. Of the 9862 accession names that are already included in the ECP/GR Pyrus database, we assume that about 50% are really different cultivars due to the problem of synonyms. Therefore, specific software has been developed with the aim of clarifying the situation and to lead to better data management and a better strategy for safe conservation of the European Pyrus genetic resources.