Call for Proposals 2008 Submission of Project Proposals

Dear applicant,

Secretary

International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources

for Food and Agriculture

 
Benefit-sharing Fund of the International Treaty

Call for Proposals 2008

PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM
Deadline for submissions: 18 March 2009
Project proposals should be submitted through the national authorities of a country that is a Contracting Party to the Treaty, i.e. through the National Focal Points or through the Permanent Representatives to FAO.
Project Proposals could be submitted in English, French or Spanish. Nevertheless, you are kindly requested to submit your Project Proposal in English, as far as possible.
For any further questions regarding the project proposal submission, please contact the Secretariat by e-mail at PGRFA-Treaty@fao.org or by phone +39 06 5705 3554.
I. CONTACT INFORMATION
Organization : Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development

Institute (MARDI)

Address : P.O Box 12301, General Post Office, 50774

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia

Telephone : +603-89437391/7585

Fax : +603-89487639

Country : Malaysia

Web page : www.mardi.gov.my
Contact Person

Mr  Mrs  Ms 

Name : Mohd. Nor Faizal Last name : Ghazalli

Position : Research Officer (Q41) in Plant Taxonomy and Plant

Anatomy.

Address : P.O Box 12301, General Post Office, 50774

Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia.

P.O. Box : 12031

Country : Malaysia

Telephone : +603-89437391/7585

Fax : +603-89387639

E-mail : mnfaizal@mardi.gov.my
II. INFORMATION ON THE ORGANIZATION
A. BACKGROUND

Outline any previous work done by the organization and its links to this application. Please provide some information about the rationale behind the project proposal.
The use of Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) is confined to crops listed in Annex 1 of the PGRFA Treaty. In the Treaty documentation, only the scientific names (genera and family) are listed with some accompanied by vernacular names. We anticipate some stakeholders would have some difficulty in recognizing some of the crops without the supporting images and basic description of the crops. Apart from this, there will also be a problem related to the language use in the document.
Therefore, Malaysia has decided to enhance the usefulness of Annex 1 list by producing a pictorial version of the list with some basic description written for each species in both English and the native Malay language. To accomplish this, some fund is needed in collecting information from both primary and secondary sources, to do image taking, writing, editing, and making information available on-line to the stakeholders (national, regional and international).
The first draft of this publication was presented during a meeting among national stakeholders in MARDI in November 2008.The first draft serves as a prototype for further improvement with an addition of a brief botanical science description.
Rationale behind this project proposal:
The previous edition of Annex I of PGRFA-Treaty only listed according to their main genera and scientific names. There will be some difficulty in recognizing some of the listed crops without the supporting images and basic description of the crops. Apart from this, there will also be problem related to the language use in the document. So, there should be an effort to publish a book accommodating photographs and a brief botanical description of the food crops, legume forages and grass forages species of the listed plants under Annex I classification.
B. ORGANIZATION
i) Please select from the following options to show the nature of the organization
Government 

A farmer, farming community or farmers' association 

Non Governmental Organization 

Gene bank or ex situ collection of PGRFA 

Science, research & academic sector 

Private Sector 

• 
  Inventorization (e.g. – underutilised fruit species, medicinal plants, vegetables, rice)
  
• 
  Ethnobotanical studies (e.g. surveys and gathering of information for many medicinal plants in the eastern part of Peninsular Malaysia)
  
• 
  Conservation of genetic resources (e.g. current collections include 11,500 accessions of rice, over 1,050 accessions of major fruits etc.)
  
• 
  Identification of potential plant species (e.g. superior accessions for kuini (Mangifera odorata) and binjai (Mangifera caesia) selected and peria pantai (Colubrina asiatica) , bebuas (Premna cordifolia) and gajus (Anacardium occidentale) identified for commercial plantings of ulam)
  
• 
  Genetic enhancement of germplasm (particularly crosses between cultivated rice Oryza sativa and wild rice O. rufipogon were performed with the aim of transferring the yield genes from wild rice)
  
• 
  Utilization of arthropods (e.g. potential of cricket species as protein source for animal feed, as parasitoids on cabbage insect pests)
  
• 
  Utilization of microbes (e.g. using Exserohilum monoceras as fungal pathogen to control rumput sambau in rice fields, bacterial antagonists against rice bacterial pathogens)
  
• 
  Food bioprocess technologies ( e.g. starter cultures, probiotic products.)
  

The Biological Resources Management and Utilization Programme had been conducted collaborative project at regional level funded by International funds as follows:

• 
  NISM – “Establishment of the National Information Sharing Mechanism (NISM) On the Implementation Of The Global Plan Action For the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization Of Plant Genetic Resources For Food and Agriculture In Malaysia”.
  
• 
  “Conservation and Use of Native Tropical Fruit Species Biodiversity In Asia”. 2000-2003 (ADB Fund) USD$40,000. – (Bioversity International and MARDI)
  
• 
  “Conservation and Use of Rare Tropical Fruit Species Diversity With Potential For Enhanced Use in Malaysia” . 2006-2009. CGIAR Fund USD$66,000.00 (Bioversity International and MARDI).
  
• 
  AVRDC Fund –“Collection, Characterization and Utilization of Indigenous Vegetables of Malaysia”. Site Noorzuraini Abdul Rahman and Dr. Mohd. Shukor Nordin – (USD$34,000)
  

iii) Indicate if a Board or a specific steering committee has been appointed to oversee the development of this project. Yes/No (If Yes please provide details)

Start of the project (month/year) - July 2009

End of the project (month/year) - July 2011.
C. SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT

Please provide a brief summery of the project identifying the objectives and activities.

OBJECTIVES

• 
  To document a brief botanical description of the listed crops under Annex I classification with emphasis given on locally existing species.
  

• 
  To compile an illustrative information regarding the food crops, grass forages and legume forages; mainly for Malaysian and neighbouring SEA countries species.
  

• 
  To publish both English and Malay versions of the improved Annex I list.
  
• 
  To make the information accessible on-line through Malaysian Treaty Web Site for use by the stakeholders.
  

• 
  To organize a meeting and discussions among plant taxonomists, plant breeders and MARDI officers to get information or input for this project proposal.
  
• 
  To prepare a brief botanical account for the crops under Annex I in English and Malay.
  
• 
  To take photographs of the food crops and forages listed under Annex I classification.
  
• 
  To write, edit and publish both the English and Malay versions of the pictorial guide.
  
• 
  To make the pictorial version of Annex I list of crops available online through Malaysian Treaty Web Site.
  

i) Describe the potential contribution of the project to economic development

* ensure environmental sustainability 

i) Indicate the funds requested in USD from the Benefit-sharing Fund for each year of the duration of the project, providing details in the budget notes below. Overhead costs are excluded.

Temporary staff (s) - 2 or 3 temporary staffs will be hired in addition to helping

in expedition trips, photography session, write-up parts and printing stage.
Equipment(s)

• 
  DSLR Camera – to ensures high quality images for the publications
  

# The equipment based on the future needs; so it is flexible and will be added during the project implementation.

i) Please select who is (are) the immediate beneficiary (ies) of the project

Farmer, Farming Community, Farmer’s association 

Non Governmental Organization 

Gene bank or ex situ collection of PGRFA 

Science, research & academic sector 

Private sector 

A regional or international organization 
ii) Indicate how the results of the project will directly or indirectly reach the beneficiaries
The previous version of Annex I of PGRFA-Treaty only listed according to their main genera and scientific names. Anybody who works in genetic resources management should know the real crop on the listed plant. The benefits from this project will directly and indirectly accrue to the public and students awareness as well as to those which involving in the PGR research scheme in Malaysia, especially plant breeders and those who involved directly/indirectly in Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) procedures.
M. GEOGRAPHIC EXTENSION
The geographical designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. All countries which involved in this SMTA will gain benefits from this publication.
N. SUSTAINABILITY

Please indicate how the project would ensure sustainable activities and beneficial changes during and after its duration.
This publication provides useful information on morphological characteristics of each crops and forages as listed in the Annex I classification. The morphological illustration and basic botanical descriptions of each crop and forage will be useful for public, students and those involved in Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) as it will help them in recognising the listed species.
This publication should help in identification and characterisations of the food crops and forages classified in Annex I list of protected crops. The basic botanical information included in this publication will also enriching public knowledge in identifying and understanding those listed crops and species.

O. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Below is the prototype of the publications that had been presented during the pre-meeting seminar in MARDI among national stakeholders in November 2008.

A PICTORIAL GUIDE TO ANNEX 1 CROPS OF

INTERNATIONAL TREATY ON PLANT GENETIC RESOURCES FOR FOOD AND AGRICULTURE

(ITPGRFA)


Mohd. Nor Faizal Bin Hj. Ghazalli (Editor)

Zulhairil Ariffin, Muhammad Shafie Md. Sah,

Dr. Mohd. Shukor Nordin, Dr. Salma Idris,

Maya Izar Khaidizar, Azuan Amron

STRATEGIC RESOURCES RESEARCH CENTRE

BIORESOURCE MANAGEMENT & UTILIZATION PROGRAMME (SR01)

MARDI

Genus	Scientific name	Photo (s)
Andropogon	Andropogon gayanus
	Andropogon sristatum
Agrostis	Agrostis stolonifera
	Agrostis tenuis
Alopeceurus	Alopeucerus pratensis
Arrhenatherum	Arrhenatherum elatius
Dactylis	Dactylis glomerata
Festuca	Festuca arundinacea
	Festuca ovina
	Festuca gigantean
	Festuca pratensis	NIL
	Festuca rubra	NIL
	Festuca heterophylla
Lolium	Lolium multiflorum
	Lolium perenne
	Loleum temulentum
	Lolium pretense
	Lolium hybridum
Phalaris	Phalaris aquatica
	Phalaris arundinacea
Phleum	Phleum pretense
Poa	Poa annua
	Poa alpine
	Poa pratensis	NIL
Tripsacum	Tripsacum laxum

Account number : 1215-0010297-05-4

Beneficiary : Director General MARDI

P.O Box 12301, MARDI Head Quarters

50774 Kuala Lumpur

Bank : CIMB Bank Bhd.

Branch : UPM Serdang

Address : CIMB, UPM Branch, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia

http://www.planttreaty.org