DOCUMENTATION & INFORMATION
The proper documentation of plant genetic diversity is an indispensable part of making diversity useful to farmers, breeders and researchers. Before we can use genetic resources collected, we have got to know what we have, what are their characteristics and uses value. The proper documentation of plant genetic resources is required to properly conserve, manage and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Types of documentation: Accurate documentation is central to the effective conservation and use of plant genetic resources. For information important is documentation resources and information systems. Genebank uses a structure of documentation as follow: Standards & Protocols, Descriptors Lists (Passport data, Characterization and Evaluation data), and Information systems.
Standards and protocols: In order to have uniformity in data collecting, recording, storage and retrieval in Albanian genebank international standards for documentation and protocols for exchanging information were used. The usage of standards are essential for increasing national and international exchange of genetic material and information. Standards of documentation include usage of multi crop passport data, characterization and evaluation data, and specific crop descriptors. Descriptors provide a standard language for recording this information.
Passport data: The documentation of crop diversity collections in genebank begins with recording important passport data, when collectors, scientists first collect the plant material. The passport data includes basic information on: where, when, and what was collected. Albanian genebank aims all of this data must be easily accessible, and ideally stored on computer databases and incorporated into genebank management systems. In Albanian genebank this is particularly important for planning future collecting missions, determining gaps and identification of duplicates in collections.
