Hybrid Variety Creation as a Local Management Tool for Vegetable Landrace as Local Commons

Abstract

"Although there have been huge diversity of vegetable landraces grown in Japan due to its agro-ecological diversity, production of local varieties of vegetable has been decreasing in rural Japan. This is mainly due to modernization of agriculture and change of lifestyle. However collaboration between farmers and breeders has been initiated for regeneration of such varieties using hybrid variety, simultaneously aiming at revitalization of rural livelihood. In this study, strategy, processand socio-economic impact of the introduction of hybrid (F1) variety of landrace and its seed production was studied to identify the various functions of hybrid in maintaining landraces. Among the five cases reported for the utilization of F1 seeds for revitalization of local varieties in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, Seiniji-Akane turnip (Brassica napus L.)was studied by reviewing the records kept by the producers'group, university, village government and interviewing key persons for the development. After several years of process to create a variety uniform enough to market, an F1 variety was registered as Seinaiji-Akane. This hybrid variety was created using only gene pool existing within the community and the mother lines are carefully maintained by the village and an entrusted company. By harvesting hybrid seeds and distributing them to growers, the production of Seinaiji-akane was maintained responding to the market demands of pickles factories, but traditional Open Pollinated Varieties have also been cultivated continuously. Securing uniformity acceptable to market is one strategy to revitalize the use of landraces as local commons. Therefore, hybrid variety creation can be a strong tool for management of landrace gene pool as local commons. Continuation of the production of OP variety simultaneously showed that farmers' perception of OP variety was further strengthened by introduction of hybrid seeds, which in turn also facilitates landrace conservation."