Project leader: Chris Kik, Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), Wageningen University and Research Centre, Bornsesteeg 65, 7608 PD Wageningen, the Netherlands Project consortium*: Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS). Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna (UNIBO). Henry Doubleday Research Association (HDRA). Union of Slovenian Organic Farmers Association (USOFA). ProspecieRara (PROSPECIERARA). Arche Noah, Gesellschaft zur Erforschung der Kulturpflanzenvielfalt, deren Erhaltung und Entwicklung (ARCHE NOAH). Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Unité Génétique et amélioration des Fruits et Légumes (GAFL). Nordic Gene Bank (NGB). Palacky University in Olomouc (PALACKY). Leibniz-Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK). Groupe d'Etudes et de Contrôle des Variétés Et des Semences (GEVES). Warwick-HRI, University of Warwick. * AGRI GEN RES TARGETED ACTION LEAFY VEGETABLES GERMPLASM, STIMULATING USE Overall objective The overall objective of the proposed action is the establishment of a network of partners active in the conservation and utilisation of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) of the leafy vegetables most important for Europe: lettuce (Lactuca spp.), spinach (Spinacia spp.) and chicory (Cichorium spp.), and also increasingly important minor crops like lamb’s lettuce (Valerianella locusta) and rucola (Eruca sativa and Diplotaxis spp.). Specific objectives During the four-year period the major objectives of the proposed action will be: The development of European databases of the target leafy vegetables, which will greatly improve access to these collections. The characterization and regeneration of more than 1200 accessions of the different leafy vegetables, thus improving their conservation and availability for potential utilisation. Evaluation of leafy vegetable material for important properties of almost 750 accessions, allowing breeders to utilize the most promising germplasm in their programs to develop in the future improved varieties. Marketing and utilisation activities of the NGO's to contribute to an increased utilisation of the collections by farmers (incl. organic producers) and consumers. The NGO's will stimulate the utilisation of selected material for restaurants, supermarkets, farmers markets… Safety duplication of leafy vegetables in Europe to be substantially improved. Gaps in the collection to be identified at the end of the project period. Dissemination of results and information by means of publications and presentations. Information on passport, characterisation and evaluation data of the European leafy vegetables to be placed on the Internet. Organizing a workshop for stakeholders at the end of the action where the results on the four leafy vegetable groups will be presented. Leafy vegetables collections The genebanks and other collection holders participating in this proposal, maintain the majority of the European leafy vegetable collections (Table 1). The table also indicates that there is a need for further computerisation of the collections of spinach, chicory and minor leafy vegetables. The International Lactuca database (ILDB) includes 8980 accessions (Stavelikova et al, 2002) from Europe and the USA and table 1 shows that the holdings of the project members comprise a substantial part of the ILDB and EURISCO. The conclusion of the present investigation is that there is a need to establish crop databases of spinach, chicory and minor leafy vegetables and further updating of the ILDB. In the past only parts of the collections have been characterised and evaluated. Evaluation of lettuce accessions was given high priority in the past, therefore the project will also focus on the evaluation for important properties of some of the other crops. Regeneration is a permanent task of genebanks and the partners indicated that approximately 30% of the holdings require regeneration in the near future. Conclusions To meet the objectives of the Leafy Vegetables project, a consortium of fourteen European partners* was established, which covers all the necessary knowledge to make this project a success. Five workpackages, namely Documentation, Characterization & Regeneration, Evaluation, Utilization & Marketing and Coordination were developed. This major investment in EU Leafy Vegetable genetic resources will result in the upgrading of the EU leafy vegetable databases and will allow for a considerably improved utilization of collections by breeders and also by NGOs active in the area of promoting regionally produced products. Furthermore the improved databases will allow the EU leafy vegetable genebanks to analyse gaps in their collections and to safeguard them in a better way via the improvement of their safety duplications.