1. Four decades of collecting mission data online: an agricultural heritage of cultivated plants and their wild relatives
Bioversity International, Via dei Tre Denari 472/a, Maccarese, Rome, Italy
Hannes Gaisberger, Federico Mattei, Massimo Buonaiuto, Andrea De Pirro, Valentina Barbiero, Simone Mori, Silvia Lambiase, Imke Thormann, Tom Hazekamp, Luca Matteis, Elizabeth Arnaud

2. IBPGR/IPGRI supported germplasm collecting missions
Since 1974, Bioversity International (incl. IBPGR/IPGRI) has supported 558 germplasm collecting missions yielding more than 226,000 samples and covering 3,833 species from 137 countries
Samples were sent to 550 genebanks worldwide for safety duplication, conservation and potential distribution

3. IBPGR/IPGRI supported germplasm collections

4. Original observation data is essential
Identify duplicates in collections and gaps in diversity – value for genebank curators and collecting actions
Tracking original sample and country of origin in pedigrees – value for Breeders and benefit sharing for donor countries

5. Scanning of field notebooks and related documents
Collectors recorded key sample information (passport data) and other observation data in field books and collecting forms

6. Search Mask for online pdf-repository
A total of 59,700 scanned pages are saved as 3,120 pdf-files and stored in a searchable online repository aside the 26,000 other files scanned by CGIAR centers and partners

7. Original observation: a treasure for genebanks and breeders
The collecting form contains the botanical classification along with localization details, environment, cultural practices, diseases and pest presence and symptoms and traditional uses
Genus and Species
Collecting Number
Site Information: Admin boundaries, Latitude, Longitude and Elevation
Collecting Source and Sample Status

8. Identification and quality-checking in databases
Different publicly available genebank inventories are checked in order to track corresponding samples and complete missing passport data information

9. Integration of quality passport data
Data extracted from field books and databases is integrated in a sample level database of collecting missions

10. Data extraction summary
This collection is an invaluable history of plants that may have been lost from their fields and natural habitats, painstakingly recording information about more than 200,000 landrace and crop wild relative samples (CWR) all over the world

11. Improved passport data sets from genebank inventories
SINGER
GRIN
EURISCO
AfricaRice – 1,610
ARI (CYP) – 371
CIAT – 4,788
IPK (DEU) – 1,238
CIMMYT – 2,661
INIA (ESP) – 2,496
CIP – 2,808
RBG-Kew (GBR) – 508
ICARDA – 6,534
NAGREF (GRC) – 4,310
ICRISAT – 6,630
IGV (ITA) – 931
IITA – 1,892
CGN+SVP (NLD) – 1,084
ILRI – 3,590
AARI (TUR) – 1,375
IRRI – 3,463
Others – 2,963
AVRDC – 294
TOTAL 34,270
TOTAL 17,987
TOTAL 15,276
71,693 of the samples records (46% of total) are already linked to genebank accessions in 67 institutes worldwide

12. Quality of passport data
147,000 samples, collected in 52,900 different sites, are georeferenced (94% of total)
Geoparsing of descriptive site information (BioGeomancer, GEOLocate)
Identification and elimination of outliers with ArcGIS

13. Publishing the data and attached information
Collecting Mission database interactive map
Searchable PDF-Repository online with all scanned documents CGIAR-wide

14. Future possibilities
Capture and quality control of outstanding mission data to accession /sample level
Extraction of environmental data (or extended passport descriptors) from the original mission reports and collecting forms
Use information from sample-level database for projects and studies, i.e. GIS related outputs
Further quality improvement of collection site data (check admin boundaries, Biogeomancer /Geolocate (to georeference and improve accuracy)
Identify areas where further collection missions are necessary due to the fact that not enough samples have been collected in the past

15. Future possibilities
Create potential distribution maps (based on current a/o future climate data) that can be used to identify need for protected areas, planning of collecting missions etc.
Socio economic rasters can be included in order to conduct studies relating to crop variety a/o genetic biodiversity
Agricultural sample information can be used to map livelihoods and the presence of autochthonous crops in markets
Food security studies can be improved with data relating to the lack or presence in the area of crop wild relatives and sources of wild food