Mulberry germplasm database, maintained at Central Sericultural Research Institute, Zhenjiang, China contains data for the main qualitative and quantitative characters values for each accession. In addition, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Sichun provincial sericultural research institutes also developed the data of the mulberry germplasm.
China is the origin of sericulture. The big progress of germplasm resources and breeding of mulberry was made in past two decades. The census of mulberry resources nationally was finished. All these results developed mulberry innovation and improved sericultural production.
It is necessary and very essential to create the software for integrated database and descriptor preparation as well as query-based program for mulberry genetic resources in order to upload them in Internet. A big problem is that all data have no English translation, so it is difficult to exchange information about mulberry germplasm.
The big resources of mulberry germplasm are located in different districts in China. Before the 70s of last century, Most of mulberry were preserved as the natural varieties and had not been studied systematically by sericulturists except some practical varieties (about 10%). In other hand, even as the practical varieties, the studies were focused only mainly on the growth characters. Few characters of morphological and biological were investigated. These situations inhibited the utilization of mulberry resourses through breeding.
Since the 80s of last century, however, central government has made an effort to establish the crop germplasms. The national mulberry germplasm was established in Central Sericultural Research Institute, Zhenjiang in 1990 and passed the evaluation by Agriculture Department of central government. At present, the germplasm conserved 1860 copies of mulberry races that belong to 12 genus and 3 variants (Table 16).
After the national mulberry germplsam was established in Zhenjiang in 1990, sericulturists evaluated the important economic characters of mulberry resources such as leaf yield, quality, pest and disease resistance etc. and selected a lot of practical mulberry varieties such as Fengya bud mutation, Suhu No.16 etc. The main results are as following:
1) Study on the cytology of mulberry. In the end of 80s of last century, the chromosome of 899 mulberry was inspected in Zhejiang. Results showed diploid 826, triploid 50, tetraploid 6.
2) Studies on isoenzyme of mulberry. This study started in Japan in 1970s. China began the studies from 80s, and inspected peroxidase isoenzyme of 80 mulberries. These results suggested the consanguinity relationship between mulberry races and allied apecies.
3) The application of biotechnology in mulberry genetic resources. The RAPD technique was used in evaluation of mulberry genetics resources in 1995(Xiang Zhonghuai). Lou Chengfu studied the DNA polymorphology with PCR. All this studies showed the consanguinity relationship of mulberry genetics resources.
4) Studies on the heterosis of mulberry and its utilization.
Following is the main Evaluation units of mulberry genetic resources
(1) Sericulture Research Institute of China agricultural academy, Zhenjiang, 212018, Jiangsu, China
(2) Sericultural research institute of Zhejiang, Hangzhou, 310021, China
(3) Sericultural research institute of sichuan, Nanchong, 637000, Sichuan, China
(4) Sericultural research institute of Guangdong, Guangzhou,510640, Guangdong, China
(5) Sericultural research institute of Shuanxi, Zhouzi county, 710400, Shuanxi, China
(6) Department of sericulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310029, China
(7) Department of Sericulture, Huanan Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, Guangdong, China
(8) College of Sericulrure, South west Agricultural University, Chongqing, 630716, China
Some samples can be seen in Annexes table 17-18.
Every country has their traditional and characteristic mulberry resources. It is necessary to establish the standard methodology for characterization and evaluation of mulberry germplasm.
Modern internet technique supplied the possibilities to establish the global net work for natural resources. It will be very useful for sericulturists if the web of mulberry germplasm is set up under the level of government, enterprise and personal, or FAO.
The international trade with mulberry planting material (cuttings or saplings) is not very common. Usually neighboring countries practice this trade due mainly to the difficulties with transportation to far distances.
On other hand, the breeder’s right of most countries are protected by the special law. Generally the sharing of mulberry genetic resources between different countries should get the approval of relative government.
It is necessary to establish international cooperation for changing information. At present, the exchange of natural resources is conducted mainly through government-government agreement. The information exchange is important for sericultural scientist to advise government about mulberry variety exchange with the outside. In this area, FAO and ISC have coordinate ability to exchange relative information between relative countries.
