FAQs

EURISCO is a web-based catalogue that provides accession-level information on germplasm maintained in ex situ plant collections in Europe. EURISCO is based on a European network of National Inventories that makes European accession-level biodiversity data easily and readily available everywhere in the world.

The EURISCO Catalogue currently contains accession-level data on almost 1.1 million samples of crop diversity representing 5,586 genera and 36,356 species (genus-species combinations including synonyms and spelling variants) from 43 countries (updated May 2012). These accessions of crop diversity represent more than half of the ex situ accessions maintained in Europe and roughly 16% of total worldwide holdings. EURISCO uses international standards for information access and exchange on ex situ plant collections that enables users to search and access information on crops, forages, wild and weedy species, farmers' varieties and breeding lines using a wide set of search criteria.

EURISCO serves as an online information source and European database for material maintained ex situ in European countries. The aim is to make information on the estimated 2 million accessions maintained in Europe readily available all around the world through European National Inventories (NIs) of plant genetic resources. At the moment, 42 NIs- with information on almost 1 million accessions- are accessible through the system. To reach the goal of including 2 millions accessions in Europe, the remaining NIs need to join EURISCO and make their updated country data available. EURISCO will be used by educators and students, scientists, breeders, policy makers and the wider community to achieve a better understanding of the plant genetic resources that have been conserved for present and future generations.

The content and management of the National Inventories (NIs) is a national responsibility. National Inventories of Plant Genetic Resources are implemented and maintained by individual European Countries as a contribution to the implementation of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) and other international mechanisms such as the FAO Global Plan of Action, the Clearing House Mechanism (CHM) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). The NIs are expected to include food crop genetic resources as forages are also crops, forages, wild and weedy species (including crop wild relatives – CWR), medicinal and ornamental plants, but not forest genetic resources. Cultivars, landraces, farmers’ varieties, breeding lines, genetic stocks and research material are included. Together, the NIs are the backbone of EURISCO: in addition to relevant information for the PGR Search Catalogue, they may also contain other important information about PGR held in each country. The content of the NIs should be flexible and in accordance with the mandate of each country. The level of data management (i.e. the frequency of updating, the maintenance of data quality and completeness) and access to information is the responsibility of individual countries.

The best way of creating a National Inventory (NIs) of PGR differs from country to country. However, five steps are proposed:

1. Nomination of National Inventory Focal Point 
2. Identification of relevant collections 
3. Compilation of data
4. Validation / harmonization / updating of data 
5. Provision of data

Many European genebanks have already computerized their data and in many cases the structure of these data is very similar to that of the FAO/IPGRI Multicrop Passport Descriptors ( MCPD (174 KB)  [2]). This makes the compilation of data, covering a significant part of a country's ex situ collections very easy, and forms the basis for that country\s NI.

A National Focal Point (NFP) is the person appointed by each country with the responsibility of managing and uploading the country's National Inventory (NI) of Plant Genetic Resources onto EURISCO in accordance with the agreed standards and procedures.

The EURISCO web catalogue automatically receives data from the National Inventories (NIs), throught the countries' National Focal Points (NFPs).

National Focal Points (NFPs) are the links between national data sources and National Inventories (NIs). As data providers, NFPs hold the responsibility within their countries for the creation, development and national-level coordination of PGR inventories. They ensure the flow of data between NIs and EURISCO. Their roles are primarily technical, but NFPs are also expected to give clearance for the online publication of country passport data (more details in the "Terms of use  [3]")

EURISCO standards are used by many organizations and individuals for the conservation, use of plant genetic resources and support the data exchange over the Internet. These user are:

• Biodiversity data holders
• Biodiversity network members
• Biodiversity network developers
• Breeders
• Consumers of biodiversity data
• Developers of collections - management systems
• European Central Crop Databases
• Genebanks
• Research institutions
• Universities / students

The EURISCO standards are based on the FAO/IPGRI Multi Crop Passports descriptors ( MCPD (174 KB)  [2]), with six descriptors specifically added for EURISCO. The first of these descriptors identifies the National Inventory (NI) and the final five allow relevant information to be incorporated into EURISCO. This descriptor list is used for uploading data from the NIs to EURISCO.

To join EURISCO and make your data available through the Catalogue, please contact your country's NFP (list of NFPs  [4]) and send your data to be included in the NI. The NFP will submit the updated NI to EURISCO for inclusion in the EURISCO Catalogue.

This is a dedicated page for the Country National Focal Points (NFPs) to upload their National Inventories (NIs). The uploading mechanism is designed for the submission of the NIs to EURISCO. This mechanism is based on a step-by-step approach that allows checking of the information provided from NIs. The NFPs give their approval with a click and it become available online.

The system automatically receives data from the National Inventories (NIs  [5]), through countries' National Focal Points (NFPs  [4]). It allows checking and validation procedures to assist the NFPs in their efforts to improve the accuracy of their information at the national level before it goes online.

EURISCO is hosted at and maintained by Bioversity International on behalf on the Secretariat of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources (ECPGR  [6]).

In 2000, the European Union, through the 5th Framework Programme Project, approved funding for the European Plant Genetic Resources Information Infra-Structure (EPGRIS), for the development of national inventories of plant genetic resources (PGR) and for the creation of a searchable catalogue of ex situ collections in Europe - EURISCO. The EURISCO Catalogue was publicly launched in September 2003 and during its first phase, the information accessible has increased including more than 1 million accessions. Funding has subsequently been made available from ECPGR, Bioversity International and in-kind contributions from NFPs  [4]. Additional funds must be sought to further develop this important source of PGR information - EURISCO.

EURISCO has been made possible by funding from the above-mentioned sources. Throughout the year regular reports and other information on the ongoing development and implementation of EURISCO are delivered to the ECPGR Steering Committee and the Documentation and Information Network Coordinating Group on its capacity as the EURISCO Advisory Group and the NFPs  [4]. A great deal of attention is paid to EURISCO's progress, milestones, and to building a strong network. Funding providers, such as, the ECPGR Steering Committee and the Documentation and Information Network Coordinating Group on its capacity as the EURISCO Advisory Group, with the function to provide, as well, advice to BIoversity INternational for the further development.

The most significant obstacle is the need for NIs to be sustainably and constantly updated as well as for dissemination and implementation of software technology in order to accommodate the demands of data providers, stakeholder and users. Enthusiasm has been increasing throughout the years and we need to build on that interest, providing a valuable, user-friendly Catalogue suitable for all audiences, that is regularly updated and consistently current. We know expectations are high, and it is our duty to fulfill those expectations.

EURISCO is a 21st century effort to provide a resource for accession-level information on more than 1 million accessions made available by NIs. Currently, data can be found across the globe in many scattered databases and other resources. Other information resources exist both online and off, but even smart searchers are often overwhelmed by lists of sites found through search engines or by the lack of easy access to other sources of knowledge. Instead of seeking out plant genetic resources information on a particular site, EURISCO provides one-stop shop for plant genetic resources material maintained ex situ by European institutions. There has been a marked increase in the number of visitors to the Catalogue. This increase reflects the impact of the Catalogue as a one-stop shop for accession-level information on the material maintained in European ex situ collections, and of National Inventories (NIs) it makes available. Interest in the Catalogue is also geographically expanding: it is now being accessed from 145 countries worldwide.

No! EURISCO has been developed to serve as a resource for everyone: scientists, breeders, genebank managers, teachers, students, policy makers and any interested person. With a wide range of functions, EURISCO is a valuable resource for anyone who has an interest in plant genetic resources.

The EURISCO Catalogue will serve as a global resource for information on ex situ plant genetic resources maintained in European germplasm collections. Such an important information resource for Europe has never been available to the scientific community or society before. It provides one-stop shop for scientists, breeders, policy makers, educators, and the general public.

Scientists and breeders will use it as a research source on plant genetic resources and as a central information source on ex situ material maintained in European germplasm collections. For decades, scientists, breeders and the genebank community have called for the establishment of a database such as EURISCO. Having a common resource where scientists and breeders across the globe can access and share information on PGR contributes to sustainable development and conservation as well as worldwide food security. EURISCO can also be used for information sharing and collaboration between partners, stakeholders and communities.

EURISCO will allow students to browse through PGR maintained ex situ for distributions, conservation status, etc. The site will provide students with one common web location where they can learn about plants that are being conserved in Europe. This one-stop shop for information about the location, origin, sample status, geographical distribution and conservation status of PGR will provide a better understanding of how conservation is being dealt with in coverage and scope, improving the students' knowledge base.

EURISCO is a database and learning tool about ex situ material maintained in European institutions. This Catalogue can provide information about plants that might be found in your country, or even home town. EURISCO provides the public with easy access to information about biodiversity conservation and sustainable use for food security in the same way that a guidebook can help travelers to find their destination.

The European scope of ex situ conservation and its richness are at the top of the list. A website like the EURISCO encourages and provides access to the information necessary to better understand the distribution, conservation, and status of PGR by defining the crops that are cultivated, breeding lines, traditional cultivars and wild species, and by defining the level of human involvement in the conservation and distribution of these species worldwide.

Based on the user feedback, the EURISCO web site has been re-designed and its content updated. In the process, the search components have been improved to provide a more user-friendly front end. We will work as quickly and efficiently as possible to provide users with access to the re-designed site. The site will be maintained updated based on new developments, news and activities; the database content is dependent on constant updating of the National Inventories (NIs) by the National Focal Points (NFPs). For EURISCO to succeed, it must be updated continuously with regular contributions from the NFPs, scientists, and users to ensure it stays current.

EURISCO links with ECPGR  [6], FAO/WIEWS  [7] for institutional ISO codes, GBIF  [8] as a data provider, and country/NI  [5] data providers and NFPs  [4].