Description of Garden Plants Genetic Resources Database

DESCRIPTION OF THE GARDEN PLANTS GENETIC RESOURCES DATABASE

Genetic resources of garden plants are stored at the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Olericulture.

Address of the Institute: LT-54333 Babtai, Kaunas District. Telephone: 8-37-555210, fax 8-37-555176, e-mail: institutas@lsdi.lt

Collection plantations of the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Olericulture have 798 apple, 275 pear, 132 plum, 160 cherry or sweet cherry, 250 strains of currant and gooseberry, 178 strawberry and wild strawberry species, strains and forms, as well as 86 nutwood, 51 rowan, 26 grape, 56 raspberry and blackberry and over 100 peach, apricot, quince, cranberry, whortleberry, honeysuckle, viburnum, cornel, buckthorn and other, more rare species and strains of garden plants (Table 4).

Table 4. Garden plants held and studied in the collections of the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Olericulture

Genetic resources of garden plants stored by the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Olericulture consist of: strains of garden plants, donors of valuable characteristics, ancestors of cultural plants, and naturally growing plants of related species.

Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Olericulture stores in vitro and studies some 300 strains and forms of 24 species of garden plants (Table 5).

Table 5. Garden plants stored in vitro and studied by the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Olericulture

For the purpose of preservation of genetic resources, the Lithuanian Institute of Horticulture and Olericulture uses modern biotechnological methods, including growing and in vitro storage of organs, tissues, and cells. The most important directions of the research in studying and preserving genetic resources of garden plants are as follows:

1. Preservation and studying of genetic resources of garden plants in field collections.

2. Viral cleaning and in vitro storage of vegetatively reproduced plants.

Strains of garden plants are issued with passports and DNR tags characteristic of the stored samples are being identified. Possibilities for use of the plants for breeding purposes are being investigated. The material stored in collections is evaluated in terms of resistance to unfavorable biotic and abiotic factors, productivity, and qualitative characteristics. Methods for storage of vegatatively reproduced plants have been prepared and are being improved. The level of variability in an in vitro system has been assessed and expressions of valuable characteristics in intra-species and inter-species cross-breeding have been identified. Heterosic plants, characterized by combinations of valuable characteristics and properties, have been identified.

Wild and non-traditional berry plants are also stored by:

The Botanics Institute. Address: Žaliųjų Ežerų g. 49, LT-08406 Vilnius, tel.: (5) 2711618, fax (5) 2729950, e-mail: botanika@botanika.lt

Vilnius University Botanic Garden. Address: Kairėnų st.43, 10239 Vilnius-40, tel./fax: (+370-5) 2317933, e-mail: hbu@gf.vu.lt.

Vytautas Magnus University Botanic Garden. Address: Ž.E.Žilibero st. 6, LT-46324 Kaunas tel.: (8 37) 390 033, fax: (8 37) 390 133 e-mail: dir@bs.vdu.lt

Table 6. Strains and forms of berry plants held in the collections of the Kaunas Botanic Garden

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