Plant genetic resources are extremely important for every country. Plant genetic resources of vegetables represent all vegetable plant species used in agriculture. These include commercial varieties, old varieties, local populations, wild relatives of vegetable species and material that has emerged over the years in the selection processes of different vegetable species. Plant genetic resources of a country are genotypes that are best adapted to the external conditions prevailing in the agricultural production of that country.

In order to preserve the genetic resources of a country, their conservation is necessary. All over the world, all agricultural species are experiencing huge losses in biodiversity, disturbing the balance between species and destroying ecosystems. Some old varieties and local populations are being replaced by new, commercial varieties and hybrids that are more productive. Their reproduction is stopped, and in that way the material and the result of the work that has been preserved and created for years are irretrievably lost. This problem has been recognized worldwide, and in order to solve it, the Global Seed Bank was opened in Svalbard in 2008, where in the conditions of long-term storage (temperature -18⁰C, oxygen and low humidity) seeds of plant genetic resources for agriculture and food of various plant species from all parts of the world.

The Institute for Vegetable Crops in Smederevska Palanka has been collecting and storing plant genetic resources of vegetable species for years. After collection, the samples are characterized and evaluated, and if necessary, they are multiplied and used in further selection. The plant gene bank of the Institute for Vegetable Crops in Smederevska Palanka keeps a collection of nearly 1850 samples of genotypes of 29 different vegetable species. The collection consists of old varieties and local populations, foreign, introduced and commercial varieties grown in this area and selection material as part of selection programs of different vegetable species. This is one of the largest collections of seeds of local populations, autochthonous varieties of all vegetable species that are grown in our country. The Plant Gene Bank is located in the basement of the building, and seed samples are in medium-term storage conditions.

The Institute for Vegetable Crops maintains cooperation and exchanges samples with other plant gene banks around the world.

Research Associate Dr. Zdenka Girek