Vegetable Research and Development Station Buzau – Research, innovation, and passion for Romanian vegetable cultivation!

Collection, conservation and evaluation of national vegetable genetic resources “ex situ” and “in situ”

  • Implementation period: 2023-2027

Project objectives

Identifying and collecting new genotypes of value for the conservation of biodiversity and introducing them into reference collections at European level;

Saving valuable resources at risk of extinction (local genetic heritage) by collecting native local populations and old, primitive varieties that are under threat, with a view to reducing genetic erosion;

Assessing specific and intraspecific biodiversity within the reference collections;

Quantitative genetic, physiological, biochemical and agronomic studies, in order to promote the germplasm resources identified and held in the reference collections that we will establish.

Expected results

  • “In situ” and “ex situ” conservation of the selected rare local varieties, together with the establishment of mini germplasm banks for the selected resources;
  • Annual establishment of reference collections for the vegetable species under study: solanaceous fruit vegetables, cucurbits, legumes, bulb vegetables, leafy greens, and aromatic, culinary and medicinal plants;
  • Production of high-quality biological material and its use in germplasm exchanges of importance for the conservation of biodiversity;
  • Establishment of an information base and network between research units, and between these units and farmers, and encouragement of cooperation between government authorities and the private sector in developing methods for the sustainable use of biological resources.
Project coordinator
Vegetable Research and Development Station Buzau
Budget
  • 25,000,000 LEI