The role of collection missions in gathering plant genetic resources material

In the last 40 years, the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources (KCRZG) in Radzików has organized 67 collecting missions across the country. The main task was to secure the still existing plant genetic richness in agricultural ecosystems. Mission dates were set according to the time of seed maturation and the harvesting strategy adjusted to the collected group of plants. The collected genotypes included seeds, bulbs, grafts etc. The samples were collected mainly from local farmers or gathered directly from the field. During the collecting missions, one could clearly observe the progressive ”genetic erosion” of crop plants, visible through the disappearance of the tradition of growing local varieties, especially cereals. It is caused by the cultivation of modern varieties or the cessation of the cultivation of traditional crop plants. In the period from 1984 to 2017, a total of approximately 4700 samples were collected during 67 collection missions organized by KCRZG – Radzików. In the 90s, cereals prevailed. In the second period of the collection missions, from 1994 to 2005, vegetable and spice plants did instead. In the third period, between 2006 and 2017, ornamental plants, medicinal plants, wild plants, grasses, plants accompanying crops were the most plentiful groups of plants. The decreasing number of old cultivars and landraces in the last 40 years indicates the need for further collection of genetic resources through collecting missions and monitoring of genetic erosion of crops in Poland.