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REGIONAL CENTER FOR HORTICULTURAL BIODIVERSITY
The main objective of the project is to protect horticultural biodiversity by preserving seeds of a wide spectrum of genotypes – amateur and regional varieties of vegetables, generative rootstocks of fruit plants, native shrubs and ornamental perennials, melliferous plants, species of wild relatives of horticultural plants and plants accompanying crops. The Institute of Horticulture – National Research Institute manages collections of horticultural plant genetic resources covering approximately 20 thousand species. genotypes of fruit, vegetable, ornamental and melliferous plants. The Regional Centre for Horticultural Biodiversity (RCBO) will house an active collection of seeds of horticultural plant genetic resources, including over 10 thousand. vegetable genotypes, the maintenance of which is financed by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Ultimately, the Regional Centre for Horticultural Biodiversity will enable the collection, preservation and reproduction of approximately 30 genotypes, which will effectively protect the biodiversity of horticultural plants and the regional natural heritage, and will also make them available to interested parties. As part of the project, a modern building was designed and constructed to house a seed bank (storage) for the active collection of horticultural plants, technological rooms for cleaning and drying seeds intended for storage, a seed germination laboratory and a general laboratory, a server room and office space. As part of the investment, complete equipment will be purchased, including the necessary analytical equipment, computer equipment and specialist devices for cleaning, drying and storing seeds. The seeds collected and stored in the RCBO will not only create a lasting genetic reserve, but will also be used to recreate and increase the numbers of declining (endangered) populations. The implementation of the project will enable free access to existing materials for scientific, breeding and educational purposes in accordance with the requirements of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA). Many valuable landscapes in our country, including in the Łódź Voivodeship, are subject to degradation and irreversible changes. The culprit is not only humans and their activities, but also the changing climate. Vegetation and its diversity have an extraordinary influence on the formation of the terrain, the entire surroundings and its individual elements, as well as mutual interactions. Therefore, the restoration and reintroduction of preserved species into the natural environment will allow for the protection of valuable landscapes. Hence, the support of landscape parks, nature reserves and botanical gardens through the Institute’s activities becomes extremely important. The project creates opportunities for cooperation between the Institute of Horticulture - National Research Institute and regional institutions, landscape parks, reserves, botanical gardens in the field of seed depositing and long-term storage for later reintroduction or implementation of environmental projects. For this reason, the project is aimed at a wide range of recipients who could benefit from the effects of the project implementation. The project’s stakeholders include scientific institutions, seed and breeding companies operating in the agricultural sector and related areas throughout the country, gardeners and hobbyists, as well as international customers. The potential users of the project include several groups: entities using genetic resources and the knowledge related to them to implement them in practice: vegetable producers, fruit growers, ornamental plant producers, beekeepers and advisory centers; other research centers, including universities and agricultural schools; public administration offices; gardeners, farmers and hobbyists.
Project acronym: RCBO
Program name: Regional Operational Program of the Lodz Voivodeship 2014-2020
Contractor: Institute of Horticulture – National Research Institute
Project manager: Dr. M. Chojnowski
Implementation period: 18.01.2019 – 31.12.2021
Nr umowy: RPLD.05.04.01-10-0001/18-00
