UL Biotechnical Faculty highlights the role of plant genetic resources in agricultural resilience and food security

Plant genetic resources provide the foundation for developing new varieties and are an important part of the response to the challenges that climate change poses to agriculture. Ensuring their safe conservation and wider practical use was the central theme of the anniversary conference at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. The event was held under the honorary patronage of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr Nataša Pirc Musar, and State Secretary Mojca Erjavec addressed participants on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture.

The conference brought together research, professional and educational institutions and explored cooperation with farmers, breeders and policymakers. Alongside conserving collections, participants emphasised the need to better understand the characteristics of stored material and incorporate it into the development of varieties adapted to changing growing conditions.

Thirty years of conserving plant genetic heritage

This year, the Slovenian Plant Gene Bank marked 30 years of organised national conservation of plant genetic resources. The public service responsible for plant gene bank activities currently conserves and maintains 5,576 accessions, with five institutions involved in its work, including the UL Biotechnical Faculty.

A joint contribution by Zlata Luthar from the UL Biotechnical Faculty, Jelka Šuštar Vozlič from the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Andreja Čerenak from the Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing, and Metka Šiško from the Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences of the University of Maribor traced the development of this system. The collection of plant genetic resources for breeding purposes in Slovenia dates back to 1922, while the national programme was established in 1996.

The importance of this heritage for the future of agriculture was also the focus of a contribution by Joži Cvelbar, Neli Sovinc and Polona Kolarek Novšek from the Ministry of Agriculture. It addressed the role of plant genetic resources in ensuring food security and the need to link their conservation with research, breeding and use in agricultural production.

Some diversity remains outside national collections

Data on fruit varieties show that considerable conservation work remains to be done. Valentina Usenik from the UL Biotechnical Faculty noted that the national collection includes only 25 per cent of apple varieties and 15 per cent of pear varieties still present in Slovenia. Comparable data are not yet available for other fruit species, as the necessary field studies have not been conducted.

Important genetic resources are also maintained on farms and by private collectors, but they are at risk of being lost. A contribution by Gregor Osterc from the UL Biotechnical Faculty and Janko Verbič from the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia highlighted the consequences of the abandonment of farming, tree removal and extreme weather events. Professional and financial support, particularly for small hill farms, and training for young farmers taking over farms in tree care and fruit use are essential to conserving these resources.

Wild populations also require attention. Dea Baričevič from the UL Biotechnical Faculty stressed the need for systematic monitoring of wild medicinal and aromatic plant populations and assessment of the threats they face. Such data help identify appropriate conservation methods and prevent genetic erosion, or the loss of genetic diversity.

Crop wild relatives offer further potential, as they may possess useful traits absent from cultivated plants. A contribution by Jelka Šuštar Vozlič and Azra Šabič from the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia highlighted that Slovenia does not yet have an official inventory of crop wild relatives, making coordinated research and a strategy for their conservation and sustainable use necessary.

Safer collections and the return of material of Slovenian origin

The security of collections is another important aspect of long-term conservation. Jelka Šuštar Vozlič emphasised the need to establish safety duplicates of the most important accessions at a separate location to reduce the risk of loss through natural disasters or technical failures. Participants also learned about the work of the Svalbard Global Seed Vault and the Czech plant gene bank.

National collections could also be expanded with material of Slovenian origin held abroad. In their contribution on its repatriation, Eva Plestenjak and Lovro Sinkovič from the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia presented an analysis of international databases that identified 1,490 accessions potentially of Slovenian origin. Of these, 452 were selected for further repatriation procedures, helping to conserve this heritage and make it available for research and breeding.

Conserved resources need to reach agricultural production

Examples from plant breeding illustrated the practical value of genetic collections. Using common bean as an example, Barbara Pipan from the Agricultural Institute of Slovenia presented the process from selecting parental lines to developing new varieties. Well-conserved genetic resources whose traits have been studied and evaluated are essential to this process.

Andreja Čerenak from the Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing presented the use of genetic resources in hop breeding and the selection of medicinal and aromatic plants. The institute’s hop gene bank holds more than 300 genetic resources, and all 24 of its registered varieties include a component of indigenous genetic heritage.

The need to make greater use of conserved material was also a common thread in the concluding workshop. Participants emphasised the importance of closer cooperation between gene banks, researchers, breeders, farmers and the agricultural advisory service. They called for further development of on-farm and in situ conservation, the involvement of private collectors, and wider use of local varieties in agricultural production.

The conference concluded with a visit to the collection of medicinal and aromatic plant genetic resources at the UL Biotechnical Faculty’s experimental field.