I.V. Savchenko
All-Russian Research Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, ul. Grina, 7, str. 1, Moskva, 117216, Russian Federation
Summary. Plant genetic resources are the part of biological resources, which includes vegetative matter, containing heredity functional units, presenting actual or potential value for breeding of plant varieties and hybrids. Genetic resources are the basis for plant-breeding. N.I. Vavilov was the first one who gave scientific reasons for the need of genetic resources collection. Presently, 12-20 expeditions are organized in Russia aimed at collecting genetic resources of cultivated plants. In 2015 Russian scientists carried out 14 collecting missions both in Russia and abroad. As a result, institute storages got more than 3000 genetic samples of cultivated plants, including medicinal and aromatic species. Thus, the total gene pool of agricultural plants, stored in Russia, contains 370 thousand varieties (325,400 samples are in the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) and 50,000 – in other institutes). Annually the gene pool of crops is replenished with 260-350 varieties and hybrids of agricultural and medicinal plants having high rates of product quality, steady against abiotic and biotic stresses. It is realized using genetic resources on the basis of modern genetic and breeding techniques, including biotechnological ones and molecular-genetic marking. Forty-two plant-breeding centers in Russia, located in all regions of the country, carry out the work on designing of varieties. Thus, the Krasnodar Research Institute of Agriculture, All-Russian Research Institute of Grain Crops and Moscow Research Institute of Agriculture developed winter wheat varieties with yield potential 10-13 t/ha. The scientist of Agricultural Research Institute for South-East Regions using world gene pool managed to develop spring wheat varieties with increased root suction force (25-32 atm), that helps to use soil moisture more efficiently under extremely dry climatic conditions of the Volga region. Principal tasks to be solved in genetic resources research are the following: improving strategy and modern methods of their search; effective keeping; works expansion on molecular breeding, including creation of sources and donors of economically important plant genes and traits, as well as development of new technologies of their transformation corresponding to modern requirements of biosafety.
Keywords: breeding, genetic, wheat, hybridization, adaptive breeding.
Author Details: I.V. Savchenko, D. Sc. (Agr.), member of the RAS, director of the Center of crop research (e-mail: Этот адрес электронной почты защищён от спам-ботов. У вас должен быть включен JavaScript для просмотра.).
For citation: Savchenko I.V. Genetic Resources are the Basis of Russian Food Security. Dostizheniya nauki i tekhniki APK. 2016. V.30. No. 9. Pp. 5-8 (in Russ.).