HORTICULTURAL GENETIC DIVERSITY: CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE UTILIZATION AND RELATED INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS

Horticultural crops comprizing fruit and nut crops, vegetables, food legumes, roots and tubers, medicinal, aromatic and ornamental plants are only part of the total genetic diversity of PGRFA; nonetheless they contribute greatly both to satisfying food security and to integrate and diversify dietary needs of mankind. In fact, in some regions of the world, horticultural crops are important staples.

In recent decades the awareness of a high degree of genetic erosion led to the establishment of seed and field genebanks located both in developed countries (poor in genetic resources) and in developing countries (rich in genetic resources).

Even more recent is the concept of dynamic in situ conservation, which allows the conserved material to evolve.

This report highlights that research and technology have neglected minor and underutilized horticultural species of particular importance for subsistence farming systems in developing countries, and for preserving environment and socio-economic fabric in marginal areas of developed countries. A review of the main conventional and alternative conservation systems, methods of characterization, evaluation and utilization of horticultural genetic resources is reported.

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