CONSERVATION AND UTILIZATION OF GLOBAL COLLECTIONS OF CULTIVATED PLANTS AND THEIR WILD RELATIVES

Abstract

The Research Institute for Plant Genetic Resources is the national center for the global genetic resources of cultivated plants and their wild relatives, which are preserved in the form of collections of national status, represented by seeds, vegetative and reproductive organs and parts of plants, herbarium specimens, as well as plantations of perennial crops. Collections numbering more than 43 thousand accessions are concentrated here over crop 100 species and are the largest in Central Asia in terms of botanical, genetic, geographical and ecological diversity. Genetic resources of cultivated plants and their wild relatives, which are in evolutionary and genetic relationship with cultivated plants, are part of biological resources that have actual or potential value and great importance, especially in the last decade in the context of climate change for food production, sustainable development of ecologically safe agriculture, development of raw materials for industry. The work carried out at the institute is aimed at solving the problems of collecting, conservation, study and rational and effective use of plant genetic resources and are state-owned, strategically important and directly related to ensuring national and global food security for present and future generations.