Horticultural plant genetic resources conservation program, 2024

Latvia's most extensive collection of horticultural genetic resources is maintained and studied at the Institute of Horticultural (LatHort). In 2024, the collection included 1,741 varieties bred in Latvia and individual forms with special, equivalent-to-varietal significance; local varieties, landraces, varieties of origin from other countries cultivated in Latvia for a long time, as well as samples of wild relatives of crops collected in Latvia, as well as 3,000 samples of microorganisms. Genetic resource samples are preserved following the methodology of safe preservation, and research group samples (cultivars created in Latvia, clones created and evaluated in Latvia, lines with valuable quantitative or qualitative characteristics and local folk breeding varieties) are duplicated. This is necessary to ensure field collections against possible losses under various climatic conditions, diseases and pest threats.

AGR is preserved only in ex-situ (field) collections - in the garden. Two copies are kept for each tree sample, three for shrubby plants (including Chaenomeles) and grapes, 10 for rootstocks and raspberries and 30 for strawberries. The AGR collection is maintained following their agro-technological requirements, but there is always a risk that damage to collections or individual samples may occur due to meteorological conditions. Therefore, to guarantee safety, group 1 samples are duplicated - in the primary collection and a duplicate backup copy.

The LatHort genetic resource collections are located in two locations:

- The primary collection of fruit plant genetic resources - Dobele, Graudu iela 1, Ceriņi, Krimūnu parish, Dobele municipality, LV-3701;

- The duplicate collection of fruit plant genetic resources and the collection of vegetatively propagated vegetable genetic resources - Pūres parish, Dzintars, "Tauriņi", Tukums municipality, LV-3124.