WORK ON GERMPLASM COLLECTION IN THE GDR

The genebank of fruit varieties and species in the GDR consists at present of 550 apple varieties, 237 Malus species, 105 sweet cherry varieties, 25 sour cherry varieties, 40 plum varieties, 20 Prunus species, 160 strawberry varieties.

At present all varieties are preserved in vivo. Work on the in vitro-genebank is continued starting with the main varieties used in fruit production in the GDR.

Increasingly descriptors and results of the collection are computerized.

Essential results were obtained for yield, fruit quality, storage suitability, biotic and abiotic resistance, load stress of fruits, virus tolerance, fertilization biology, suitability for shaking of fruits, and so on.

We regard the exchange of genotypes for special fruit breeding programmes within the international work of genebanks as very significant.