Traditional plant varieties recovery

Genetic studies realization in order to recover and preserve autochthonous vegetable species of horticultural interest.

Traditional plant species recovery and conservation is one of the policies that have been proven indispensable by the source of genetic resources that can provide future plans to improve crops, whether to address pests, environmental stress or changes in market preferences.

In this way, the genetic diversity loss danger caused by the progressive agriculture abandonment is minimized, and the unique genetic material transfer between generations is ensured, the inheritance result is hundreds of years of the same plant variety cultivation.

This service includes:

  • Technical advice on plants propagation: in vivo and in vitro studies for the growth of new plants from seeds or a part of the mother plant. Eg: germination optimization, multiplication by cuttings, grafts or roots of cuttings.
  • Health studies, preservation and characterization of minority varieties: genetic studies for the selection of the best seeds and virus cleaning.

OUR EXPERIENCE

vinya
ramellet4

Researchers from the UIB, in collaboration with the public company Semilla, have studied different vines varieties with the aim of recovering the Banyalbufar malvasia. This autochthonous variety was about to extinct due to viral multiinfection. Through this collaboration agreement, virus-free plants have been obtained from the in vitro study of meristems, the only plant fibre that does not have phloem and, therefore, is infection free.

The Ramellet tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most representative crops of the Balearic Islands, and is part of our culinary culture. A group of researchers from the UIB, in collaboration with the company Agroilla, participate in the European project TOMRES with the aim of improving tomato crops and reducing the environmental impact of agricultural activity. This project also aims to validate local varieties of tomatoes from all over Europe, including Ramellet tomato.

In collaboration with:

Logotipus del Ministeri de Ciència, Innovació i Universitats