Schriften zu Genetischen Ressourcen - Genres

L. FRESE
are reasons to assume that the section Procumbentes does not at all belong to the
genus Beta but to a separate genus (WILLIAMS et al. 1976, JUNG et al. 1993). Nevertheless,
major users of germplasm holdings are satisfied with the taxonomic system
presented in Table 1 as it transfers all the information they need.
Inventory and collecting
The wild species of the genus Beta are native to Europe and adjacent areas. The
section Beta is mainly distributed along the shores of the Mediterranean basin and
along the Atlantic coast from the Canary Islands as the most southern outpost to the
South of Sweden. Section Corollinae frequently occurs in Turkey and the adjacent
Caucasus region with outposts in Daghestan and the Talysch mountain (Iran/ Azerbaijan).
The only species of section Nanae is endemic in Greece where it grows in
mountainous areas at elevations higher that 1800 m. Section Procumbentes has its
major distribution area on the Canary Islands but can also be found in Southeast
Spain and along the coast of Morocco where it is rare. Even wider distribution areas
have cultivated forms. Where soil, water and temperature allow sugar beet is grown
in almost every country of the northern hemisphere as well as in Chile. A similar large
distribution area is known for the Leaf Beet Group which is adapted to a very broad
range of growing conditions in Europe, Northern Africa, the Americas and in particular
countries of the Asian region.
In 1979 the first Beta germplasm collecting mission was funded by IPGRI and a
number of additional missions followed with the objective to sample wild beets and
landraces in the Mediterranean area. Between 1980 and 1990, large geographic
gaps were closed by IPGRI and USDA/ARS funded missions (South Italy, Southern
part of France, West Atlantic coast, British Islands, Ireland and Denmark) (DONEY et
al. 1995) and the collecting data were entered into national databases. On the initiative
of the ECP/GR programme, a European inventory of Beta collections was established
in 1987, and in view of the effective collaboration achieved with the NPGS
(USA) it was recommended to assume an international role. The International Database
for Beta (FRESE and HINTUM 1989) contains information provided by 28 germplasm
holdings in 24 countries. This central crop database currently stores passport
data on 2,324 sugar beet, 863 fodder beet, 892 garden beet, 631 leaf beet and 4,022
wild beet accessions. The geographic coordinates of collecting sites were used for
plotting distribution maps to visualise smaller geographic gaps in the world holding.
Subsequently the German-Dutch Cooperation on Beta Genetic Resources (Iberian
peninsula, East Caucasus region), the Turkish genebank (explorations within the
country) and the Polish Gene Bank (landraces in Southeast Poland and adjacent areas)
(DALKE et al. 2000) organised collecting trips to purposefully complete the world
holding. Today, for wild beets only smaller geographic gaps need to be closed in
Europe such as for B. vulgaris subsp. maritima in Northwest Spain. In countries like
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