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Ex situ and on farm conservation and the formal sector<br />

K. HAMMER 1<br />

Introduction<br />

Whereas ex situ conservation is closely connected with the formal sector, it is not so easy to indicate<br />

linkages between on farm conservation and the formal sector. This is a field which has still to be<br />

developed. But there are strong indications that increasing cooperation is necessary to cope with the<br />

global problem <strong>of</strong> genetic erosion.<br />

Ex situ conservation and the formal sector<br />

Ex situ conservation is generally done by the formal sector using genebanks. This well known relation<br />

will be explained demonstrating the achievements <strong>of</strong> the Gatersleben genebank. Fifty years ago the<br />

Institute <strong>of</strong> Crop <strong>Plant</strong> Research was founded within the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Society (now: Max-Planck-<br />

Society) <strong>of</strong> Germany. An integral part <strong>of</strong> this institute has been from the beginning a collection <strong>of</strong> plant<br />

genetic resources (Hammer 1993b, Hammer and Begemann 1993, Hammer and Gäde 1993). Scientists<br />

in Germany have been early aware <strong>of</strong> the importance <strong>of</strong> genetic resources for plant breeding (e.g. von<br />

Proskowetz 1890, Schindler 1890, see also Lehmann 1990). In 1914 E. Baur published the key paper<br />

on "The importance <strong>of</strong> primitive landraces and wild progenitors <strong>of</strong> our crop plants for plant breeding"<br />

(Baur 1914). Baur was influential with respect to scientific thought in Germany. In the 20ies he himself<br />

was greatly influenced by the convincing new ideas and concepts <strong>of</strong> N.I. Vavilov. But only long ager his<br />

death in 1933 the above indicated institute was founded in 1943 with the included plant genetic<br />

resources collection definitely as a basis for plant breeding under the first director H. Stubbe (Stubbe<br />

1982) in Vienna (Austria). During the war the institute was transferred to the Harz Mts. in the centre<br />

<strong>of</strong> Germany and just after the war it came to the nearby village Gatersleben where it is still located.<br />

The developing <strong>of</strong> material in this plant genetic resources collection, since the beginning <strong>of</strong> the 80ies<br />

called genebank, is shown in table 1.<br />

1<br />

Author's address:<br />

I nstitute <strong>of</strong> <strong>Plant</strong> <strong>Genetic</strong> and Crop <strong>Plant</strong> Research (I PK)<br />

Corrensstr. 3<br />

06466 Gatersleben<br />

Germ any

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