Editorial: Ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources in Europe – A journey through history, mission, challenges and future opportunities
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Abstract
The Special Issue entitled: ‘Ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources in Europe – A journey through history, mission, challenges and future opportunities’ presents 16 original articles, including 11 genebank reports from 7 European countries (Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Norway and Russia) and 5 review and position papers presenting relevant concepts to improve plant genetic resources (PGR) conservation and access. They provide an overview of PGR ex situ conservation in Europe, and reflect on the history and future directions of the collections. Important topics in PGR conservation and use are explored, including quality management systems for genebanks, the role of community seedbanks, the importance of collaborative research projects and national and international research infrastructures for PGR, and the integration of in situ and ex situ PGR conservation. From this article collection, the key importance of genebanks clearly emerges – not only in the long-term conservation of plant biodiversity but also in supporting and enabling plant breeding, research in plant biology and in situ conservation initiatives, highlighting important topics that should be prioritized for the efficiency and continuous improvement of PGR conservation activities. This article collection sparks discussions on future directions of ex situ plant conservation to further increase the impact of genebanks and their contributions to sustainable development.
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