A living heritage: old and traditional horticultural varieties supporting biodiversity from gene bank to field

Abstract Agriculture remains to be a major threat to biodiversity, primarily due to partial habitat destruction, unsustainable land use, and the erosion of plant genetic diversity. At the same time, plant genetic resources are essential for crop improvement and long-term food security. A significant share of global agrobiodiversity is safeguarded through ex situ conservation, stored as seed collections in gene banks around the world. These collections include cultivated varieties and crop wild relatives, which play a crucial role in broadening the genetic base for breeding resilient crops. In Poland, the active collection of vegetable genetic resources, including traditional and old cultivars as well as wild relatives, is maintained by the Regional Centre for Horticultural Biodiversity (RCBO) at The National Institute of Horticultural Research in Skierniewice. The living collection supports both scientific research and biodiversity-based development in rural areas. One of the ongoing initiatives of the RCBO focuses on the multiplication, evaluation, and registration of regional and amateur vegetable varieties. It aims to increase their representation in the National List of Vegetable Plant Varieties and supports the implementation of agri-environment-climate schemes under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). It also assists farmers in reintroducing locally adapted, historically cultivated varieties. To date, eleven old vegetable varieties have been submitted for registration and are currently awaiting approval. There is growing recognition of the need to preserve these genetic resources, not only for their breeding potential but also as a moral responsibility to protect biodiversity and regional heritage for future generations.