Plant biotechnology

Detailed segment division:

• Reproduction and propagation
• Genetic modification introducing new/excluding existing genes (mono- and polygenic traits)
• Growing conditions, plant protection
• Plant pathogen diagnosis, genome mapping, biodiversity of plants in agriculture/horticulture
• Plant cell biotechnology: plant cell biology

From about 250 of vascular species of plants occured on the Earth as low as 30,000 can be classified as edible plants and only 7,000 is included among crop plants. Nevertheless the world food security depends of more than 95% on 30 of main crop plants. It shows evidence of close diversity of human sustenance. An interspecific genetic diversity (i.e. genetic diversity of plant crops) consists as a matter of fact in origin of the species. In terms of UNEP in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 The "Convention on Biological Diversity" was adopted and came into operation in 1993. The Czech Republic subscribed this document in June 1993; The "Convention on Biological Diversity" came into operation in March 1994 and the statutory text is published in Collection of Laws No. 134/1999. The main point of The Convention consists in preservation of biological diversity of plants and animals, their genetic base and variability of ecosystems. Thus the object of the preservation is biodiversity in all the three components: specific, genetic and ecosystematic diversity and their contexture. The Convention distinguishes the preservation of biodiversity in a locality of natural occurence ("in situ") and outside a natural occurence ("ex situ"). The "in situ" conservation requires the conservation of all parts of ecosystem. The special case of the "in situ" conservation is "on farm" conservation asserting for a rescue of local and traditional species or strains endangered by extinction – it deals with fodder crop and medicinal plants in the region of the Czech Republic. The best way of protecting wild plants related to crop plants are national parks, protection zones of water sources and pasture bands, where the "in situ" conservation of genetic diversity is associated with conservation of nature. The "ex situ" conservation of genetic diversity is realized especially in gene banks (the number of gene banks all over the wold is cca 1300) in which is stored about 90% from 6.1 milion of samples, however cca half of which can be duplicate. The preservation of genetic diversity in The Czech Republic is realized by The "National programme on Plant Genetic Resources Conservation and Utilisation". There is collected cca 46,000 of plant samples in the following 14 workplaces in The Czech Republic:

Department of Gene Bank, workplace Praha – Ruzyne, Research Institute of Crop Production Department of Gene Bank, workplace Olomouc, Research Institute of Crop Production Research Station for Viticulture in Karlstejn, Research Institute of Crop Production Agricultural Research Institute Kromeriz Ltd. Agritec, Research, Breeding and Services Ltd. Potato Research Institute Ltd. Hop Research Institute Ltd. Research and Breeding Institute of Pomology Holovousy Ltd. Silva Tarouca Research Institute for Landscape and Ornamental Gardening Research Institute for Fodder Crops Troubsko Ltd. Grass Research Station Roznov – Zubri, Oseva PRO Ltd. Oil Plants Research Institute in Opava, Oseva PRO Ltd. Faculty of Horticulture, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry in Brno Research Station of Viticulture Znojmo Ltd.

80% of samples is generatively and 20% vegetatively reproduced. Another way of genetic conservation (mainly specific) are botanical gardens.

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