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Gene Bank

With Provincial Act no. 1, art. 8, of January 22, 2001, the Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry Laimburg was commissioned to establish a germplasm collection for endangered and new plant varieties in South Tyrol. One of the main goals of the division Gene Bank is the set–up of standardised protocols for genetic identification and characterisation of old apple cultivars and grain species. The use of molecular markers is important for the establishment and efficient management of a germplasm collection and helps to maintain genetic variability on one hand and to prevent redundancies on the other hand.

The Interreg III A-project "Gene-Save", concluded in 2008, focused on the genetic characterisation of old apple cultivars in South Tyrol and Tyrol using microsatellite DNA analysis as well as on the genetic characterisation of landraces of wheat, oat and rye.

The project “Health and Nutrition – Old and New Apple Varieties at the Service of Health” (APFEL-FIT), granted within the EFRE 2007-2013 programme, deals with the exact molecular genetic identification and the acquisition of genetic profiles from a large number of old and new apple cultivars. These data will serve as the basis for selecting apple varieties to be used in chemical analyses, to ensure that a wide spectrum of genetic variability will be covered. The chemical analysis of the fruits focuses on components relevant to human health. The ultimate goal is to identify varieties suitable for agricultural niche production or the generation of specialised high-quality foodstuffs.