Fruit genetic resources in Republika Srpska.

Republika Srpska is located in the northern, eastern and south-eastern parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Owing to its geographical position, there are two types of climate: continental in the north and east, and Mediterranean in the south. This area has been exposed to different civilizations and cultures throughout history, becoming very rich in biological diversity as the civilizations and climates mixed. There were only a few studies on the inventory and collection of fruit genetic resources in the past. The most comprehensive one was conducted during 1989 - 1991 within the Plant Gene Bank of Yugoslavia project. Due to war, these activities were canceled for more then ten years. Documentation was saved only for some inventories, including MCPDs (Multi Crops Passport Descriptors) for the accessions: Malus × domestica Borkh. (11), Prunus domestica L. (6), Pyrus communis L. (11), Prunus avium L. (4), Prunus cerasus L. (2), Prunus persica (L) Batch. (2), Prunus armeniaca L. (1), Prunus cerasifera Ehrh. (6) and Juglans regia L. (4). PGR activities have restarted through the project 'South Eastern European Network on Plant Genetic Resources 2004 - 2014' with the University of Banjaluka as a partner for SEEDNet implementation in Republika Srpska. This project has enabled the inventory and collection activities to be resumed and has supported capacity building for the establishment of both the Gene Bank and the national PGR programme. The inventory and collection activities have been implemented through the Republic Working Group on Fruits and Vitis established according to the project proposal as well as through regional activities. Since 2004, the following accessions have been either inventoried or collected: Pyrus communis L. (91), Malus × domestica Borkh. (64), Prunus avium L. (44), Prunus domestica L. (20), Ficus carica L. (11), Vitis vinifera L. (11) Corylus avellana L. (5), Prunus cerasus L. (3), Prunus cerasifera L. (2), Prunus persica L. (1), Cydonia oblonga (1) and Sorbus domestica (1). These accessions have been documented via collection forms and MCPDs. Conservation work is being conducted ex situ in a collection orchard 20 km south of Banjaluka and on farms at two locations.