On the Centennial of the Vegetable and Cucurbit Crop Genetic Resources Department of VIR

The study of vegetable crops and cucurbits began in 1898 at the Bureau of Applied Botany. By 1930, the Bureau has developed into the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry (VIR), where the corresponding Department eventually took shape in 1945. The history of the Department can be divided into several key periods. The first one (1920-1930) involved the large-scale collecting of the global genetic diversity through expeditions by N. I. Vavilov, P. M. Zhukovsky, and other scientists. These efforts resulted in the formation of a collection containing 15,400 accessions by 1928 and allowed for conducting research and breeding work. The second period (1931–1941) was characterized by in-depth study of the collected material and the expansion of breeding activities. During the third period (1941–1948), the collection was partially evacuated to safety and preserved during the war years, and then its restoration began. The fourth period (1948–1990) was devoted to intensive replenishment of the collection, comprehensive research, and publication of the fundamental volumes of the “Flora of Cultivated Plants”. The modern period (since 1991) witnesses the active use of low-temperature seed storage, application of molecular genetic methods, continuation of ecogeographic studies, and creation of new cultivars. Among the outstanding specialists who contributed to the development of the Department are T. V. Lizgunova (cabbage), L. V. Sazonova (carrot), D. D. Brezhnev (tomato), K. I. Pangalo (melon crops), and many others. Today, the Department's global collection comprises over 53,000 accessions from 98 countries, representing 610 species. Its uniqueness is estimated at 50-80%. The main areas of work include comprehensive study of crop gene pools to identify sources of valuable traits, e.g. productivity, stress resistance, and product quality, as well as the creation of modern cultivars and hybrids. Over the past 25 years, 70 cultivars of 25 crops have been created by the department staff. In 2022, a Youth Laboratory of Breeding and Cell Technologies was organized to integrate advanced technologies into the breeding process. Its activities are aimed at the accelerated creation of new forms of vegetable and medicinal crops using in vitro methods, molecular genetics, and biochemistry. Hereby, the history of the department demonstrates its continuous work on replenishment, maintenance, and study of the genetic diversity of vegetable and cucurbit crops, thus creating a scientific basis for the country’s food security, development of healthy nutrition, and creation of competitive cultivars.