Crop wild relative materials from field research in the Yakutsk vicinity in 2020
The N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR) is working on replenishing seed and herbarium collections of cultivated plants and their wild relatives through collection missions in various regions of Russia. The collections are replenished with both live specimens (plantlets, runners, cuttings, bulbs, seeds, etc.), and with herbarium specimens of crop wild relatives (CWR). The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is characterized by a variety of natural conditions and resources, while many territories are difficult to reach by transport. Collection missions were carried out by VIR in the territory of Yakutia from 1972 to 1990. Field research in the territory of the republic is relevant to this day. In 2020, field research in the area of the projected bridge crossing over the Lena River near the city of Yakutsk resulted in collecting 18 samples of wild relatives of fruit, vegetable, essential oil, oil and fiber, forage legume, and cereals crops (live plants and seeds), as well as 45 CWR herbarium specimens. CWR (species of currants, onions, horseradish, water sorrel, tarragon wormwood, etc.) were found in floodplain habitats and on river banks, some were collected in ruderal biotopes, near settlements, less often in forest phytocenoses, and on steppe meadow slopes. All the samples were included in VIR collections. The phyt ocenoses from which CWR were collected, were comprehensively described.