SIGNIFICANCE OF VAVILOV‘S INSTITUTE IN MOBILIZATION, CONSERVATION AND USE OF GRAIN LEGUMES GENE POOL: PAST AND PRESENT
The paper is devoted to the analysis of VIR significance in mobilization, conservation and using of grain legumes gene pool in breeding in historical aspect. The great role of N. I. Vavilov in the creation of grain legumes collection is discussed. He was both an organizer and coordinator of searching the valuable plant material throughout the world and productive collector himself. He declared the necessary of renovation of cultivated flora of the country and VIR under his leadership created the big collection of plant genetic resources which became the basis for breeding of Russian varieties. The great increase of species and varietal diversity of grain legume crops in agricultural production was the result of the collecting, investigation and systematization of the world diversity of plant genetic resources. Different aspects of this work are described. Modern realities and actual directions of gene pool investigation are also discussed.