17
Maintenance of Cannabis germplasm in the Vavilov Research Institute Gene Bank - 1996
Sofia Kutuzova 1, Lyudmila Rumyantseva 1, Sergey Grigoryev 1 and Robert C. Clarke 2
1 N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Industry, St. Petersburg, Russia; 2 International Hemp Association, Postbus 75007, 1070 AA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Kutuzova, Sofia, L. Rumyantseva, S. Grigoryev and R. C. Clarke 1997. Maintenance of Cannabis germplasm in the Vavilov Research Institute Gene Bank - 1996. Journal of the International Hemp Association 4(1): 17-21. Ninety-six accessions of hemp were grown on isolated plots at the Pavlovsk, Yekaterinino, Kuban and Ustimovka Experiment Stations of the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Research Institute of Plant Industry (VIR) and at the Penza Research Institute of Agriculture and the Donskoy Branch of the All-Russian Research Institute of Oil-bearing Crops. Reproductions were received from only 74 accessions because six did not germinate, two perished during chemical weed control of the covering crop, and 14 were stolen. In addition, small amounts of seed were received from 16 samples of monoecious hemp grown in glasshouses at the Pushkin Laboratories of the VIR.
Introduction
The Cannabis
collection preserved at the VIR consists of 496 accessions, representing the wide global
diversity of this crop. Current priorities for the conservation of Cannabis
genetic diversity are the maintenance of the collection in viable condition through
reproductions in the field, and placement of the reproduced accessions in long-term
storage. However, due to the worsening situation with respect to scientific research
in Russia, implementation of these tasks becomes ever more difficult and expensive from
year to year.
The loss of southern experiment stations, where
late-ripening thermophilous (heat-loving) hemp accessions had been maintained, led to
attempts to reproduce these genotypes in more northern environments, where they sometimes
failed to yield mature seed. This produced the necessity to incorporate in this
project, new institutions in southern regions with favorable climates, which have the
possibility to grow out the collection materials on isolated field plots or under reliable
artificial isolation.
Incidents involving the stealing of plants
became more frequent, indicating that the precautions taken were not successful. An
attempt to grow out several accessions at the Donskoy Branch of the All-Russian Institute
of Oil-bearing Crops (Rostov Province) was futile due to these reasons. Many more
plant samples were lost at the Kuban and Yekaterinino Stations of the VIR.
An experiment was performed at the Pushkin
laboratories of the VIR to reproduce monoecious hemp accessions in glasshouses, but the
possibilities were limited by the small number of boxes and small number of seeds planted.
Methods
In 1996, participants in the
VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm Preservation Project continued with their efforts to
reproduce the next set of Cannabis collection accessions. Planting was
performed on isolated plots at the same stations as in the previous year: the Pavlovsk,
Yekaterinino, Kuban and Ustimovka Experiment Stations of the VIR. There was also an
attempt to expand the scope of work by the incorporating new sites: the Penza Research
Institute of Agriculture (Penza Province) and the All-Russian Institute of Oil-bearing
Crops (Rostov Province), and by growing monoecious hemp accessions in the glasshouses of
the Pushkin Laboratories of the VIR (near St. Petersburg).
The methods applied to the isolated plots were
the same as in previous years (Lemeshev et al. 1994, 1995 and Kutuzova et al.
1996): manual planting in rows with an interval of 20 cm between the rows, hoeing, weed
control, top-dressing of young plants, eliminating atypical plants in the budding and
flowering phases, and manual harvesting.
In the glasshouse, monoecious hemp samples were
grown in pots of five liter capacity. Ten pots were used for each accession and
three to five seeds were sown in each pot, with subsequent regular watering and weeding.
At the beginning of budding, the pots of each accession were placed in isolation
boxes. Varietal integrity was maintained by eliminating atypical off-type plants and
dioecious individuals from the crop. The female plants were periodically pollinated
by shaking the males.
Results
Weather conditions in 1996 were
extremely unfavorable for hemp cultivation at all the locations selected for
reproductions. Spring droughts and arid winds in the southern and central regions of
the country (including Kuban, Ustimovka, Yekaterinino and Donskoy Branch) caused sparse
germination. At the Yekaterinino and Ustimovka Stations, drought continued
throughout the Summer, resulting in a small seed yield from the majority of the
accessions. Weather conditions at the Kuban Station were equally unfavorable for all
crops, including the maize and castor bean fields, where isolated plots of hemp were
placed. The maize failed to develop cobs and thus was harvested early for green
fodder, which necessitated premature harvesting of the hemp plants. The castor bean
plants were very low (less than 1 m) and did not conceal the hemp plants, therefore they
were stolen.
Table 1. Results of 1996 VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm reproduction at Povlovsk Experimental Station of the VIR
Catalog No. |
Name, Country, Region | Total plants |
Seed yield (g) |
|
38 77 90 97 107 110 114 351 356 358 359 362 371 419 421 |
MESTNYI KRYAZH, RUSSIA, MORDOVIYA TOGUCHINSKAYA 2, RUSSIA, NOVOSIBIRSKAYA OBL. LOCAL. RUSSIA, ALTAI LOCAL. RUSSIA, KRASNOYARSKII KRAI LOCAL, RUSSIA, ALTAI SMOLENSKII KRYAZH, RUSSIA, ALTAI DIKAYA, RUSSIA, KRASNOYARSKII KRAI LOCAL, RUSSIA, CHUVASHSKAYA RESP. LOCAL, RUSSIA, MARIISKAYA RESP. LOCAL, RUSSIA, MARIISKAYA RESP. LOCAL, RUSSIA, MARIISKAYA RESP. LOCAL, RUSSIA, UDMURTSKAYA RESP. 55/703, SWEDEN, SVALEFSKAYA LINE 59706, SWEDEN, SVALOF LINE 60703, SWEDEN, SVALOF |
31 140 14 36 1600 - 300 210 45 77 35 500 250 250 142 |
30 80 stolen stolen 1000 not germinated 150 160 100 50 50 170 120 160 150 |
|
Total | 15 accessions | 15 | 12 |
At the Pavlovsk Station, Spring was dry and the Summer was wet and cold. The hemp plants were unusually small and low-yielding. Fifteen accessions of Swedish and Central Russian types were planted in isolated plots (Table 1). One accession failed to germinate, two were cut prematurely, and 12 were reproduced, including four which yielded less than 100 g of seed.
Table 2. Results of 1996 VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm reproduction at Yekaterinino Experimental Station of the VIR
Catalog No. |
Name, Country, Region | Total plants |
Seed yield (g) |
|
71 81 82 137 149 153 159 166 167 374 394 409 440 510 515 516 525 529 531 555 |
LOCAL, RUSSIA, DALNEV08TOCHNAYA
OP.ST.VIR LOCAL, LATVIA MONOECIOUS , UKRAINE, GLUKHOV, VNIILK LOCAL, MEZOHEGYASTY KENDER, HUNGARY KRASNODARSKAYA, RUSSIA, KRASNODAR (UKRAINE, GLUKHOV ODNOVREMENNO SOZREVAYUSHCHAYA, UKRAINE, GLUKHOV MESTNAYA STARODAVNYAYA, RUSSIA, KRASNODARSKII KRAI FOSYUK LOCAL, RUSSIA, SVERDLOVSKAYA OBL. ICAR 42/118, ROMANIA IYGEVA 525, ESTONIA, IYGEVSKAYA OP.ST. FIBRIMON, GERMANY, GAMBURG FIBRIDIA-4, GERMANY DNEPROVSKAYA 4, UKRAINE, DNEPROPETROVSKAYA OBL. LOCAL, RUSSIA, KEMEROVSKAYA OBL. DIKAYA, KAZAKHSTAN, TALDY-KURGANSKAYA OBL. LOCAL, RUSSIA, KARACHAEVO-CHERKESSKAYA A.O. LOCAL, RUSSIA, PRIMORSKII KRAI LOCAL, RUSSIA, CHECHENO-INGUSHSKAYA RESP. ZOLOTONOSHSKAYA, UKRAINE, CHERKASSKAYA OBL. ,ZOLOTONOSHA |
40 8 - 10 3 45 36 284 115 5 250 28 - 65 54 24 110 10 28 8 |
90 15 not germinated 40 18 110 stolen 528 stolen 20 358 74 not germinated stolen stolen 74 202 25 80 40 |
|
Total | 20 accessions | 15 | 12 |
On isolated plots of Yekaterinino Station, 20 accessions of Central Russian and southern-ripening types from Germany and the Ukraine were planted (Table 2). Due to the dry weather, two accessions did not germinate at all, while most of them germinated sparsely. Therefore, ten accessions produced less than 100 g, while four accessions were stolen and 14 accessions were reproduced successfully.
Table 3. Results of 1996 VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm reproduction at Kuban Experimental Station of the VIR
Catalog No. |
Name, Country, Region | Total plants |
Seed yield (g) |
|
54 95 101 136 161 174 175 176 178 183 185 277 284 298 301 304 328 381 382 470 |
LOCAL, TURKEY, PAPBLAGONIA
VILAJET CASTAMONU MALO-PEREVOZSKAYA, RUSSIA, GORKOVSKAYA OBL. ITALIYANSKAYA, ITALY LOCAL, UKRAINE, TRANSCARPATHIA KITAISKAYA CHINA (USSR, RUSSIA, KRASNODARSKII KRAI) LAI-FU, CHINA, NORTH SHUN-DI, CHINA, NORTH TO-CHI-KI, CHINA, NORTH DUN-BEI, CHINA, NORTH FAN-SHAN, CHINA, NORTH SHAN-VA, CHINA, NORTH LOCAL, CHINA KITAISKAYA, CHINA (USSR, RUSSlA) KITAISKAYA, CHINA, KESHAN KITAISKAYA No. 9, CHINA KITAISKAYA, CHINA LAN-MA, CHINA LOCAL, CHINA LOCAL, CHINA LOCAL, ARMENIA |
10 10 45 81 70 72 6 28 9 57 15 4 - 57 18 5 26 32 60 28 |
85 stolen stolen 320 130 125 15 130 60 14 stolen spoiled by herbicide not germinated spoiled by herbicide 160 25 stolen 360 130 75 |
|
Total | 20 accessions | 19 | 13 |
At the Kuban Experiment Station, 20 accessions were planted. They and were mostly southern-ripening types of Chinese origin and also included accessions from Armenia, Italy, Russia, Turkey and the Ukraine (Table 3). Due to sparse germination and premature harvesting, six accessions produced less than 100 g of seed, one sample failed to germinate, two samples were damaged during chemical weed control for maize, and four accessions were stolen. Thirteen accessions were reproduced in total.
Table 4. Results of 1996 VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm reproduction at Ustimovka Experimental Station of the VIR
Catalog No. |
Name, Country, Region | Total plants |
Seed yield (g) |
|
4 6 8 13 14 15 20 21 24 25 26 29 30 32 52 68 88 168 187 188 194 294 295 327 370 408 429 472 478 482 526 |
FLEISHMANN, HUNGARY (YUGOSLAVIA) BOLONSKA, ITALY (YUGOSLAVIA) DOMACA. YUGOSLAVIA DOMACA, PROVENISCA YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA DOMACA, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA, KHORVATIYA DOMACA, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, YUGOSLAVIA LOCAL, TURKEY YUZHINO-BRYUKHOVETSKAYA, RUSSIA, KRASNODARSKII KRAI LOCAL, BOLSHEPISAREVSKAYA, RUSSIA, ALTAI KAVKAZSKAYA, RUSSIA, KRASNODARSKII KRAI SUI-YUAN'-U, CHINA LOCAL, GUN-CHZHU-LIN D'I-FAN-GZHUN, CHINA LOCAL, HUNGARY YUZHNO-PAVLOGRADSKAYA, UKRAINE YUZHNO-CHUISKAYA, RUSSIA, ALTAI KHUAN-ZHEN-DA-MA, CHINA LOCAL, BULGARIA ODNOPOLAYA, HUNGARY, KOMPOLT YUSO-1, UKRAINE, SUMSKAYA OBL., GLUKHOV LOCAL, ARMENIA YELLOW STEM, HUNGARY LOCAL, ARMENIA LOCAL, ARMENIA |
315 83 30 63 134 35 5 105 28 74 - 31 10 10 8 15 94 56 135 103 160 254 13 10 - 115 15 3 85 1 15 |
550 150 60 130 250 80 35 250 80 170 not germinated 80 30 40 40 50 170 130 320 200 200 400 55 35 not germinated 280 80 15 120 5 50 |
|
Total | 31 accessions | 29 | 29 |
Thirty-one southern-type accessions were planted at the Ustimovka Experiment Station. They were mostly of Yugoslavian and Hungarian origin, with additional accessions from Armenia, China, Italy, Turkey, Russia and the Ukraine (Table 4). Due to dry weather conditions, two accessions failed to germinate and 15 produced sparse plants, which resulted in seed reproductions of less than 100 g. Twenty-nine accessions were reproduced.
Table 5. Results of 1996 VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm reproduction at the Penza Research Institute of Agriculture
Catalog No. |
Name, Country, Region | Total plants |
Seed yield (g) |
|
58 66 226 263 537 |
LOCAL, RUSSIA, KHABAROVSKII KRAI KRASNODARSKAYA 14, RUSSIA, KRASNODARSKII KRAI BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 4555, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 64108, GERMANY FIBRIMON 56, FRANCE |
30 6 200 12 60 |
30 65 400 80 100 |
|
Total | 5 accessions | 5 | 5 |
At the Penza Institute of Agriculture, five hemp accessions belonging to the Central Russian group were planted on isolated plots. Also included were southern-ripening types from France and Germany (Table 5). Accession No. 58 from Russia was cut and stolen and only a few plants survived. Two accessions showed sparse germination and produced seed less than 100 g of seed. Five accessions were maintained.
Table 6. Results of 1996 VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm reproduction at the Donsky Branch of the All-Russian Institute of Oil-Bearing Crops
Catalog No. |
Name, Country, Region | Total plants |
Seed yield (g) |
|
74 83 94 103 131 |
LOCAL, RUSSIA, SARATOVSKAYA OBL. HYBRID-19 UKRAINE, GLUKHOV, VNIILK POCHINKOVSKII-2, RUSSIA, GORKOVSKAYA OBL. NEVINNOMYSSKAYA, RUSSIA, STAVROPOLSKII KRAI LOCAL, UKRAINE, TRANSCARPATHIA |
- - - - 1 |
stolen stolen stolen stolen 25 |
|
Total | 5 accessions | 1 | 25 |
The reproductions on isolated plots at the Donskoy Branch of the Institute of Oil-bearing Crops were not successful. All five Russian and Ukrainian accessions planted (Table 6) were stolen. One plant (No. 131 from Ukraine) was by chance preserved, but produced a small number of seeds. This experience will mean that we must discontinue cooperation with this station.
Table 7. Results of 1996 VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm reproduction at green house conditions Pushkin laboratories of VIR (monoecious accessions)
Catalog No. |
Name, Country, Region | Seed yield (g) |
||
207 215 218 219 221 230 234 237 238 270 367 392 431 432 440 451 |
LOCAL, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 3, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 6, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 7, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 203327, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 205331, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 171283, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 23343, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS 249105, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS, GERMANY BERNBURG MONOECIOUS, GERMANY MONOECIOUS 12, UKRAINE, POLTAVSKAYA OBL. KRASNODAR MONOECIOUS 2, RUSSIA, KRASNODARSKII KRAI KRASNODAR MONOECIOUS 3, RUSSIA, KRASNODARSKII KRAI FIBRIDIA-4 GERMANY (GFR) FIBRIMON 24 FRANCE (CZECHOSLOVAKIA, PRAGUE) |
10 6 6 20 13 15 6 9 9 7 20 4 5 13 5 20 |
||
Total | 16 accessions | 168 |
In the Pushkin Laboratories glasshouses, 16 accessions of monoecious hemp were maintained in isolated boxes (Table 7). Regular inspection and elimination of dioecious individuals was performed. Due to the small number of plants, the seed yield here was insignificant. However, this experiment shows that using glasshouses for hemp maintenance may be quite helpful. It is especially convenient for the multiplication of monoecious hemp samples, but late-ripening southern forms can also be reproduced here.
Conclusions
In 1996, within the framework
of the VIR/IHA Cannabis Germplasm Preservation Project, a total of 96 hemp
accessions were planted on isolated plots. Seventy-four accessions yielded fresh
reproductions. In addition, 16 accessions of monoecious hemp were grown in
glasshouses and although the yield of these seeds was small, they represent valuable
planting materials due to diligent elimination of dioecious plants. There was an
attempt to enlarge the number of accessions maintained by expanding the number of
participating stations. Our experience showed that the Penza Institute deserves
inclusion in the list of participants, but further work with Donskoy Branch of the
Institute of Oil-bearing Crops seems futile.
The remaining reproductions should be completed
in 1997, but a great deal of work will be required. More than 120 accessions in the
VIR collection must be reproduced because the germplasm dates back to 1989-1991, and many
of these old seeds may have lost viability.
References