KAZALCI OKOLJA

Key message
Neutral

Since 2011, the total number of varieties listed in the National List of Varieties for stubble cereals (common wheat), maize and potato decreased, while the total number of oilseed varieties increased, also due to domestic varieties listed as conservation varieties. For other crops the number of varieties remained unchanged. For rye, triticale and oats, the share of the five most common varieties is 100%. For other crops, the share of five most common varieties for each species range from 30% for potatoes to 80% for barley.

 


The indicator presents the number and the share of varieties for each species or group of agricultural plants. It indicates the genetic diversity of each species of agricultural plants, the pressure of prevalent genotypes and varieties on genetic diversity in the system of agricultural production in Slovenia from 1997 to 2019. The indicator defines only the diversity in crop production and not the situation in the complete agricultural ecosystem.


Charts

Figure KM15-1: The total number of varieties for each group of crops which have been registered, and approved for sale
Sources:

Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, 2019

Show data
  1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2008 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Small grains (common wheat)

108

108

129

126

116

135

135

136

136

59

48

37

37

35

27

19

20

19

13

Root crops – potato

50

50

62

58

61

60

60

60

58

59

62

33

21

20

12

12

12

12

13

Root crops – sugar beet

21

21

20

20

21

18

18

18

13

5

5

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Maize

111

111

133

156

157

184

184

189

234

250

150

151

158

157

116

122

99

93

100

Fodder crops - grass

66

66

75

78

75

76

76

69

66

21

21

24

26

36

27

27

30

27

28

Fodder crops - grass (decorative)

34

34

44

45

46

50

50

49

53

0

0

1

2

2

4

4

5

6

9

Fodder crops – legume crops

48

48

49

46

40

42

42

41

66

12

12

15

16

17

14

16

16

16

16

Fodder crops – other fodder crops (incl. grain legumes, vetch and green manure plants)

62

62

71

65

56

60

60

50

43

9

11

11

12

11

10

7

7

7

8

Fodder crops (excl. decorative) - total

176

176

195

189

171

178

178

160

175

42

44

50

54

64

51

50

53

50

52

Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) – oil plants

37

37

39

34

34

30

30

22

24

7

7

7

7

8

8

10

16

23

27

Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) – fibre crops

8

8

8

9

10

10

10

9

9

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) – hops

12

12

13

13

13

14

14

14

14

15

15

16

17

17

18

20

21

23

23

Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) - other

10

10

10

6

3

3

3

3

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) - total

67

67

70

62

60

57

57

48

48

22

22

23

24

25

26

30

37

46

50

 

Figure KM15-2: The share of five most dominant varieties in total production for each crop
Sources:

Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, 2019

Show data
Maize [%] Potato [%] Common wheat [%] Barley [%] Rye [%] Triticale [%] Oats [%]
1997 41 58.40 93 87 100 100 100
2000 46 50.80 64.40 85.20 100 100 100
2011 35 40 40 65 100 100 100
2015 35 35 50 75 100 100 100
2019 35 30 60 80 100 100 100

Goals

  • Maintaining biological diversity and diversity of varieties in plant production

Genetic diversity of varieties and species of agricultural plants is a part of global biodiversity. With higher intensity of farming, the production of traditional, old varieties, and species is decreasing and related to that - genetic and species variety as well. The reason for this is the use of small number of modern varieties, intended for intensive farming production, which are mainly originating from the same source and thus limit genetic diversity.

In the period 2012 to 2019 the total number of common wheat varieties on the list of varieties has significantly decreased. The main reason is to avoid paying fees for each registered variety on the National List of Varieties. The total number varieties in production ranged between 40 and 50. In the same period, the production of wheat in Slovenia was based on variety Alixan which was sown on 25-30% of all arable land for wheat production. For rye, triticale and oats, the proportion of the five most common varieties is 100%.

In the period 2012 to 2019 the total number of maize varieties on the National List of Varieties decreased from 150 to 100. In maize production the share of five most dominant varieties was 35%.

The potato variety structure changed considerably in the last twenty years. Before 1989, domestic varieties, bred in Slovenia, prevailed. After the spread of virus PVYNTN (after 1990), the assortment of potato varieties almost completely changed, and domestic varieties almost disappeared from production. The share of domestic varieties began to increase again after 2004, when new potato varieties resistant to the Y virus were entered in the National List of varieties. In last years, the proportion of the most widely used variety Desiree has been declining. The share of the five most dominant potato varieties has been on a declining trend since 1997 and has fallen to around 30% in 2019.

Seed production of domestic varieties of fodder plants has declined greatly in recent years. Since 2004, within the framework of the Rural Development Program, the production of autochthonous and traditional varieties of agricultural plants has been promoted. Since 2011, the total number of grass and clover varieties on the National List of Varieties has increased slightly.


Methodology

Date of data source summarization