[KM15] Genetic diversity - agriculture plants
Key message
The total number of varieties listed in the National List of Varieties for common wheat, maize and potato from 2011 has decreased. During the same period total number of oilseed varieties has increased, also due to domestic varieties listed as conservation varieties. In other crops the number has remained unchanged. For rye and oats, the proportion of the five most common varieties is 100%. For other crops, the proportion of five most common varieties for each species range from 25% for maize and potato to 90% for triticale.
Definition
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 2023. The indicator defines only the diversity in crop production and not the situation in the complete agricultural ecosystem.
Charts
Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, 2023
| Stubble cereals (common wheat)[number of sorts] | Root crops – potato[number of sorts] | Root crops – sugar beet[number of sorts] | Maize[number of sorts] | Fodder crops - grass[number of sorts] | Fodder crops - grass (decorative)[number of sorts] | Fodder crops – legume crops[number of sorts] | Fodder crops – other fodder crops (incl. grain legumes, vetch and green manure plants)[number of sorts] | Fodder crops (excl. decorative) - total[number of sorts] | Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) – oil plants[number of sorts] | Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) – fibre crops[number of sorts] | Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) – hops[number of sorts] | Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) - other[number of sorts] | Industrial plants (excl. sugar beet) - total[number of sorts] | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 108 | 50 | 21 | 111 | 66 | 34 | 48 | 62 | 176 | 37 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 67 |
| 2000 | 126 | 58 | 20 | 156 | 78 | 45 | 46 | 65 | 189 | 34 | 9 | 13 | 6 | 62 |
| 2011 | 48 | 62 | 5 | 150 | 21 | 0 | 12 | 11 | 44 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 22 |
| 2015 | 27 | 12 | 0 | 116 | 27 | 4 | 14 | 10 | 51 | 8 | 0 | 18 | 0 | 26 |
| 2019 | 13 | 13 | 0 | 100 | 28 | 9 | 16 | 8 | 52 | 27 | 0 | 23 | 0 | 50 |
| 2023 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 119 | 25 | 6 | 17 | 8 | 50 | 25 | 10 | 26 | 0 | 61 |
Administration of the Republic of Slovenia for Food Safety, Veterinary Sector and Plant Protection, Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, 2023
| 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 |
| 2023 | 25 | 25 | 50 | 80 | 100 | 90 | 100 |
Goals
- Maintaining as high as possible biological diversity and diversity of varieties in plant production, which is the basis for food production, and preserving landscape variety, the source of income for survival on farms and is part of natural and cultural heritage.
Comment
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. 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 limiting genetic diversity.
In the period 2012 to 2023 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 20-35% of all arable land for wheat production. In recent years, the range of barley varieties with a very small market share has been increasing. Barley production is based on five varieties, with which we sow 80% of all fields intended for the production of this crop. For rye, triticale and oats, the proportion of the five most common varieties is 90 to 100%. In recent years, a few domestic varieties of small grains (wheat) have also been entered into the variety list, which slightly increased the genetic diversity.
In the period 2012 to 2023 the total number of maize varieties on the National List of Varieties has decreased from 151 to 119. In maize production the share of five most dominant varieties was 25%.
The potato variety structure changed considerably in the last twenty years. Before 1989, old domestic varieties, bred in Slovenia prevailed. After the spread of virus PVYNTN, the assortment of potato varieties almost completely changed after 1990, 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 potato Y virus entered the National List of Varieties. In 2023 only 10 Slovenian varieties were listed on the National List of Varieties. In last years, the proportion of the most widely used variety Desiree has been declining due to large number of varieties on market (107 in 2023). The share of the five most dominant potato varieties has been on a declining trend since 1997 and has fallen to around 25% in 2023.
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 2015, the total number of grass and clover varieties on the National List of Varieties has been at a similar level.