Why was wild celery chosen for a genetic conservation network?
Why was wild celery chosen for a genetic conservation network?
The wild celery was selected on the basis of a combination of criteria that made it an excellent model object. This included the presence of four wild species in Germany. They are the wild relatives of celeriac, which we know e.g. as tuber celery or leaf celery and use, for example, in soup greens or as spices. In principle, wild plants can contain heritable traits that are not present in the related cultivated plant species. They are an indispensable resource for breeding in order to adapt crops to changing production conditions and to secure our food supply. Furthermore, the distribution areas of the four wild celery species extend throughout Germany, so that special features specific to the federal states were taken into account in the establishment of genetic reserves. These species are endangered throughout Germany. Among them is a highly endangered one, i.e. Helosciadium repens. Sufficient information on the biology of the taxa are available for planning and implementation of species-specific maintenance measures. In addition, initial experience has been gained from measures to reintroduce and increase the population size of H. repens.
