Plant genetic resources of Lemnos (Greece), an isolated island in the Northern Aegean Sea, with emphasis on landraces

• Published in: Genetic resources and crop evolution Vol. 59; no. 7; pp. 1417 - 1440
• Main Authors: Thomas, Konstantinos, Thanopoulos, Ricos, Knüpffer, Helmut, Bebeli, Penelope J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer-Verlag 01.10.2012; Springer Netherlands; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Agriculture; Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; crops; elderly; Expeditions; Farming systems; Genetic resources; Geriatrics; home gardens; issues and policy; landraces; Life Sciences; Older people; people; plant genetic resources; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Physiology; Plant resources; Plant Sciences; Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Preservation; Research Article; Traditional farming; Greece; Aegean Sea; Lemnos; Exploration; Lemnos Island; Crop wild relatives; Biodiversity; Landraces; Conservation
• ISSN: 0925-9864; 1573-5109
• DOI: 10.1007/s10722-011-9770-x

Lemnos Island is located in the Northern Aegean Sea and presents a rich biodiversity in plant genetic resources including wild species and crop landraces. Landraces have been cultivated under traditional agricultural systems and many have survived genetic erosion. They are mainly conserved in home gardens or in small fields, usually by elderly people, and are limited to local consumption. Two collecting expeditions were organized in Lemnos, a minor one in 2009 and a larger one in 2010. The results of the two current expeditions are discussed and compared with previous expeditions in the island. An overview is given on the crops cultivated, the landraces collected and those considered as lost, alongside with some information about their traditional uses. Finally, the importance of landraces in modern agriculture and preservation policies in Lemnos are discussed.