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


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