Agronomy 11 01586

agronomy
Article
The Evaluation and Conservation of Plant Genetic Resources
Collected in Lithuania
Denise F. Dostatny 1, * , Aleksandra Korzeniewska 2 , Grzegorz Bartoszewski 2 , Ryszard Rawski 3 ,
Karolina Kaźmińska 2 and Bronislovas Gelvonauskis 4
1 National Centre for Plant Genetic Resources, Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute, National Research
Institute, Radzików, 05-870 Błonie, Poland
2 Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology, Institute of Biology, Warsaw University of Life
Sciences, Nowoursynowska, 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland; aleksandra_korzeniewska@sggw.edu.pl (A.K.);
grzegorz_bartoszewski@sggw.edu.pl (G.B.); karolina_kazminska@sggw.edu.pl (K.K.)
3 Polish Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden, Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in Powsin,
ul. Prawdziwka, 2, 02-973 Warsaw, Poland; pomologia@obpan.pl
4 Plant Gene Bank, Stoties 2, Akademija, 58343 Kedainiai, Lithuania; b.gelvonauskis@agb.lt
* Correspondence: d.dostatny@ihar.edu.pl
Abstract: The present work compiles the results of three-year expeditions organized between 2011
and 2013 aimed at plant crop collection in the area of Lithuania, an Eastern European country.
Accessions of fruit trees, vegetables, cereals, forage, industrial, fibrous, medical, and spice crops
as well as accompanying segetal plants were collected in 5 ethnographic regions of Lithuania. In

total, 1010 samples of seeds, bulbs, and plant grafts were obtained. The majority of the collected
samples belonged to the Cucurbitaceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae, Alliaceae, and Rosaceae families. The
Citation: Dostatny, D.F.;
accessions were described and deposited in the long-term storage in Lithuanian and Polish Gene
Korzeniewska, A.; Bartoszewski, G.;
Banks. Almost all collected cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, and oat plants were morphologically
Rawski, R.; Kaźmińska, K.;
Gelvonauskis, B. The Evaluation and
characterized in field experiments. Cucurbita pepo accessions showed high morphological diversity,
Conservation of Plant Genetic while limited diversity of cucumber accessions was observed. Oat plants were characterized by high
Resources Collected in Lithuania. morphological diversity and resistance to diseases present in some of the investigated accessions.
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586. https:// Further characterization of collected apple trees and other accessions is underway. Obtaining
doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081586 germplasm in the area of Lithuania fulfills a gap in current plant crop collections. Collected material
could be valuable for pre-breeding evaluation and further breeding programs as well as the study of
Academic Editors: genetic diversity.
Nikolaos Nikoloudakis and
Iakovos Pantelides Keywords: agrobiodiversity; collection missions; gene bank; genetic erosion; evaluation
Received: 8 July 2021

Accepted: 8 August 2021
Published: 10 August 2021
1. Introduction
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
The idea of collecting, keeping, and using plant genetic resources dates back to the
with regard to jurisdictional claims in
beginning of the 20th century. Modern agriculture is based on genetically uniform crops
published maps and institutional affil- which have led to genetic erosion of cultivated plants [1]. Therefore, in the 21st century, we
iations. still need to organize collection missions in order to preserve the loss of the plant genetic
resource diversity caused by changes in agriculture methods and the transformation of
the landscape. Until the diversity of crops and their wild relatives is mostly collected and
preserved, expeditions should continue.
Copyright: © 2021 by the authors.
In Lithuania, the first crop collections were established at the end of the 19th century.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
In 1886, Hrebnicki established a pomological collection in the north-eastern region of
This article is an open access article
Lithuania [2]. The collection of agricultural crops and plant genetic resources started when
distributed under the terms and the Dotnuva plant breeding station was founded in 1922 [3]. At that time, collections of
conditions of the Creative Commons various agricultural crops, e.g., rye, barley, oat, potato, clover, forage grasses, and others,
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// were established and breeding programs of these crops were started [3]. Vegetable crop
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ cultivar testing and breeding programs were initiated in 1923. Fruit cultivar testing and
4.0/). breeding at the experimental station for horticulture were started in the late 1940s [4].
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081586 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy

Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 2 of 25
In Lithuania, the National Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) program was founded in
1993 with the Lithuanian Research Center for Agriculture and Forestry as its coordination
center. The Baltic-Nordic Plant Genetic Resources project was initiated by the Nordic Gene
Bank (NGB) in 1994. The main objective of these projects was to develop the national
PGR conservation network in Lithuania. Eight institutions are involved in the activity of
collection, investigation, and conservation of plant genetic resources. The Government of
the Republic of Lithuania decided to establish the Gene Bank on the 1 January 2004. Its
main functions include coordination activities for the collection, research, conservation,
and use of the national plant genetic resources in Lithuania and preservation of the genetic
material in long-term storage [5].
The area for the collection of the plant genetic resources in this study is connected
with the historical association of Lithuania and Poland [6]. This area was to a certain
extent inhabited by the Poles; therefore, similar cultivation methods and practices can
be observed in some regions of Lithuania. In those times, an extensive exchange of seed
material and information concerning running a homestead occurred. Thus, the joined
search for common gene resources in these two countries.
During expeditions, besides passport data, the collectors recorded valuable knowledge
shared by farmers about traits that they valued in the plants, and the ways they cultivated,
harvested, and processed them. This information is a treasure trove of data that can
also help us understand the consequences of climate changes and changes in agricultural
practices better [7].
The purpose of field expeditions to Lithuania was to collect seeds, bulbs, and plant
grafts for further propagation and evaluation, and to deposit the collected accessions in
long-term storage and in the collection of living plants both in the National Center for Plant
Genetic Resources at Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—the National Research
Institute (NCPGR-PBAI-NRI) in Radzików, Poland and in the Lithuanian Gene Bank.
2. Study Area
Lithuania is situated on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. Distance from the Baltic
Sea coast to the eastern border is 373 km and from the north to south, 276 km. The
area of Lithuania is 65.3 -km2 and its agricultural area is 29.5 km2 [8]. The lowlands
make up approximately 75% of the area. Because of the geographic location, the climate
is transitional, maritime and continental. The average monthly temperature in winter
(December, January, February) is −2.8 ◦ C, in spring (March, April, May) 6.5 ◦ C, in summer
(June, July, August) 16.8 ◦ C and in autumn (September, October, November) 7.1 ◦ C. The
Baltic Sea’s influence on the climate is observed only in the coastal region. The temperature
in autumn and winter is 2–3 ◦ C higher in the west than in the east while in spring and
summer it is relatively higher in the east. The soil temperature in winter is 0.5 ◦ C lower
than the air temperature, and in summer it is 3–6 ◦ C higher whereas the highest soil surface
temperature is observed on the coast. Furthermore, the vegetation period in the west lasts
for 145–160 days and is shorter in the eastern parts of Lithuania. Annual precipitation varies
from 560 to 910 mm with an average of 695 mm. The smallest amount of precipitation
falls in April and February (36–38 mm) and the highest in July and August (77 mm).
The highest yearly precipitation amount falls on the western and south-western Žemaičiai
Upland whereas the smallest falls on the north-eastern parts of this region. Climate changes
observed in the last decade (2001–2010) caused an increase in the average air temperature,
mostly in the spring months and in July. Furthermore, climate anomalies, including heavy
rainfalls, are becoming more frequent [9].
According to the World Bank, agricultural land (% of land area) in Lithuania was
reported at 47.16% in 2016 [10]. About 2.5 million ha constitute land under agricultural
crops (corn, forage grasses, and pastures). Large (apple, pear, sour cherry) and small
(strawberry, black and red currants, raspberry, high bush blueberry) fruits trees are grown
commercially in more than 8.5 thousand ha.
Agronomy 2021, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 3 of 24
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 3 of 25
(strawberry, black and red currants, raspberry, high bush blueberry) fruits trees are grown
commercially in more than 8.5 thousand ha.
Soil
Soiltypes
typesvaryvaryfrom
from region
region to to
region in Lithuania
region in Lithuania [11].[11].
Low-fertility acid soddy
Low-fertility pod-
acid soddy
zolic sandy
podzolic loams
sandy as well
loams as sands
as well and and
as sands drained podzolic
drained gleysgleys
podzolic occupy about
occupy 63%63%
about of the
of
area. Fertile
the area. soddy
Fertile calcareous,
soddy predominantly
calcareous, predominantlyloams, and drained
loams, soddy
and drained gleysgleys
soddy covercover
26%
of theof
26% area.
the Four
area. regions in terms
Four regions in of soil types
terms of soilare identified.
types In the central
are identified. In the part of Lithua-
central part of
Lithuania,
nia, the most the most productive
productive soils aresoils are located;
located; the westernthe western
part has part hasacid
wetter wetter
soils;acid
the soils;
east
thethe
of east of the has
country country
sandy hashills
sandyandhills and woodlands;
woodlands; in northern in northern areas,
areas, there is there is a of
a region region
cal-
of calcareous
careous typeThe
type soils. soils. The
soil typesoil
intype in the regions
the regions where the where the material
material was collected
was collected is varied.is
varied.
More Moreabout
details detailsthe
about the distribution
distribution of soilare
of soil types types are provided
provided by Jukneviciute
by Jukneviciute and Lauri-and
Laurinavicius
navicius [11]. [11].
Lithuania is divided
Lithuania divided into
into55ethnographic
ethnographicregions:
regions: Aukštaitija, DzDzūkija,
Aukštaitija, ūkija, Mažoji
MažojiLietuva,
Lie-
Suvalkija, and Žemaitija (Figure
tuva, Suvalkija, and Žemaitija (Figure 1). 1).
Figure 1. Ethnographic regions of Lithuania.

Figure 1. Ethnographic regions of Lithuania.
The collected accessions were classified according to these regions because they better
The collected accessions were classified according to these regions because they bet-
illustrated the agricultural and horticultural practices in this country. Below is a brief
ter illustrated
description ofthe agricultural
individual and horticultural
ethnographic practices
regions (based on in this country. Below is a brief
[12–15]).
description of individual ethnographic regions (based on [12–15]).
2.1. Aukštaitija
2.1. Aukštaitija
It is the biggest and the oldest region of Lithuania including the areas of central and
It is the biggest
north-eastern and the
Lithuania. Theoldest
regionregion
lies in of
theLithuania includingLowland
Vidurio Lietuvos the areas(which
of central anda
creates
north-eastern
widespread marshy Lithuania.
areaThe
cut region lies in theriver
with numerous Vidurio Lietuvos
valleys Lowland
and through which(which
the creates
biggest
ariver
widespread marshythe
of the country, areaNeman,
cut withflows)
numerous
and in river
thevalleys
Baltijosand through
Lake which
District in thethedrainage
biggest
river
basinofofthethecountry,
upper andthemiddle
Neman, flows)
Neris, onand in the Baltijos
the Niesvies, Lake District
the Šventoji, and thein Mthe drainage
ūša. People
basin
live inof‘linear
the upper and middle
settlements’ here, Neris,
which on the Niesvies,
means the Šventoji,
that the houses andtothe
stand next Mūša.
each otherPeople
along
the streets, and the rest of the farmstead is situated behind the houses. This might be the
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 4 of 25
result of a very diversified landscape, the multitude of hills, lakes, and forests, owing to
which each village has become a separate world of its own.
2.2. Dzūkija
The south-eastern part of Lithuania, called Dzūkija or Dainava, has a different local
dialect and a distinctive culture. Most of this region belongs to the Alytus District, which
is characterized by the lowest population density and the highest percentage of forest
cover. In this part of Lithuania, there are many areas protected under the EU Nature 2000.
Because of the higher quality of soils, agriculture plays an important role there. The life
of many people in Dzūkija is still connected with the forest. Dzūkija was not subject to
strong civilization influences and social changes as was the case in other parts of Lithuania.
Owing to this, one can find here villages with traditional wooden architecture located near
the mosaic of plots, pastures, and meadows lying by the rivers.
2.3. Mažoji Lietuva

Mažoji Lietuva, a seaside region with unique nature, is considered to be the cradle of
Lithuanian writing. At present, it includes the Klaipėda District (Kursiu Nerija sandbar),
the Šilutė and Klaipėda area as well as the southern part of the Taurage District. The
landscape here is undulating, full of hills, lakes, and forests. The area is famous for the
production of cottage cheeses made of produce obtained from own farmsteads. Various
spices are added to obtain more diversified flavors.
2.4. Suvalkija (Sūduva)

A region in the southern and south-western part of Lithuania, beyond the Neman
River. This is the ethnic land of the ‘Sūduva people’, for whom agriculture has been the
main occupation since the beginning of the first millennium. With a very high level of
agriculture, it is one of the most important agricultural regions of Lithuania. Sūduva is a
region of plains and fertile soils, with big, independent, family-owned farmsteads. Among
the wide fields, one can see scattered homesteads surrounded by trees. The farmsteads
are distant from each other, and they are self-sufficient. In farmsteads, we can find houses,
gardens, ponds, orchards, animals, and fields as well as greenhouses with vegetables.
There is a tradition of baking bread on calamus leaves and producing cheese in this region.
2.5. Žemaitija
This is a region in the north-western part of Lithuania. In geographical terms, it
constitutes the Žemaitija Lake District with moraines which are built of clays, sands, and
marls. The soils are of medium fertility. There are many marshes and lakes formed by the
glacier. The hilly and wavy surface is covered with cultivable fields, meadows, pastures,
and spruce forests.
3. Materials and Methods

3.1. Procedure for the Collection of Plant Genetic Material
Three independent expeditions were organized in 2011, 2012, and 2013. They were
organized taking the seed-ripening time into account and were conducted in September
and October. Seeds, bulbs, and grafts were collected and interviews with farmers were
conducted. Precise information was also taken down, concerning the place of collection,
i.e., the name of the region, village, details of the farmer, geographic coordinates, altitude.
If an accession was collected from a wild state, its site was described [16].
Seeds were obtained mainly from farmers’ warehouses or collected in the field. At the
time of the collection, the accessions were given expedition acronyms. For the expedition
performed in 2011, the given acronym was LITLIT11 (and in sequence the number of
the collected accession). For the expedition performed in 2012—LITZAP12 and for the
expedition performed in 2013—LITCEN13. In order to keep the article concise and coherent,
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 5 of 25
these acronyms have been abbreviated to the last three letters and the year: LIT11, ZAP12,
and CEN13.
During the collection of material, passport data for each accession were completed and
documented. In the case of wild-type harvest, the site was described [17]. The collection
of genetic material was made in accordance with international and national regulations
and the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) was assigned [18]. A part of the
collected material has been forwarded to the Lithuanian Gene Bank and the second part is
kept at National Center for Plant Genetic Resources at the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization
Institute—National Research Institute (NCPGR-PBAI-NRI), Radzików, Poland.
A part of the cereal accessions was collected in the form of blends. During the cleaning
of these materials, they were divided into separate accessions, according to the belonging
species. When the study area was explored, most of the plants accompanying cultivation,
segetal plants, had already been damaged in the fields after the harvest. Because of this,
in order to identify this plant group, seeds in the collected cereal crop accessions, both
from blends and from individual species, were marked. Separated seeds were identified
according to Kulpa [19].
3.2. Processing Collected Plant Genetic Material

After returning from the expeditions, all information was entered in the database of
the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources (PBAI-NRI), while the accessions, together
with their passport data, were sent for propagation and evaluation to the curator of a given
plant group. After that, seeds of separate plant groups were returned to the Gene Bank
and stored at a low temperature in the long-term storage located at NCPGR-PBAI-NIR [20].
The procedures were conducted according to the “Genebank Standards for Plant Genetic
Resources for Food and Agriculture” [21].
3.2.1. Initial Evaluation of Cucurbit Plants

Collected accessions of cucurbit crops were planted in 2014 at ‘Wolica’ Experimental
Station of the Department of Plant Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology of the Warsaw
University of Life Sciences (DPGBB-WULS), Warsaw, Poland. Initially, morphological and
performance characteristics of 53 collected accessions of cucurbits were described; the
accessions belonged to: cucumber Cucumis sativus L. (30) and pumpkin Cucurbita pepo L.
(23). To this end, 15 plants from each accession were planted in the field. The accessions of
cucumber were evaluated with regard to the following features: sex expression, mature
fruit traits, i.e., length and width, skin, and spine color. Sex expression and fruit spines color
were described according to [22]. As a reference, the ‘Trakai’ variety was used. Seeds of the
‘Trakai’ variety were obtained from the NCPGR-PBAI-NRI (accession number PL172603).
For C. pepo, fruit weight, yield per plant, skin color, and seed type were evaluated. The
varietal type was described according to [23] and the other traits according to the directions
of the European Cooperative Programme for Plant Genetic Resources [24]. As a reference,
the Polish cultivar ‘Danka Polka’ pumpkin was used. Seeds of ‘Danka Polka’ were obtained
from W. Legutko seed company (W. Legutko, Jutrosin, Poland).
3.2.2. Initial Evaluation of Oat Plants

Collected accessions of Avena sativa L., e.g., nine in 2011 and nineteen in 2012 were
planted in the plots of the Plant Breeding and Acclimatization Institute (PBAI-NRI) in
2012–2013. In total, 600 plants/accessions were sown manually in 2.5 m2 plots. Two
times during the growing season of plant lodging, emerging diseases were noted. The
plant height of 10 individuals from each plot was measured and averaged. The thousand
grains weight (TGW) and yield in grams were calculated. Two Polish varieties—‘Celer’
(from Małopolska Hodowla Roślin, Kraków, Poland) and ‘Krezus’ (from Hodowla Roślin
Strzelce, Strzelce, Poland)—served as the references (in each year, 7 plots with Polish
reference varieties were planted). Lodging of plants in the plots was observed (scale 0–9,
where 9 means no lodging) and emerging diseases (septoriosis, powdery mildew, and
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 6 of 25
crown rust). The descriptors were used according to International Board for Plant Genetic
Resources (IBPGR) [25]. The resistance scale was used instead of the susceptibility scale
(where 9 is a healthy non-lodging plant, and 1 refers to a less resistant, lodging plant)
according to the guidelines used in Poland (COBORU) [26].
3.2.3. Initial Evaluation of Apple Trees

The species vegetatively propagated were placed in the Gene Bank plantations as living
plant collections in the Botanical Garden in Powsin (Powsin—Poland). For fruit trees, mainly
apple trees, documentation was prepared during the expedition, i.e., fruit photographs
and descriptions, after which multiplication material was collected (i.e., grafts), and also
thoroughly described and photographed. Fruit descriptions were prepared according to the
International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV) descriptors used
for variety characteristics of newly-bred crop plant species varieties. From the several dozen
features included in the descriptors, the appearance of trees, leaves, flowers, and fruits among
others, the most important 24 features to describe fruits were chosen.
4. Results
During three expeditions organized in the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 in 5 ethnographic
regions of Lithuania, seeds, bulbs, and grafts of 1010 accessions belonging to 5 plant groups
were collected and described (Table 1). The highest number of accessions was collected
in the Žemaitija region; it constituted 39.4% of all accessions. A big number of accessions
was collected in the Aukstaitija Region: 24.5% and Dzūkija Region: 21.5%. In other regions,
fewer accessions were collected: in Suvalkija 10.0% and in Mažoji Lietuva 4.7%. Among the
accessions collected, the biggest group was constituted by local populations or local varieties
of vegetable plants—632 accessions and it constituted as much as 62.5% of all collected
accessions. A lot of fruit trees and bushes varieties (13.7%, 139 accessions) and cereal plants
(13.6%, 125 accessions) were collected. Also, 43 accessions of medical and spice plants were
collected (4.7%); this share was bigger than in the case of forage (34 accessions, 3.3%) and
industrial crops (24 accessions, 2.2%) (Table 1). Together with cereals seeds, several segetal
species were collected (38 species of plants, which were not included in Table 1).
Table 1. Accessions collected during three expeditions to Lithuania in 2011, 2012, and 2013.
Number of Accessions Collected in Each Ethnographic Region

Species Total
Aukštaitija Dzūkija Mažoji Lietuva Suvalkija Žemaitija
Fruit trees and bushes
Malus × domestica Borkh. 44 43 1 39 127
Malus sylvestris (L.) Mill. 6 1 3 10
Rosa sp. 2 2
Vegetable crops
Annual
Anethum graveolens L. 2 1 1 10 14
Capsicum annuum L. 11 3 3 2 19
Cucurbita maxima Duchesne 4 21 3 1 10 39
Cucurbita pepo L. 14 22 3 1 15 55
Cucumis sativus L. 9 17 1 4 16 47
Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Matsum &
1 1
Nakai
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 7 of 25
Table 1. Cont.

Species Total
Glycine max (L.) Merr. 1 1 2
Lactuca sativa L. 2 5 1 8
Phaseolus vulgaris L. 49 21 2 22 35 129
Phaseolus coccineus L. 5 4 1 8 18
Solanum lycopersicum L. 39 5 9 6 39 98
Vicia faba L. var. major Harz. 11 1 18 30
Biennial and perennial
Allium ampeloprasum ssp. porrum J.
1 1
Goy
Allium cepa L. var. cepa Helm. 7 14 1 3 26 51
Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum G. Don. 3 6 9
Allium × proliferum (Moench) Schard. 1 4 5
Allium sativum L. 21 10 4 12 34 81
Allium fistulosum L. 1 1
Allium schoenoprasum L. 1 1 2
Brassica napus L. var. napobrassica L.
1 1
Peterm.
Petroselineum sativum L. ssp. crispum. 4 4
Brassica oleracea L. var. capitata L. f.
1 1 2
alba
Beta vulgaris L. 2 1 1 1 4 9
Daucus carota L. 1 1
Heliantus tuberosus L. 3 3
Pastinaca sativa L. 1 1
Rheum rhaponticum L. 1 1
Cereals *, forage, industrial, fibrous
and other crops
Pisum sativum L. 4 2 12 18
Hordeum vulgare L. 4 6 21 31
Fagopyrum esculentum Moench. 11 2 13
Linum usitatissimum L. 1 3 4
Trifolium pratense L. 1 1 2 4
Vicia sativa L. 1 1 2
Canabis sativa L. 6 2 1 9
Melilotus sp. L. 1 2 3
Triticum aestivum L. 5 7 1 6 12 31
Triticum spelta L. 1 1
× Triticosecale Wittm. 2 5 7 14
Lupinus albus L., L. luteus L., L.
2 1 1 4
angustifolius L.
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 8 of 25
Table 1. Cont.

Species Total
Avena sativa L. 3 7 6 16 32
Secale cereale L. 8 1 2 4 15
Nicotiana rustica L. 1 2 1 2 6
Nicotiana tabacum L. 1 1
Raphanus sativus L. 1 1
Medicago sativa L. 1 1 2
Brassica nigra (L.) Koch 1 1
Betula vulgaris ssp. vulgaris convar.
1 1
crossa Alef. var. rapa
Baptisia australis (L.) R. Br. 1 1
Zea mays L. 1 1
Helianthus annuus L. 1 1
Medical and spice crops 3 7 3 6 24 43
Subtotal/total 247 217 47 101 398 1010
* Some of cereals were collected as a mixture.
4.1. Apple Trees

Despite the climatic conditions which are not favorable for growing fruit crops, a
relatively big pool of old fruit trees was observed (at the age of about 80–100 years), mainly
apple trees and—to a smaller extent—pear trees. Varieties that were cataloged and collected
in the form of grafts are largely those which had been grown in Lithuania or had come
from neighboring countries with similar climates. The health of many trees was poor, and
the situation is made even worse by the fact that the absolute majority of them grow in
abandoned homesteads or in former, now neglected, manor orchards.
Grafts of 132 apple tree varieties from 47 habitats were collected. Thirty-one (31)
varieties of known names were cataloged, 14 of which were added to the collection of
the Botanical Garden in Powsin. The majority of varieties, due to the lack of fruits or
the presence of fruits that were not clearly characteristic, remained unmarked, i.e., the
appearance of the fruits did not allow to determine the variety in an explicit way. Fruits of
the unmarked plants were thoroughly described and photographed, which will facilitate
marking in the future.
During the collection mission carried out in 2011, the orchard implemented by Hreb-
nicki was visited. It is located in the Rous Estate near Dukštas in the Aukstaitija Region.
Apart from known apple tree varieties occurring almost throughout Europe, there were
some very rare ones known only in Lithuania, bred or described by Hrebnicki, among
others ‘Ananas Berżenicki’, ‘A la Napoleon’, ‘Długotrwałe’, ‘Gruszowka Hrebnickiego’,
‘Pepina Jana’, ‘Szlachcic’, which were collected.
Another interesting site visited during the collection mission in 2011 was an orchard
started in 1936 in the Pogarenda habitat (Varėnos region) by Ivanauskas (1882–1970), a
biologist and co-founder of the Botanical Garden in Kaunas. The orchard was located deep
in a forest, just next to the border with Belarus. At present, the place is abandoned. Earlier,
there was a forester’s lodge there, in which a few families lived—12 varieties of apple tree
accessions were collected in that orchard.
Apple trees collected and cataloged in the territory of Lithuania can be divided into
three groups. The first is constituted by varieties bred or found in the area of Lithuania. The
following varieties belong to this group: ‘Cukrówka Litewska’, ‘Malinówka Bierżenicka’,
‘Pepina Jana’, ‘Śmietankowe’, ‘Synap Biełoruskij’, ‘Reneta Litewska’, ‘Talve Nauding’,
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 9 of 25
‘Meelis’ and others. The second group is made of varieties coming also from the countries
bordering the Baltic Sea, but they often occur in other European countries; these include,
among others: ‘Ananas Berżenicki’, ‘Strumiłłówka’ (Sierinka), different varieties of ‘An-
tonówka’, ‘Oliwka Żółta’ (Papierówka), ‘Suislepskie’, ’Glogierówka’ (Pepinka Litewska),
‘Truskawkowe Nietschnera’, ‘Charłamowskie’ and ‘Czarnoguz’. The third group consists of
varieties coming from Poland, Germany, France, England, or the Netherlands. This group
includes ‘Grafsztynek Inflancki’—a Dutch variety frequent in the whole area of Lithuania,
an equally popular French variety—‘Kronselska’, a Polish variety—‘Kosztela’, a German
variety—‘Reneta Landsberska’, or French varieties—‘Kalwila Biała Zimowa’ and ‘Reneta
Szara Francuska’.
In Table 2, 14 varieties are listed, divided according to their occurrence into individual
ethnographic regions. These are varieties chosen from 132 varieties marked during the
cataloging in the area of Lithuania which have proper names. Most of them were bred or
found in the area of the countries bordering the Baltic Sea and they are best adapted to the
climatic and soil conditions in the area. Additionally, the varieties were grouped by regions
in which they occurred. Some apple fruits and trees representing collected accessions of
Malus × domestica Borkh. are shown in Figure 2.
Table 2. Varieties of apple trees according to the ethnographic region of the collection.
Ethnographic Region Varieties

Barchatnoje, Malinówka Bierżenicka, Paniemuńskie Białe,
Aukštaitija (Vilnius Region)
Reneta Litewska, Uspiech
Dzūkija (Alytaus Region) Cukrówka Litewska
Birutes Pepinas, Lofen, Meelis, Pepina Jana, Synap
Žemaitija (Šiauliu˛ Region)
Bieloruskij, Śmietankowe, Talvenauding
Žemaitija (Raseiniu˛ Region) Pepina Czernienko
4.2. Vegetables
A total of 632 accessions of vegetable crops were collected during the three expedi-
tions in the following regions: Žemaitija—240 accessions, Aukstaitija—183 accessions, and
Dzūkija—113 accessions. A lower number of accessions was collected in the Suvalkija
Region (62), and the fewest in the Mažoji Lietuva Region (34). The majority of the collected
accessions were annual (73%) and the others were biennial and perennial (27%) vegetable
species (Table 1). The 460 annual vegetable accessions belonged to five families: Fabaceae
(28.4%), Cucurbitaceae (22.5%), Solanaceae (18.5%), Apiaceae (2.2%), and Asteraceae (1.3%).
The other 172 accessions of biennial and perennial vegetable crops belonged to the families
Alliaceae (23.6%), Chenopodiaceae (1.43%) Apiaceae (0.95%), Brassicaceae (0.48%), Aster-
aceae (0.47%), and Polygonaceae (0.16%). Varieties and ecotypes from the families Fabaceae
(179), Cucurbitaceae (142) and Solanaceae (117) dominated among the collected accessions
of annual vegetable plants. Less numerous local populations of annual vegetable plants
were observed in families Apiaceae (14) and Asteraceae (8 accessions). Fourteen (14) local
populations of dill (Anethum graveolens L.) were collected, of which 10 accessions came from
the Žemaitija Region, as well as 8 local populations of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) coming
from the Suvalkija Region (5 accessions) (Table 1). Examples of collected vegetables are
shown in Figure 3.
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 10 of 25
Figure
Figure 2.
2. Apple
Apple fruits
fruits and
and aa tree
tree representing
representing collected
collected accessions
accessions of
of Malus
Malus ×
×domestica
domestica Borkh.
Borkh. Fruits
Fruits of
of ‘Pepina
‘Pepina Jana’
Jana’ (A),
(A),
‘Śmietankowe’ (B), ‘Cukrówka Litewska’, (C) and a tree of ‘Cukrówka Litewska’ (D).
‘Śmietankowe’ (B), ‘Cukrówka Litewska’, (C) and a tree of ‘Cukrówka Litewska’ (D).
Table 2. Varieties of apple trees according to the ethnographic region of the collection.
4.2.1. Cucurbit Vegetables
Ethnographic Region Local varieties and populations from the Cucurbitaceae
Varieties family (142 altogether) con-
stituted an Barchatnoje,
equally numerous Malinówka
group Bierżenicka,
among the Paniemuńskie
collected accessions Białe, Reneta
belonging to annual
Aukštaitija (Vilnius Region)
vegetable plantsLitewska,
(Table 1).Uspiech
The group included: Cucurbita pepo L. (55), Cucumis sativus L.
Dzūkija (Alytaus Region) Cukrówka
(47), Cucurbita maxima Litewska
Duchesne (39), and Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Matsum & Nakai (1).
The biggest number of accessions
Birutes belonging
Pepinas, Lofen, to Pepina
Meelis, this family
Jana,came from
Synap the Dzūkija
Bieloruskij, Region:
Śmietan-
Žemaitija (Šiaulių Region)
C. pepo (22), C. maxima (21), and C. sativus (17). In this region, cucurbits were grown in the
kowe, Talvenauding
Žemaitija (Raseinių Region) majority in home gardens.
Pepina Czernienko
To characterize the biological diversity of C. pepo, 23 accessions were selected and
examined
4.2. in a field experiment conducted in 2014. The accessions came from various
Vegetables
regions of Lithuania: Dzūkija (14), Aukstatija (5), Žemaitija (3), and Suvalkija (1). It
A total of 632 accessions of vegetable crops were collected during the three expedi-
was found that the examined accessions belonged to four different varietal groups of
tions in the following regions: Žemaitija—240 accessions, Aukstaitija—183 accessions, and
C. pepo. The majority of evaluated accessions were populations of pumpkins, vegetable
Dzūkija—113 accessions. A lower number of accessions was collected in the Suvalkija Re-
marrow, zucchini, or a mixture of pumpkin with vegetable marrow and zucchini. A
gion (62), and the fewest in the Mažoji Lietuva Region (34). The majority of the collected
single accession of the scallop was identified (LIT11 265). High diversity of evaluated
accessions were annual (73%) and the others were biennial and perennial (27%) vegetable
morphological features was observed within individual accessions collected. The most
species (Table
frequently 1). Thefruit
observed 460 annual vegetable
skin color accessions
was dark green orbelonged
green withto yellow
five families: Fabaceae
or orange spots
(28.4%), Cucurbitaceae (22.5%), Solanaceae (18.5%), Apiaceae (2.2%), and
or stripes, plain or with a different number of small bumps. There were also fruits withAsteraceae
(1.3%). The other 172 accessions of biennial and perennial vegetable crops belonged to the
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 11 of 25
families Alliaceae (23.6%), Chenopodiaceae (1.43%) Apiaceae (0.95%), Brassicaceae

(0.48%), Asteraceae (0.47%), and Polygonaceae (0.16%). Varieties and ecotypes from the
families Fabaceae
cream-colored and(179),
orangeCucurbitaceae (142) and
skin. The evaluated Solanaceae
accessions (117)indominated
varied amongfruit
terms of average the
collected accessions of annual vegetable plants. Less numerous local populations
weight, which ranged from 1.0 kg (LIT11 265) to 4.4 kg (LIT11 014). High differences of fruit of an-
nual
weight vegetable plants
within the were observed
accessions were alsoinnoticed,
familiese.g.,
Apiaceae
from 1.8(14) andkgAsteraceae
to 6.4 (LIT11 013)(8oracces-
from
sions). Fourteen
0.6 to 4.3 kg (LIT11(14)159).
localThe
populations
fruit yieldofper
dillplant
(Anethum
rangedgraveolens L.) were
for evaluated collected,
accessions of
from
which 10 accessions
4.5 kg (LIT11 came
266) to 15.3 kg from
(LIT11the Žemaitija
013) with very Region, as well aswithin
high differences 8 local
thepopulations of
accession, e.g.,
lettuce
from 2.0(Lactuca
to 21.1 sativa L.) coming
kg (LIT11 from
100). The theof
seeds Suvalkija Region (5 were
C. pepo accessions accessions) (Table
of various 1). Exam-
sizes—small,
ples of collected vegetables are shown in Figure 3.
medium, large, and very large, hulled or segregating for hulled and hull-less (Table 3).
Figure 3.
Figure Examplesof
3. Examples ofvegetables
vegetablescollected
collected in
in Lithuania
Lithuania during
during the
the expedition
expedition in
in 2012.
2012. Vegetables
Vegetables
belonging to the Cucurbitaceae
belonging Cucurbitaceae(A–C),
(A–C),Fabaceae
Fabaceae(D–F),
(D–F),Solanaceae
Solanaceae(G,H) and
(G,H) Alliaceae
and families
Alliaceae (I–L).
families (I–
L).
The second species of the Cucurbitaceae family, which is very frequently found in
Lithuania,
4.2.1. especially
Cucurbit in the Dzūkija (17 accessions) and Žemaitija (16 accessions) regions,
Vegetables
was cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.). Mature fruit traits and sex expression of 30 accessions
Local varieties and populations from the Cucurbitaceae family (142 altogether) con-
were characterized in the field experiment (Table 4). Plants of a single accession were
stituted an equally numerous group among the collected accessions belonging to annual
gynoecious (LIT11 034), whereas plants of four accessions were segregated for monoecious
vegetable plants (Table 1). The group included: Cucurbita pepo L. (55), Cucumis sativus L.
and gynoecious (LIT11 035, LIT11 128, LIT11 147, and LIT11 161), while the plants of 25
(47), Cucurbita maxima Duchesne (39), and Citrullus lanatus (Thumb.) Matsum & Nakai (1).
remaining accessions were monoecious. Limited variability of fruit features was observed
The biggest number of accessions belonging to this family came from the Dzūkija Region:
within the examined accessions. Mature fruits showed cream or brown skin color and for
C. pepo (22), C. maxima (21), and C. sativus (17). In this region, cucurbits were grown in the
many accessions, segregation for this trait within accession was observed. The color of
majority in home gardens.
fruit spines was white or dark (=brown or black) and also segregation for this trait within
To characterize the biological diversity of C. pepo, 23 accessions were selected and
accession was observed. The length of mature fruit ranged from 17.0 to 25.6 cm with an
examined
average ofin18.7a field
cm experiment
and 17.3 cmconducted in 2014.
for the ‘Trakai’ The accessions
reference variety. came fromof
The fruits various re-
collected
gions of Lithuania: Dzūkija (14), Aukstatija (5), Žemaitija (3), and Suvalkija
accessions, except two of them (LIT11 010 and LIT11 257), were similar in length and also (1). It was
found
similarthat the examined
to fruits accessions
of the ‘Trakai’ belonged
variety. to four different
Fruit diameter varietal
ranged from 6.4 groups
to 8.6 cmof with
C. pepo.
an
The majority
average ofcm
of 7.6 evaluated
and 8.3 accessions were populations
cm for reference. of pumpkins,
The majority of the testedvegetable marrow,
accessions were
zucchini,
similar toorthea ‘Trakai’
mixturevariety
of pumpkin with vegetable
of cucumber which was marrow and in
developed zucchini. A single
Lithuania acces-
in the region
sion of the scallop was identified
of Trakai for open-field cultivation. (LIT11 265). High diversity of evaluated morphological
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 12 of 25
Table 3. Varietal type, fruit, and seed traits of several collected Cucurbita pepo L. accessions.
Accession Fruit Weight Total Fruit Yield Per

Varietal Type Fruit Skin Color Seed Types
Number (kg) Plant (kg)
pumpkin,
LIT11 013 dark green, orange 2.9 ± 1.4 15.3 ± 7.0 hulled
vegetable marrow
LIT11 014 pumpkin dark green 4.4 ± 0.7 7.6 ± 1.8 hulled
pumpkin,
LIT11 036 green, cream 3.1 ± 1.2 9.8 ± 3.9 hulled
vegetable marrow
pumpkin,
LIT11 037 vegetable marrow, dark green, orange 3.7 ± 2.0 9.3 ± 6.2 hulled
zucchini
LIT11 066 zucchini dark green 2.5 ± 1.1 6.9 ± 3.0 hulled
LIT11 098 pumpkin orange 2.8 ± 1.1 11.0 ± 4.5 hulled
LIT11 100 vegetable marrow dark green, green 2.8 ± 0.5 13.7 ± 5.4 hulled
dark green, green, hulled,
LIT11 101 pumpkin 3.5 ± 0.7 11.1 ± 5.5
orange hull-less
LIT11 129 pumpkin green, cream 1.5 ± 0.2 8.7 ± 2.8 hulled
LIT11 158 vegetable marrow cream 2.7 ± 0.8 6.1 ± 3.2 hulled
LIT11 159 pumpkin green, dark green 2.4 ± 0.7 6.7 ± 3.0 hulled
yellow,
LIT11 237 pumpkin 3.6 ± 1.4 10.0 ± 3.3 hulled
orange
LIT11 251 pumpkin dark green, orange 1.9 ± 1.2 5.1 ± 3.8 hulled
LIT11 265 scallop green 1.0 ± 0.2 7.4 ± 1.7 hulled
LIT11 272 pumpkin yellow, orange 3.6 ± 1.5 6.5 ± 2.2 hulled
hulled,
ZAP12 001 vegetable marrow, dark green 2.4 ± 0.5 9.7 ± 3.7
hull-less
zucchini, vegetable
ZAP12 166 orange 2.4 ± 0.4 11.1 ± 3.6 hulled
marrow
ZAP12 288 zucchini orange, green 1.8 ± 0.2 7.4 ± 1.4 hulled
hulled,
ZAP12 378 vegetable marrow cream, green 2.7 ± 0.6 9.2 ± 2.7
hull-less
‘Danka Polka’ pumpkin cream 2.8 ± 0.1 11.6 ± 0.9 hulled
Overall average - - 2.7 ± 1.2 9.0 ± 4.5 -
Explanation: Evaluation was performed at ‘Wolica’ Experimental Station, Warsaw, Poland. Polish pumpkin variety ‘Danka Polka’ was used
as a reference variety. Varietal type was described based on Paris [23]. For fruit weight and yield values, standard deviations are given.
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 13 of 25
Table 4. Plant sex and mature fruit characteristics of cucumber accessions (Cucumis sativus L.).
Accession Fruit Fruit Spine Fruit Length Fruit Diameter

Sex Expression
Number Skin Colour Colour (cm) (cm)
LIT11 009 monoecious cream, brown white, brown or black 18.5 ± 1.1 7.3 ± 0.8
LIT11 010 monoecious cream white 25.6 ± 1.3 8.6 ± 0.7
LIT11 034 gynoecious cream white 20.1 ± 1.1 8.1 ± 0.4
monoecious,
LIT11 035 cream, brown white, brown or black 20.5 ± 0.6 6.9 ± 0.6
gynoecious
monoecious,
gynoecious
monoecious,
gynoecious
monoecious,
gynoecious
LIT11 189 monoecious brown brown or black 17.8 ± 0.8 8.3 ± 0.9
LIT11 236 monoecious brown brown or black 16.3 ± 0.8 7.0 ± 0.5
ZAP12 002 monoecious cream, brown white, brown or black 18.0 ± 0.9 7.2 ± 2.3
ZAP12 003 monoecious brown brown or black 18.3 ± 0.6 7.9 ± 0.7
ZAP12 057 monoecious cream white 18.7 ± 1.2 7.8 ± 0.6
ZAP12 324 monoecious cream, brown white, brown or black 17.0 ± 0.9 7.5 ± 0.7
’Trakai’ monoecious brown brown or black 17.3 ± 1.0 8.3 ± 0.3
Overall average - - - 18.7 ± 2.2 7.6 ± 0.8
Explanation: Evaluation was performed at ‘Wolica’ Experimental Station (2014). For fruit length and width, average with standard
deviation (SD) is provided. ‘Trakai’ was used as a reference variety.
Within the accessions of C. maxima, a diversity of fruit skin color, weight, yield per
plant, and seed color was observed. C. maxima fruits had various skin colors (from green,
through grey, orange, to various shades of pink and red) and they often had two or more
colors. In the Dzūkija Region, it was observed that whole mature fruits of winter squash
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 14 of 25
were soured together with cabbage. A single accession of C. lanatus was collected in the
Mažoji Lietuva Region. The plants were grown undercover in a small foil tunnel. The fruit
size was about 2 kg, and it had green skin and pink flesh. According to the grower, the
seeds were brought from Georgia.
4.2.2. Solanaceous Vegetables

The third numerous group of annual vegetable plants collected (117) was represented
by two solanaceous species, Solanum lycopersicum L. (98) and pepper Capsicum annuum L.
(19). Collected accessions of tomatoes come mainly from the north-eastern (Aukstaitija,
39 accessions) and the north-western (Žemaitija, 39 accessions) parts of Lithuania. They
were cultivated there in home gardens undercover, in small greenhouses or foil tunnels.
The collected forms of tomato varied in many important performance features: growth
type (with a reduced number of side branches, high-growing), the earliness of fruit ripening
(from very early to very late), fruit size (from cherry type to very large), fruit shape (round,
flattened and oblong), fruit color (yellow, orange, red, raspberry and so-called black) and
taste. They often have local names, e.g., ‘Grandma’s tomato’, ‘fingers’ or ‘morning rose’.
Nineteen (19) accessions of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were also collected. The
majority of pepper accessions were collected in the Aukstaitija (11), Suvalkija (3), Mažoji
Lietuva (3), and Žemaitija (2) regions. No cultivation of peppers was found in the Dzūkija
Region. The fruits of the forms collected in other regions were red or yellow and block-
shaped, most often sweet. A few accessions had short narrow pods and a pungent taste.
They were grown in home gardens undercover, in small tunnels or greenhouses, together
with tomatoes. Open field pepper cultivation was not observed in any of the regions.
4.2.3. Biennial and Perennial Vegetables

During the expeditions, 160 accessions of local populations or varieties belonging
to biennial vegetable plants were collected; 12 accessions of perennial vegetables were
also collected (Table 1). The group of biennial and perennial vegetables was dominated
by populations belonging to the Alliaceae family, with species such as: Allium sativum L.,
Allium cepa L. var. cepa Herm., Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum G. Don., Allium × proliferum
(Moench) Schard., Allium ampeloprasum ssp. porrum J. Goy, Allium fistulosum L., and Allium
schoenoprasum L. (Table 1).
The majority (81) of accessions collected included garlic (Allium sativum L.). Great
biological diversification was observed in the obtained material of local populations and
varieties of garlic. The collected garlic bulbs consisted of 4–12 single cloves arranged in a
regular ring or an irregular spiral. The bulbs were oblong, spherical or flattened, white, grey,
pink, or purple, sometimes with anthocyanin streaks. They also varied in size: from 10 to 60 g.
The majority of local populations of garlic were collected in the Žemaitija (34 accessions) and
Aukstaitija (21 accessions) Regions, where garlic was common in home gardens.
Other species whose accessions were also collected in great numbers (51) was Allium
cepa L. var. cepa Herm., i.e., common onion. The majority of onions were collected from the
local populations grown in home gardens in the Žemaitija (26) and Dzūkija (14) Regions. The
collected bulbs were of various sizes (small, medium, large, or very large), and of various
shapes (flat, round, or oval). The color of the outer skin was very diversified; it was white,
brown, red, straw-yellow, straw-pink, pink and brown, light yellow, brown and yellow.
The botanical variety of common onion (Allium cepa L. var. aggregatum G. Don.)
occurred most frequently in the Žemaitija Region (6 accessions), where it is known as the
shallot. Collected accessions of shallot varied in bulb size (small and medium), outer skin
coloring (brown, yellowish, dark brown), and the number of cloves comprising the bulb
(from 4 to 11).
Four accessions of local varieties of the top-setting onion, Allium × proliferum (Moench)
Schard., were also collected in the Žemaitija Region. Bulbils forming at the top of the
flowering scape (stem) were collected. Top-setting onion was grown in home gardens as
a perennial plant (4–6 years in one place), which started the growing season very early.
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 15 of 25
According to the farmers, it is the first bulb plant whose green chives were very tasty and
fit for consumption early in spring. The bulbils which formed gradually during the plant
growth were rarely used for consumption—they were used as a multiplication material.
Single accessions of three perennial species were collected and they belonged to the
Alliaceae family: Allium schenoprasum L. (chives) and Allium fistulosum L. (brunching onion)
as well as one species of biennial Allium ampeloprasum ssp. porrum J. Goy (leek).
In the group of biennial vegetables, seeds of single local populations of the Apiaceae
family were collected: carrots—Daucus carota L. (1), common parsnip—Pastinaca sativa L.,
(1) and common parsley—Petroselinum sativum L. ssp. crispum (4), from the Chenopodiaceae
family: red beet—Beta vulgaris L. (9), from the Brassicaceae family: head cabbage—Brassica
oleracea L. var. capitata L. f. alba (2) and cultivable swedes—Brassica napus L. var. napobrassica L.
Peterm. (1) as well as from the Polygonaceae family—rhubarb—Rheum rhaponticum L. (1).
4.3. Cereals, Forage, Industrial and Fibrous Crops as Well as Segetal Plants Included in the Crop
Collected Material
A total of 125 accessions of cereal plants were collected and some of them were blends.
The blends were very well prepared by the local populations. The majority of them are
cereals grown for feeding. More detailed results for common oat were obtained, for which
evaluation was conducted in a 2-year field experiment (2012 and 2013) with the material
collected in 2011 and 2012. The accessions collected in 2013 were not included in the results
of this article because they come only as mixtures.
Oat Avena sativa L.

During the collecting missions organized between 2011 and 2013 in Lithuania, seeds
of 33 local oat varieties were collected. The collected oat was cultivated mainly for fodder,
some accessions came from cereal mixtures. Among the 9 accessions collected in 2011, four
(LIT11 138, 139 144, 168) were grown for food production, the remaining ones for fodder.
In 2012, 19 accessions were collected, two of them were used for sprouts (ZAP12 338 and
360), and the rest for fodder, including 6 accessions separated from mixtures with barley
(ZAP12 006, 383, 389, 390, 289, 309). In 2013, only 5 accessions of local oats were collected,
which came from fodder mixtures with barley, rye, wheat, and peas, and they were not
included in the field experiments.
Accessions collected in 2011 and observed in 2012 presented a large variability with
low individuals (95 cm) and high plants up to 132 cm (Figure 4A). Among the accessions
of A. sativa collected in 2011 and observed in 2012, on 2.5 m2 plots, the accession LIT11 139
was most distinct. Its panning phase was the earliest and at the same time, it was one of the
fastest maturing while the individuals were characterized by high TGW (39 g) (Figure 5A).
Lodging did not occur and no diseases (no powdery mildew) were observed (Figure 6A).
The accession was characterized by the highest thousand grains weight (TGW 39 g), but
present the lowest yield (0.52 kg/2.5 m2 ), despite the lack of lodging and high resistance
to disease, his harvest was only 30% of the yield of the reference variety ‘Krezus’. The
others observed accessions had also a high resistance to diseases: there was not observed
powdery mildew infection, just medium crown rust infection in two accessions: LIT11 144
and LIT11 186 (Figure 6A).
2013, a yield from 1 to 1.58 kg/2.5 m2 was observed and the TGW ranging from 19 to 33 g
(Figure 5B) was noted. Eight (8) out of 19 accessions showed no infection with powdery
mildew, whereas crown rust was observed in most of the accessions (Figure 6B). While in
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 16 of 25
reference varieties, powdery mildew infection was found in the range between 4 and 6, in
the case of collected local varieties it was between 7 and 9.
Figure 4. Variation in4.height

Figure ofinoat
Variation landraces
height gathered
of oat landraces in Lithuania
gathered in2012.
in Lithuania in 2012.
The segetal plants constituted an additional group that was not included in the table,
as they were separated from uncleaned cereal material and not collected as separate ac-
cessions. Thirty-eight (38) weed species were found. Among segetal plants in collected
accession cereals, Chenopodium album L. was the species occurring most often. However,
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 Galium aparine L., Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á . Löve, Artemisia vulgaris L., Galeopsis tetrahit
17 of 25
L., Polygonum lapathifolium L., Stellaria media (L.) Vill., Viola arvensis Murray also occurred
frequently.
PART A (2012)
2.50 45
40
2.00 35
30
TGM [g]
1.50 25
Yield [kg]
1.00 20
15
0.50 10
5
0.00 0
yield [kg] TGW [g]
PART B (2013)
2.50 40
35
2.00 30
TGM [g]
1.50 25
Yield [kg]
20
1.00 15
0.50 10
5
0.00 0
ZAP12 006
ZAP12 184
ZAP12 008
ZAP12 190
ZAP12 217
ZAP12 240
ZAP12 308
ZAP12 153
ZAP12 023
ZAP12 028
ZAP12 046
ZAP12 338
ZAP12 360
ZAP12 289
ZAP12 309
ZAP12 218
ZAP12 389
ZAP12 390
ZAP12 383
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
yield [kg] TGW [g]
Figure 5. Yield parameters of Avena sativa L. accessions gathered in Lithuania and evaluated in 2012 and 2013 (modified
Figure 5. Yield parameters of Avena sativa L. accessions gathered in Lithuania and evaluated in 2012 and 2013 (modified
from Kloc and Dostatny, 2020) [27].
from Kloc and Dostatny, 2020) [27].
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 18 of 25
PART A (2012)
10 10
Powdery mildew infection level

Crown rust infection level
8 8
6 6
4 4
2 2
0 0
crown rust powdery mildew
PART B (2013)
10 10
Powdery mildew infection level

8 8
Crown rust infection level
6 6
4 4
2 2
0 0
ZAP12 184
ZAP12 390
ZAP12 008
ZAP12 190
ZAP12 217
ZAP12 240
ZAP12 308
ZAP12 153
ZAP12 023
ZAP12 028
ZAP12 046
ZAP12 338
ZAP12 360
ZAP12 006
ZAP12 289
ZAP12 309
ZAP12 218
ZAP12 389
ZAP12 383
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
Celer
crown rust powdery mildew
Figure 6. Resistance to powdery mildew and crown rust in cultivated Avena sativa L. gathered in Lithuania and evaluated
Figure 6. Resistance to powdery mildew and crown rust in cultivated Avena sativa L. gathered in Lithuania and evaluated
in Poland in 2012 and 2013 (modified from Kloc and Dostatny, 2020) [27].
in Poland in 2012 and 2013 (modified from Kloc and Dostatny, 2020) [27].
5. Discussion
Accessions collected in 2012 and observed in 2013 presented a large variability with
Plant germplasm
low individuals (100 cm) is collected
and highin orderup
plants to to
preserve
160 cmit, as well4B).
(Figure as to
Forconserve
the 2012and expand
population
the genetic collected
accessions base that in canŽemaitija,
be used inthe breeding
observed programs
trend was or can
not have
similarpotentially direct use
to the populations
[28]. Bioversity
collected International
in other regions: thesupported a series of
lower individuals collecting
did not always expeditions
have highworldwide,
TGW and most with
the objective
of them had to
lowsystematically
yields, most collect and conserve
likely because they werelandraces
eithercultivated by farmers
blended (i.e., and
came from
cerealcrop
their mixtures) or grown
wild relatives for feed,
which were as a from
lost forage plant.
fields and During
naturalobservations
habitats [7]. conducted
Plant collect-in
2013,
ing a yield from
activities 1 to 1.58
date back to thekg/2.5 m2 was
beginning of observed
agriculture, and the the
with TGW ranging
first steps offrom
plant 19domes-
to 33 g
(Figure 5B)
tication [29].was noted. Eight (8) out of 19 accessions showed no infection with powdery
mildew, whereas
Situated in thecrown
Neman rustBasin
was observed
of the Balticin most
Sea, of the accessions
Lithuania is one (Figure 6B). While
of the Eastern Euro-in
reference
pean varieties,
countries which powdery
shares mildew infection was
its south-western found
border in Poland.
with the range between
The 4 and 6,sit-
geographical in
the case of collected local varieties it was between 7 and 9.
uation of Lithuania and the relatively severe climate in this part of Europe results in low
The segetal
diversity of plantplants
geneticconstituted
resources; anhowever,
additionalingroup that was
Lithuania not included
tradition of home in gardens
the table,ex-
as
they and
ists, weresuch
separated
gardens from areuncleaned
recognized cereal material and
as hotspots not collected as separate
of agrobiodiversity accessions.
[30]. Recently, lo-
Thirty-eight
cally grown (38) weed species
landraces were found.including
and populations, Among segetal
home plants
gardens, in collected
have been accession cere-
substituted
by Chenopodium
als,modern album
varieties, L. was
thus the speciesexpeditions
collaborative occurring most often. the
to protect However,
diversityGalium aparine L.,
of Lithuanian
Fallopia convolvulus (L.) Á. Löve,
local crop biodiversity were organized. Artemisia vulgaris L., Galeopsis tetrahit L., Polygonum lapathi-
folium L., Stellaria media (L.) Vill., Viola arvensis Murray also occurred frequently.
The interview was an important part of the expedition as, for example, one can learn
about the ripening time of fruit trees’ fruits, important performance parameters of the
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 19 of 25
5. Discussion
Plant germplasm is collected in order to preserve it, as well as to conserve and expand
the genetic base that can be used in breeding programs or can have potentially direct
use [28]. Bioversity International supported a series of collecting expeditions worldwide,
with the objective to systematically collect and conserve landraces cultivated by farmers
and their crop wild relatives which were lost from fields and natural habitats [7]. Plant
collecting activities date back to the beginning of agriculture, with the first steps of plant
domestication [29].
Situated in the Neman Basin of the Baltic Sea, Lithuania is one of the Eastern European
countries which shares its south-western border with Poland. The geographical situation
of Lithuania and the relatively severe climate in this part of Europe results in low diversity
of plant genetic resources; however, in Lithuania tradition of home gardens exists, and
such gardens are recognized as hotspots of agrobiodiversity [30]. Recently, locally grown
landraces and populations, including home gardens, have been substituted by modern
varieties, thus collaborative expeditions to protect the diversity of Lithuanian local crop
biodiversity were organized.
The interview was an important part of the expedition as, for example, one can learn
about the ripening time of fruit trees’ fruits, important performance parameters of the
collected local varieties of vegetable and agricultural plant species, and can find out how
individual plants grown by a farmer are used. It was confirmed in the publication of
Genebank Standards [21].
Later maturing time and the selection of varieties occurring in Lithuania result from the
climatic and soil conditions, while the economic and cultural factors contribute to the high
occurrence of old fruit trees, whereas the reserve of species and varieties results from the
local climate. The maturing time of apple tree varieties found in Lithuania is also different
from the maturing time of the same varieties in the climatic conditions of Poland. Mentioned
varieties of apple trees cited in this article are relatively tolerant to lower temperatures, which
determines their scope in the environmental conditions of Lithuania.
Varieties of apple trees that were cataloged in Lithuania were bred in that country
or came from neighboring countries having similar climates. The biggest source of the
multiplication material included orchards remaining from old estates or left by known
growers who lived in the area of Lithuania at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.
An eminent biologist, breeder, and pomologist, Hrebnicki (1857–1941) was one of them,
and he published a pomology, ‘Atlas owoców’ (Fruit atlas) in Polish and Russian in Saint
Petersburg in 1906 [31]. Hrebnicki grew and described many varieties of apple trees, which
are not only known and grown in Lithuania but also in other European countries. The
researcher collected about 512 varieties of apple trees, 256 varieties of pear trees, and about
100 varieties of plum trees as well as many other species and varieties of fruit plants in
the Rous Estate near Dukštas in the Aukstaitija Region. Trees gathered there came from
Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Belarus, Russia, Ukraine, Poland (from the orchards of P. Hoser,
E. Jankowski, and J. Ślaski), and from Germany and North America. Apart from known
apple tree varieties occurring almost throughout Europe, there were some very rare ones
known only in Lithuania, bred or described by Hrebnicki, which were listed in the results
of this article.
Varieties obtained during the expeditions to Lithuania made it possible to learn about
the abundance of fruit crops and their health. The results show that many varieties occur
only in the area of Lithuania and they are the so-called local varieties which, according to
the literature, were grown or found in this territory within specific places and can only
be encountered there. ‘Paniemuńskie Białe’ is one of such varieties. According to Tuinyla
et al. [2], it comes from a place called Panemunia near Kaunas and was first described by
Hrebnicki. It occurs not only near Kaunas but also in the rest of the country. Another very
old variety found in Lithuania is ‘Cukrówka Litewska’ (Figure 2C,D), most often occurring
in the Alytaus Region, which is confirmed in the description by Smardzewski [32]. The
origin of this variety is unknown; it is very vital, which is confirmed by the occurrence of
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 20 of 25
very old specimens whose age was determined to be about 100 years during the expedition.
‘Birutės pepinas’ is another variety associated with this area of Europe. Tuinyla et al. [2]
wrote in their description that it comes from the vicinity of Kaunas, but it can also be
found in other regions of the country; however, it is not as popular as ‘Pepinka Litewska’
from which it originates. ‘Pepina Jana’ is a variety that was found and described by
Hrebnicki [31]. It occurs mainly in the Šiauliu˛ Region; however, to a smaller extent,
it can also be found in other regions of Lithuania. It does not typically occur outside
Lithuania. ‘Śmietankowe’ is a very interesting variety with delicious fruits. According to
Smardzewski [33], it comes from Žemaitija, but very frequently it can be found in the north
of Lithuania, in the Šiauliu˛ Region. Another variety that is very characteristic for the area
of Lithuania is ‘Malinówka Bierżenicka’. According to Hrebnicki [31], at the beginning of
the 20th century, it occurred in large numbers in the Ignalinos Region, but presently it is
very rare there; during the expedition, it was found only once in the Vilniaus Region.
There is a group of fruit tree varieties, which quite often occur in old orchards in
Poland and other European countries. They come mostly from countries bordering the
Baltic Sea and Russia, but also from France, the Netherlands, and Germany. In these
varieties, a significant difference can be observed between the fruit maturing time in
Lithuania and the time given in the literature. ‘Ananas Berżenicki’, ‘Antonówka Zwykła’,
‘Pepinka Litewska’, ‘Grafsztynek Inflancki’, ‘Kronselska’, ‘Oliwka Żółta’ (‘Papierówka’) and
‘Suislepskie’ are examples of such varieties. The difference in maturing time is from three
to four weeks, depending on the variety. According to Smardzewski [32] and Rejman [34],
‘Grafsztynek Inflancki’ matures at the end of August and at the beginning of September,
while in Lithuania it happened at the end of September and at the beginning of October.
Another variety that is very high in the popularity structure of the Lithuanian varieties is
‘Pepika Litewska.’ In Lithuania, the fruits mature at the beginning of October, whereas,
the maturing time in Poland is in mid-September [34]. According to Rejman [34], ‘Oliwka
Żółta’ and ‘Suislepskie’ are ready for consumption in Poland already at the end of July and
at the beginning of August, while in Lithuania—at the end of August and at the beginning
of September. ‘Kronselska’ deserves special attention. This variety is of French origin and
according to Smardzewski [32] it was grown in Cronsels near Troyes. Despite the fact that it
comes from areas with a warmer climate, it does very well in Lithuania and is often found
in old orchards. According to Rejman [34], in Poland, the ‘Kronselska’ variety matures
at the beginning of September, whereas in Lithuania at the end of September and at the
beginning of October.
The area of Lithuania constitutes a northern border of cultivation of several vegetable
crops including cucurbits, beans, and tomatoes. Collection of vegetable accessions in
Lithuania fulfilled the gaps in germplasm collections representing Central and Eastern
Europe. Regions that are most affluent in various vegetable plant genotypes included
Žemaitija, Aukstaitija, and Dzūkija.
Dzūkija is the region in which the cultivation of pumpkin, squashes, and cucumbers
in home gardens was observed most often. The highest number of cucurbits—C. pepo (22),
C. maxima (21), and C. sativus (17)—was collected there which constituted 36%, 40%, and
54% of all collected accessions for these species during the three expeditions to Lithuania
(Table 1), respectively. This is probably due to the climatic conditions favorable for the
cultivation of stenothermal plants in this region. In Lithuania, different varietal types of C.
pepo pumpkins and squashes are grown. The majority of C. pepo accessions were collected
in the Dzūkija (22), Žemaitija (15), and Aukstaitija (14). High diversification of performance
parameters was observed in the individual accessions of C. pepo. This is due to the fact
that C. pepo is an entomophilous species that crosses easily within botanical varieties.
In Lithuania and Poland, certain types of C. pepo pumpkins are called and recognized
as ‘Artroka’. The authorship of the ‘Artroka’ variety is attributed to a farmer named
Hejbowicz, who—at the beginning of the 20th century—obtained from Argentinian Indians
pumpkin seeds with strong medicinal properties. However, the fruits of this pumpkin did
not mature in the Lithuanian climate; therefore, he crossed it with a cold-tolerant variety
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 21 of 25
from the area of Trakai. Hejbowicz called the new variety ‘Artroka’ (a combination of words
Argentina and Trakai) and emphasized that it inherited all the medicinal properties from
the Argentinian Indian variety. Landrace ‘Artroka’ was characterized by dark green fruit
skin color with yellow spots, smooth surface or with little bumps and the flesh was yellow
and orange with a lot of hulled seeds. It seems that the ‘Artroka’ landrace does not exist
anymore because it was not maintained; however, this type of fruit can be observed in some
local pumpkin populations grown by farmers in Lithuania and Poland [35]. Collected C.
pepo accessions could be carefully studied and possibly useful to restore this landrace. There
are examples of successful restoration of local Cucurbita landraces for example ‘Berrettina
di Lungavilla’ in the Po valley in northern Italy [36].
Most of the cucumber accessions collected during the expeditions showed character-
istics typical for the ‘Trakai’ variety. Plants were monoecious with medium-sized (about
18 cm long) dark-thorned fruits. Only two accessions were characterized by longer fruits
(about 25 cm), one was gynoecius and four were segregated for sex type (Table 4). The
‘Trakai’ variety, famous in Lithuania, comes from the vicinity of the Trakai town near
Vilnius and is closely related to Karaimes. The ‘Trakai’ cucumber is considered to be
introduced in the 15th century when the Karaimes came to Lithuania from the Crimea and
specialized in growing ‘oriental’ vegetables including cucumber [37,38]. In 1844, Strumiłło
described ‘Trakai’ cucumbers as equally fruitful and juicy as the cucumbers of Russian
variety ‘Muromskij’ but bigger, longer, and better for traditional pickling in brine. He also
wrote that Karaimes and Tartars living in the surroundings of Vilnius grew them for sale
in Vilnius [39]. As mentioned by Krywko in 1926 ‘Trakai’ cucumber (locally called also
Karaimes’ cucumber) was listed in the Welter’s seed catalog [38]. The variety was also
well-known and grown in central Poland from the 1930s to the 1970s until the time when
the first high-yield hybrid varieties characterized by non-yellowing fruits with white thorns
were introduced. Recovery of this landrace could be considered; however, it is monoecious
and susceptible to major diseases (unpublished data), thus it will require extensive disease
management and it will be low-yielding as compared to modern hybrids.
Tomato and Capsicum seeds were collected from small plastic or glass greenhouses
located in the backyards. In the Lithuanian climate, tomatoes and pepper are cultivated
only in conditions that are rather unfavorable (limited chemical protection, changes in
light intensity and temperature, accumulation of pathogens and fertilizers in the soil).
Local growers collect, for the next season, seeds from plants that are healthy and fruits
whose taste is preferred locally. Thus, collected accessions could be an interesting source of
resistance/tolerance to both biotic and abiotic stresses. Such germplasm could be useful to
study multiple stress resilience mechanism(s) to develop solanaceous varieties for organic
or low-input agriculture. Combined multiple stress tolerance is of great interest [40,41] and
there are efforts to achieve resilient tomatoes that keep unique flavor [42,43]. Therefore,
valorization of collected accessions with a focus on stress tolerance and description of
locally adapted flavor would be of great interest.
Collected accessions of garlic and onions could be characterized by early resistance/tolerance
to stresses and long storage overall high adaptability for Eastern European climatic conditions.
Growers used to collect the bulbs and dry them in simple conditions. Due to extensive global
garlic and Alliums exchange, more serious viral infections of those vegetables have been
observed recently [44–46]. Thus, it would be interesting to analyze bulb storage parameters of
the accessions and virus resistance of the accessions.
Whole bean plants with pods drying on the fences or under the eaves of outbuildings
were a frequent view in the Aukstaitija and Žemaitija Regions. A similar sight can still be
encountered in some regions of eastern and southern Poland [47]. Field beans are grown in
this region in a similar way as beans, to obtain dry seeds, and they are harvested in the
stage of green immature seeds for direct consumption only in a small percentage, unlike
in Poland or other regions in Europe, where field beans are mainly used in the form of
immature seeds. It is observed that field beans are used in a similar way as in Lithuania
in Central America, Egypt, Ethiopia, and China where dry field bean seeds constitute the
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 22 of 25
basic source of protein in the nutrition of people and form the basis of their everyday diet.
High protein content in seeds is one of the most important indicators of the nutritional
value of beans. Beans are good to excellent sources of protein, fibers, carbohydrates, and
micronutrients, which often are lacking in diets [48,49]. Human plant protein intake is on
the rise in many EU regions and the market for meat and dairy alternatives is undergoing
annual growth rates of 14% and 11% respectively. The characterization and maintenance
of food legume genetic resources and their exploitation in pre-breeding form the core
development of both more sustainable agriculture and healthier food products [50]. The
collected material can be a rich source for further exploitation.
It is puzzling that not a single accession of common pea (Pisum sativum L.), either field
(dry) pea or garden (vegetable) pea, was found (only as a field pea, but in the composition
of the feed mixture). Also, no cultivation of tomato was observed in open soil, which is
understandable, as the climatic conditions in northern Lithuania do not allow the growth
of such a stenothermal plant as a tomato.
According to Arlauskienė et al. [51], the highest concentration of cereals (up to 80%)
was found in the crop production farms of Central Lithuania (31–100 ha), but oats have
been grown on the least productive soils (in Western and Eastern Lithuania). In recent
years, organic farming oats have been grown all over Lithuania, while in western Lithuania,
because of adverse wintering or poor autumn conditions, farmers tend to choose spring
cereals instead of winter ones. During the collection missions, more cereals’ accessions
were collected in Eastern Lithuania (Žemaitija Region), but also in the southern and central
part of Lithuania (Dzūkija and Suvalkija Regions) due to the fact that the goal of these
expeditions was to collect local varieties, instead of new varieties which are grown mainly
in central Lithuania.
Cereals and legume mixtures for forage production are very popular in Lithuania.
The share of legumes in the mixture has a positive effect on the value of the site for
successive crops, and pea seeds, rich in protein, increase their fodder efficiency. In addition,
these mixtures are less susceptible to weed infestation and infestation by diseases and
pests, which makes them less demanding in relation to the expenditure on chemical plant
protection products [52]. The segetal plant species found in the collected accession cereals
are common in cereal intercrops in Lithuania [51]. No rare species of weed were found.
The observed oat landraces plants from both 2012 and 2013 experiments conducted
in Radzików were characterized by a large diversity of phenotypic traits. In the plots in
2012, low individuals were characterized by high TGW, whereas high individuals had low
TGW. In the experiment conducted in 2013, the landraces of oat plants were very variable.
The results of the observations do not allow to state the existence of any stable correlation
between characters of the observed collected accessions—it can be said that each of them is
individual. According to Kordulasińska and Bulińska-Radomska [53] and Pszczółkowski
and Sawicka [54], a large variety of traits opens the way for the selection of beneficial traits
for breeding. Varieties with the best morphological or agricultural traits (collected in 2011)
could be used in the breeding process to create genotypes with the desired traits [55].
Oat landraces have considerable potential for improving disease and abiotic stress
tolerance, and additionally, there are no obstacles to transfer the favorable characteristics
from the landraces to new varieties of crops. Oat landraces provide a wide spectrum of
starting materials for plant growth, as they make it possible to choose the characteristics
which are best suited to local needs. They are adapted to grow in the local environment
and local climate and immune to local diseases. Iannucci et al. [56] also emphasize that the
lack of strong links between the observed traits allows obtaining ‘useful combinations’ for
breeding. Besides that, a high level of variability in the analyzed indigenous oat landraces
increases their ability to compete with weeds. Therefore, it has to be concluded that oat
landraces should also be grown and conserved on farms. This, however, requires both
scientific expertise and traditional knowledge of farmers who should grow and manage
oat landraces in the place where they originated.
Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 23 of 25
Collection missions are important sources of germplasm that can be used, among
others, in organic farming production and other sustainable agriculture programs, which
is necessary in the face of global climate changes and the need to ensure local and global
food security [28]. Genetic diversity is the key to maintain and improve agriculture.
6. Conclusions
The main purpose of collecting plant genetic material is to create collections that
represent the widest possible genetic diversity of the gene pool of a given population. Field
expeditions that took place in the area of Lithuania between 2011 and 2013 allowed us to
get acquainted with the abundance of this country in the remnants of old orchards, where
interesting fruit tree varieties, mainly apple trees grown at the turn of the 19th and 20th
centuries, can be found even today. During the expeditions, attention was paid to the
diversification of species and the age of trees. The geographical situation of Lithuania and
the relatively severe climate in this part of Europe definitely influence a low diversity of
fruit tree varieties and a limited number of such varieties. Despite the climatic conditions,
which are not favorable for growing fruit crops, a relatively big pool of very old fruit trees
was observed. There is no program for the preservation of old varieties of fruit trees in
Lithuania; therefore, there is also no awareness allowing to save them. For many apple tree
varieties, it was the last moment to save them by grafting. Poor health of trees was often an
obstacle in collecting material for multiplication. Field expeditions to Lithuania proved to
be appropriate and of great value, as they allowed to localize precious genetic resources,
such as many old apple tree varieties becoming extinct (the collected material will be used
for new planting and, thus, saving the diversity found there).
A part of the collected material can serve as a basic material for plant breeding, in
search of a better adaptation of these species to different soil and climatic conditions.
Germplasm collecting in Lithuania resulted in the preservation of many genetic plant
resources, representing a high genetic variability in the country, which are now safely
conserved and maintained for the benefit of present and future generations.
Author Contributions: Conceptualization, D.F.D.; methodology, D.F.D., A.K., R.R.; formal analysis,
D.F.D., G.B., A.K., K.K.; investigation, D.F.D., A.K.; data curation, D.F.D., A.K., G.B., B.G.; writing—
original draft preparation, D.F.D., A.K., R.R.; writing—review and editing, D.F.D., G.B.; visualization,
D.F.D., G.B., K.K.; supervision, D.F.D.; funding acquisition, D.F.D., G.B. All authors have read and
agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This work was supported by the Multi-annual program: “Establishment of a scientific
basis for biological progress and preservation of plant genetic resources as a source of innovation
in order to support sustainable agriculture and food security of the country” coordinated by Plant
Breeding and Acclimatization Institute—National Research Institute (PBAI-NRI) and financed by the
Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Poland.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Acknowledgments: We thank Wiesław Podyma, the head of the National Research Institute (PBAI-
NRI), who provided a factual review of the manuscript, and Valdemaras Degulis who performed the
duties of a guide, translator, and assistant during all three expeditions.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.
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agronomy

Received: 8 July 2021

Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11081586 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/agronomy

Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 3 of 25

Figure 1. Ethnographic regions of Lithuania.

2.3. Mažoji Lietuva

2.4. Suvalkija (Sūduva)

3. Materials and Methods

3.2. Processing Collected Plant Genetic Material

3.2.1. Initial Evaluation of Cucurbit Plants

3.2.2. Initial Evaluation of Oat Plants

3.2.3. Initial Evaluation of Apple Trees

Number of Accessions Collected in Each Ethnographic Region

Number of Accessions Collected in Each Ethnographic Region

Number of Accessions Collected in Each Ethnographic Region

4.1. Apple Trees

Ethnographic Region Varieties

Agronomy 2021, 11, 1586 11 of 25

families Alliaceae (23.6%), Chenopodiaceae (1.43%) Apiaceae (0.95%), Brassicaceae

Accession Fruit Weight Total Fruit Yield Per

Accession Fruit Fruit Spine Fruit Length Fruit Diameter

4.2.2. Solanaceous Vegetables

4.2.3. Biennial and Perennial Vegetables

Oat Avena sativa L.

Figure 4. Variation in4.height

yield [kg] TGW [g]

yield [kg] TGW [g]

Powdery mildew infection level

crown rust powdery mildew

Powdery mildew infection level

crown rust powdery mildew

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