The current state of wild plant populations is of particular interest because it provides data necessary both for preserving the gene pool and for identifying adaptive responses for subsequent use in breeding. The study was aimed at assessing the vitality of coenopopulations of two diploid species of the genus Fragaria L. – F. viridis (Duchesne) Weston and F. vesca L. growing in Southern Siberia in different ecological conditions. The study of coenopopulations vitality has been carried out using the gradient analysis method and the index of vitality of coenopopulation (IVC). We assessed the vitality of 35 coenopopulations, identified favorable and negative ecological and phytocoenotic growing conditions for both species. The ecological plasticity of the species F. viridis was assessed. The affiliation of each species to an ecological group depending on the moisture factor was revealed. The obtained research results expand knowledge about the biomorphometric characteristics of the species of the genus Fragaria L.

VIR annually performs explorations of Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) in various regions of Russia, including the Russian Far East. Knowledge of the taxonomic diversity of plant genetic resources (PGR) in the territory of their natural distribution allows for their targeted collecting in the VIR collection for direct use in breeding programs, selecting the most valuable traits for breeding, and developing in situ and ex situ conservation measures for the priority PGR species.

The object of the exploration were CWR species from the three southern Kuril Islands: Kunashir, Shikotan, and Iturup. Methodological guidelines of VIR for conducting expedition surveys and cultivated plants herbarization were used.

The purpose of the work was to inventory CWR of Kunashir, Shikotan and Iturup and select representatives of the flora of these islands of special value for breeding. The species of fruit and berry, fodder, medicinal and other crops of the explored islands were found to be of undoubted interest for introduction into culture and the breeding process. The survey resulted in collecting 27 seed samples, 5 samples in the form of cuttings, 30 transplants, and 234 herbarium sheets of CWR representatives. A total of 296 samples were collected. Most areas of the Kuril Islands are hard to reach, therefore it is necessary to conduct a more detailed survey of the species in demand from the breeding point of view in order to clarify the ranges of the species, as well as to collect the most valuable genotypes for cultivation and breeding. The work on studying the diversity of CWR in this region is worth continuing.

A collecting mission was launched in August 2024 to the southern territory of Siberia. Its primary goal was searching for and collecting new valuable samples of plant genetic resources in the places of their natural habitation and cultivation in order to add them to the collections of the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources. The diversity of indigenous berry plants was explored, covering such plant families as Rosaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Grossulariaceae, Elaeagnaceae, Viburnaceae, Berberidaceae, and Ericaceae. The collected materials contained aggregately 57 samples of seedlings representing Rubus idaeus L., R. sachalinensis Levl., Fragaria vesca L., F. mandshurica Staudt, F. viridis (Duchesne) Weston, Ribes altissimum Turcz., Vaccinium uliginosum L., V. myrtillus L., and V. vitis-idaea L., 4 seed samples of Hippophae rhamnoides L. (3 samples) and Lonicera caerulea L. (1 sample), and 269 herbarium sheets of 20 species belonging to Rubus L., Fragaria L., Ribes L., Grossularia Mill., Hippophae L., Vaccinium L., Lonicera L., Berberis L., and Viburnum L.

Herbarizing and documenting specimens of extra value is the primary mission of the Herbarium maintained at the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources. Herbarium materials representing the nomenclatural types of cultivated plants and their wild relatives, nomenclatural standards of domestic cultivars, traditional crop landraces, and species of crop wild relatives endemic to Russia are the most valuable scientific objects requiring permanent safe conservation and replenishment.

Such goal cannot be achieved without solving the major task: unification of the rules that regulate the collecting of plant specimens and arrangement of herbarium lists for nomenclatural standards. With this in view, we summarized methodological approaches to herbarization for scientific collections from published sources and evaluated some long-proven herbarization practices for specimens representing the diversity of both wild and cultivated plants. 

In loving memory of Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor Sofia N. Kutuzova (1939–2024), a renowned scientist, the oldest employee of VIR.