Genetic Resources of Wheat (Triticum Sp.) in Montenegro

Abstract

Wheat is the most important crop grown on 240 million hectares worldwide, and 23% of arable lands, respectively. It is the primary food source for about 70% of human population. Wheat originates from the old world, primarily from Asia and southern parts of Europe, from where it spread to other parts of the world. Wheat is one of the oldest cultivated plants. It is believed that its domestication began ten thousand years ago. Wheat was cultivated in Montenegro since the Romans. First cultivated species of wheat were Triticum monococcum and Triticum dicoccum. At the beginning of the new era, tetraploid naked wheat - Triticum durum and Triticum turgidum were introduced. Common wheat arrived much later in Balkans, and most likely it was brought by the Turks in mid 14th century. Triticum aestivum ssp. compactum and Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta were firstly introduced, and much later common wheat - Triticum aestivum ssp. vulgare. Intensification of agricultural production in Montenegro resulted in rapid extinction of large number of cultivated species, cultivars, varieties and locally adapted wheat populations from the agricultural flora. Noting the danger of the extinction of majority of local populations of genus Triticum, academician Ljubo Pavićević started a program of their protection in 1955. For more than 10 years of intensive work, he managed to collect over 200 diploid and tetraploid indigenous species and forms of wheat, and devoted the rest of his professional carrier to their study. Since Montenegro does not have its own selection programs for wheat, further efforts will be necessary to document and put this huge wealth of local populations of different wheat types at disposal of all interested breeding and scientific institutions outside Montenegro as soon as possible.

Pšenica je najvažnija ratarska kultura koja se u svijetu gaji na oko 240 miliona hektara, odnosno 23% obradivih površina. Predstavlja osnovnu hranu za oko 70% ljudske populacije. Vodi porijeklo iz starog svijeta, iz Azije i južnih djelova Evrope, odakle se proširila u druga područja. Pšenica je jedna od najstarijih kulturnih biljaka. Smatra se da je njena domestifikacija počela još prije deset hiljada godina. Pšenica se u Crnoj Gori gajila još u doba Rimljana. Prve gajene vrste pšenice bile su Triticum monococcum i Triticum dicoccum. Početkom nove ere na ove prostore dolaze i prve tetraploidne golozrne pšenice - Triticum durum i Triticum turgidum. Meka pšenica je na Balkan dospjela mnogo kasnije. Najvjerovatnije su je donijeli Turci sredinom 14. vijeka. Prvo su donešene Triticum aestivum ssp. compactum i Triticum aestivum ssp. spelta, a znatno kasnije i obična pšenica Triticum aestivum ssp. vulgare. Intenzifikacijom poljoprivredne proizvodnje, najveći broj tradicionalnih sorti, varijeteta i lokalno adaptiranih populacija počeo se ubrzano gubiti iz kulturne flore Crne Gore. Uočavajući opasnost od nestajanja velikog broja domaćih populacija roda Triticum, akademik Ljubo Pavićević je 1955. godine započeo program njihove zaštite. Za više od 10 godina intenzivnog rada uspio je da sakupi preko 200 diploidnih i tetraploidnih autohtonih vrsta i populacija pšenice, a ostatak svog radnog vijeka posvetio je njihovom proučavanju. Pošto Crna Gora nema sopstvene programe selekcije pšenice biće neophodno učiniti dodatne napore kako bi se ovo ogromno bogatstvo domaćih populacija različitih vrsta pšenice što prije dokumentovalo i stavilo na raspolaganje svim zainteresovanim oplemenjivačkim i naučnim institucijama izvan Crne Gore.