Blaine P. Friedlander Jr. It took most of the last century to build one of the finest potato germplasm repositories in the world. Soon it may be a worthless genetic morgue. All of it is potentially useful to ward off an array of potato diseases and to make the crop grow better. As potato diversity continues to narrow, entire potato crops are in danger of being wiped out by a new disease or pest. The exterior of the N.I. Vavilov Institute in St. Petersburg, Russia, in a photo taken this past spring.
Ivy growth is visible in the deteriorating roof's valley.
The potato collections at the Vavilov Institute and elsewhere serve as a source of useful genes that can provide resistance against aggressive late blight pathogen strains as well as provide other valuable, genetic traits. Raman said the collection lacks a good watering system and suitable greenhouse soil fumigation procedures. In May, CEEM delivered pathogen-testing kits because until then there was no way to test the in vitro part of the collection for disease. The facility, said Raman, lacks dependable electric heaters and ventilation, making the storage of tubers difficult. He described torn window screens and broken windows that allow pests in.