The genebank collection consists mainly of living plants growing in the field or in containers under protected culture in a screenhouse or shadehouse. There are nearly 3000 accessions or individual clones. These include apple, pear, peach, cherry, apricot, plum, nectarine, strawberry, raspberry, currant, gooseberry, blueberry, elderberry and rose. About two-thirds of the plants are species or wild relatives of our modern varieties and the remainder are named Canadian cultivars. Collection of wild beach strawberry, Fragaria chiloensis, originating from coastal regions of British Columbia.
Some genetic material is saved as seed or as tissue culture plants.
Tissue culture is a process where tiny plantlets are maintained on a sterile artificial media containing nutrients and growth hormones. The relocation of the genebank is the result of Federal government consolidation of programs and services. The Smithfield Research Farm, Trenton, Ont., which was the previous home of the genebank is expected to close on Nov. 1, 1996. Creeks Livestock producers have observed how bacteria and nitrogen can end up in tile drainage water on their farms after the land application of liquid manures. Researchers at Harrow are working to quantify and reduce the magnitude of nutrient and bacteria contamination of water in field drainage tiles.