A database management system (DBMS) for in situ conservation must be general enough to handle all forms of in situ preservation (in nature, in culture, in cultivation), and at the same time specific enough to be able to handle the special requirements for each type. The space-time dimension of in situ conservation schemes can be includes in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software. But a comprehensive database management system should, in addition, be able to handle both agricultural and ecological aspects as well as aspects on changes in genetic composition of the populations. For full control and maximum payoff a hybrid solution integrating GIS with germplasm documentation DBMS in a relational database environment is needed.
Keywords: database management system, in situ conservation, germplast.