The National Collection of Plant Genetic Resources is growing!
The National Collection is growing! The decree of 9 January 2026 formalises the inclusion of new fruit varieties – from the Pôle Fruitier de Bretagne and the Croqueurs de Pommes Île-de-France – as well as two potato varieties submitted by the public-private partnership network led by INRAE. Apple trees, pear trees and tubers are thus joining a system that is essential for promoting our cultivated biodiversity.
The National Collection aims to preserve, promote and make accessible plant resources of agronomic, heritage or scientific interest. It helps to address the challenges of cultivated biodiversity, plant variety innovation and adaptation to climate change.
It now features Breton pear trees – Chèvre, Malier, Per Segal, Jaunette – provided by the Pôle Fruitier de Bretagne, including some venerable specimens (over 100 years old) that have been identified through a community mapping initiative in the region: https://polefruitierbretagne.fr/poiriers-venerables/
It also features a rich variety of 17 apple trees and 14 pear trees from the Île-de-France region, registered by the Croqueurs de Pommes, including Laruelle, Bondy, Reinette de Versailles and Belle de Pontoise.
These varieties reflect the region’s rich horticultural heritage and the commitment of conservation networks.
The public-private potato cooperation network led by INRAE is also adding two potato varieties, Floréal and Cynthia. These will enhance the genetic diversity of this crop already available in the National Collection.
For the species listed in Annex 1 of the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA; https://www.fao.org/3/bc084f/bc084f.pdf), these new accessions will shortly be deposited with the multilateral system of the International Treaty (ITPGRFA) by the French State.
The full list of new accessions was published in the Official Journal on 17 January 2026.
