Report
on the joint collecting mission to Tajikistan in the period from 20 September through 7 October 2011

    A collecting mission to Tajikistan was organized at the initiative of two Dutch companies with the purpose of collecting genetic diversity of local melon, gourd and watermelon, and of a wide range of vegetable crops (e.g., cucumber, carrot, tomato, onion, beet, radish, basil, celery, dill, etc.) The mission was attended by representatives of the Netherlands, Russia and Tajikistan. Due to the unusually hot summer and earlier ripening of the crops in question, the dates of the collecting mission had to be shifted almost two weeks ahead of the initially planned schedule. Cucurbit fruits were collected in places of their cultivation, storage and selling; seed was also obtained from local farmers and purchased at the markets. During the period from 23 September through 1 October 2011, the international team collected germplasm in several districts of republican subordination in Central Tajikistan (Varzob, Rudaki), explored the northern territories in Sugd Province (districts of Aini, Shakhriston, Spitamen, Dzhabbor Rasulov, Zafarobod and Bobojon Gafurov) and then proceeded to collect germplasm in central and southern territories in Khatlon Province (districts of Khuroson, Dzhaloliddin Rumi, Kumsangir and Vakhsh). The unusual sequence of the route (North, then South) is explained by the fact that in southern regions the Cucurbits had been already harvested by the time the collecting mission began, while in the North the harvesting has just started. The route of the mission totaled over 1200 km. All in all, 374 samples of Cucurbit and vegetable crops had been collected, of which over 60 seed samples of melon, watermelon and gourd of Tajik origin were delivered to VIR.