A forage grass and legume plant collecting expedition in Portugal

The Plant Genetic Resources Unit of the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research, U.K., and the Department of Genetics and Biotechnology, University of Tras-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Portugal, carried out a joint plant collecting expedition in Portugal in May 1995. Seven regions of Portugal were explored from the north to the south. A diverse range of habitats was sampled covering different altitudes, management systems and ecological conditions, where semi-natural grassland and wild unmanaged grassland was found. Vegetative samples of forage grass and legume populations were collected wherever possible. Seed samples were collected in the absence of live plants and from farmers' stores. Detailed collection site data was recorded at every site. 113 populations of Lolium spp., Festuca spp., Agrostis spp., Dactylis spp. and Briza spp. and 53 populations of Trifolium spp., Medicago spp. and Lupinus spp. were collected from 115 sites. It was possible to find traditional agricultural systems throughout Portugal but they are changing in response to European Union farming policies. For example, Lolium multiflorum Lam. is still intercropped with maize, although seed production of this crop on the farm is no longer permissible and, therefore, local land races are being replaced by commercial varieties. These changes to traditional agricultural systems are contributing to a major loss of genetic diversity.