SEED SEARCHERS LOST AT WORK

The comparison is by no means forced, they are real “ seed seekers ”. The seed harvesting campaign carried out by the Vegetable Biodiversity Center of Montecchio Precalcino (VI) of Veneto Agricoltura has come to life in these days. In fact, in the month of August the berries (or the fruits) of numerous shrubs of the undergrowth ripen and that make up the rural hedges, and are therefore ready to be harvested. This is the prelude to the large autumn harvest of the seeds of many trees, such as oaks, beeches, ash trees and firs, for which the nursery of the Pian dei Spini regional agency in Cansiglio (Bl) also comes into play.

Starting from these hot weeks of August, therefore, the operators of Veneto Agricoltura are transformed into authentic " seed seekers ", and for this reason they beat various areas of the region to collect the precious seeds, including those of many aquatic and bank plants. , sometimes very rare and threatened with extinction. Then, from next September and throughout the autumn, the "prospectors" of Veneto Agricoltura will move to other areas of the plains, to the pre-alpine valleys and to the alpine woods to collect the seeds of many tree species, particularly in the areas registered as “ Boschi da Seme ” of Veneto.

The work of the Plant Biodiversity Center therefore consists in "transforming", with maximum traceability, the genetic resources , represented by the seeds, into plants that can be used for reforestation (including the areas of the state property affected by the Vaia storm ), the restoration of habitats and the preservation of species.

This important activity therefore presupposes the knowledge and constant monitoring of the so-called " seed populations ", as many as 168 distributed from the plains to the high-altitude woods, representing those woods and those natural or semi-natural habitats in which the collection of "Raw material" (the seed) represents the beginning of the path that will lead to obtaining new trees , new shrubs and new herbs in full respect of biodiversity .

The collection, by expert personnel, of seeds coming from well-preserved and registered forests and environments of our region thus guarantees that the plants obtained have a genetic patrimony adequate to the environmental conditions and expression of biodiversity.