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Article: Seeds in need: the Vavilov Institute. (important seed bank in jeopardy)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- December 18, 1993
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1993 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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When the U.S. soybean crop fell prey to a parasitic worm 10 years ago, Soviet scientists came to the rescue. Researchers in the United States had searched in vain for domestic beans that could resist the destructive cyst nematode. Finally, they turned to the Soviets, who supplied beans with the desired resistance.
Such help may not be possible in the future, however.
The N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, keeper of one of the world's largest collections of plant genetic material and source of the nematode-resistant soybeans, has fallen on hard times. With Russia's government in turmoil over reforming the economy, funding for the St. ...