Fructus (association)

FRUCTUS
purpose	Fruit cultivation (concern for crop diversity and cultivation tradition)
Chair:	Alfred Aeppli
Establishment date:	1985
Number of members:	over 1000
Seat :	Waedenswil
Website:	fructus.ch

Fructus is a Swiss non-governmental organization that was founded in Zurich in 1985 as a Swiss association to promote a gene bank for old fruit varieties and standard orchards .

The association has over 1000 members. Goals are the preservation of the genetic diversity of native fruits , the promotion of traditional Standard tree - fruit growing and versatile fruit processing as well as raising public awareness of these issues. Fructus is a member of the Swiss Commission for the Conservation of Cultivated Plants (SKEK).

Fruit variety conservation projects

The association is responsible for the coordination and implementation of various projects within the framework of Switzerland's National Action Plan (NAP) for the conservation and long-term use of plant genetic resources. The nationwide inventory of fruit and berry varieties was Fructus' largest NAP project to date (NAP 02-23) and was completed in 2004. Over 2000 old, little or not yet known, endangered fruit and berry varieties could be increased for preservation in variety collections and secured for the future. These varieties are now described using standardized methods.

In the follow-up projects Agronomic and Pomological Description of Fruit Genetic Resources (NAP 02-22; 2004-2006) and Description of Fruit Genetic Resources (NAP P21; 2007-2018), these fruit varieties are described pomologically and molecularly biologically and their potential for cultivation, breeding and the processing shown.

Other NAP projects carried out by the association are NAP 03-22: Secure - Collect - Use tree nuts in Switzerland and the book Fruits and Berries of Switzerland (NAP 03-23). Fructus maintains fruit genebanks at various locations : The collection of the Höri fruit educational trail , the primary collection of cherries in Feldbach ZH and, in cooperation with Agroscope in Wädenswil , the introductory and duplicate collection of cherries at the Breitenhof stone fruit center in Wintersingen and the introductory and duplicate collection of plums / Plums in Wädenswil . These collections are financially supported by the Federal Office for Agriculture .

In addition to the NAP projects, Fructus has various projects and activities aimed at preserving old types of fruit. In 2013, among other things, thanks to financial support from Migros and IP Suisse, a brochure with variety recommendations for field fruit growing was published. Since 2008 Fructus has named a fruit variety of the year for Switzerland .

Höri fruit trail

The Höri fruit educational path is located on an 8 km long hiking route between Höri and Steinmaur in the canton of Zurich . It was created by Fructus and opened on May 1, 2003. Information boards explain the history of apples and sweet must , the varieties of the Höri high-stem orchard, high and low -stem fruit growing in the canton of Zurich, beneficial insects and pests on fruit trees, examples of a commercial fruit growing business and a cider factory , oak and its products, wild hedges and the problem of standard fruit growing. The Höri orchard is also a gene bank and comprises more than 350 trees with around 230 different varieties. The orchard is looked after by Fructus. In 2008, an information pavilion with old cider equipment and information boards was opened on the nature trail in Steinmaur.

Events

The association organizes and co-organizes various regional and national events. Regional events include variety identification courses, orchard days and specialist excursions. The national fruit exhibitions each attract thousands of visitors. So far Fructus has organized five such exhibitions: 1986 in Olten , 1992 in Winterthur , 1998 in Burgdorf , 2005 under the title "FRUCTUS 05", for the 20th anniversary of the association in Frauenfeld and 2011 in Zug . The exhibitions in Winterthur and Burgdorf were organized together with Pro Specie Rara , the one in Zug together with the Swiss Fruit Association (SOV). The SOV and Fructus exhibited 1,740 types of fruit on the occasion of the special exhibition "1,000 types of fruit" in Zug. Now the two organizations can boast of being the "largest fruit variety exhibition ever shown". This was awarded to them by the Guinness Book of Records . Furthermore, Fructus is also in international exhibitions such as B. the EUROPOM and present at pomologist meetings.

Publications

• The Fructus Bulletin is the association's members' magazine. It contains information on pomological topics, old types of fruit, fruit growing and processing as well as events and appears quarterly in German and French with a total of 1,300 copies. Since 2006 pear varieties have been described in the Bulletin, some of which have not yet been published in any known pomology.
• David Szalatnay, Markus Kellerhals, Martin Frei and Urs Müller: Fruits, berries, nuts : on over 1000 pages, this book presents around 800 fruits, berries and nuts with pictures and informative texts. It is a unique reference work for everyone for whom it is important that the variety of varieties is preserved as far as possible in the future. 2011, Haupt Verlag , ISBN 978-3-258-07194-7
• Simon Egger and Urs Müller (eds.): Caspar Tobias Zollikofer (1774–1843) - Pomological studies of the early 19th century; Recorded in the years 1831–1834. Fructus Verlag, Wädenswil 2005, ISBN 3-9523047-0-0
• The book Rosenapfel und Goldparmäne. 365 apple varieties - botany , history and use , published by AT Verlag in 2005 , was created in collaboration with Pro Specie Rara . It was awarded a gold medal at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2005 as part of the literary competition of the Gastronomic Academy of Germany .
• FRUCTUS variety list field fruit growing: Robust apple varieties

Web links

• Official website
• Global Plan of Action for the Conservation and Sustainable Utilization of Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Association for the Promotion of Old Fruit Varieties ( Memento of the original from July 30, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Fructus website, accessed March 30, 2015.  
2. ↑ Swiss Commission for the Conservation of Cultivated Plants (SKEK)