The development of multisite collections with shared experimental designs is of utmost importance for the conservation and utilization of genetic materials and will greatly facilitate the dissection of genotype-by-environment interactions. Such resources are still lacking for perennial trees, facing with the intrinsic difficulties of materials exchange, successful propagations and phytosanitary issues. This pages describe the concept, design and realization of the first multi-site peach reference collection (PeachRefPop: PRP) across different European countries and sharing the same experimental design. Other than an invaluable tool for scientific studies in perennial species, the PRP is configuring as the first milestone of an international collaborative project for the conservation and exploitation of European peach germplasm resources and, ultimately, as a true heritage for future generations.

The multi-site PeachRefPop collection: a true cultural heritage and international scientific tool for fruit trees. Plant Physiol. 2020 Jul 29;pp.01412.2019. doi: 10.1104/pp.19.01412. (pre-print)