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Abstract:
A collecting expedition has been carried out in the Albanian Alps area, North Albania. Five communes and 54 villages were visited, for a total of 193 farms. In farm selecting was taken into account that the area could be represented well, with regard to geographical stratification, more in terms of their vertical alignment, for those farms that may have potential tourist value. Also it was taken into account the representation of different levels of farm size, average age and education level of farmers, as well as socio-economic level of them. In 128 sites crop species germplasm was collected and the farmer maintainers were interviewed. Altogether 27 accessions were collected; the most common species were Zea mays, Phaseolus vulgaris dhe Lycopersicon esculentum. A significant number of landraces are still preserved on farm, mostly in isolated farm houses (average age of farmers: 50-70 years) adopting traditional farming systems but a number of younger farmers were also present. Perspectives for on farm conservation and management are discussed and public economic support for "farmer - maintainers" is proposed. Identification and use of the most appropriate indigenous varieties will help to consolidate quality markets, meeting the demands of consumers, and providing a profitable alternative for farmers in smallholder farming systems.
Keywords: Germplasm collecting; home gardens; farmer maintainer.
Introduction
Albania is characterized by substantial biological and landscape diversity. Although the country occupies less than 0.3% of the area of the European continent, it is home to 30% of all known species of European animals and plants, including many endemic ones (i.e. species found solely in Albania).
The hardly accessible mountain regions are particularly species-rich. There is a great diversity of plant species due to the geographical location and decades of economic isolation [1].
With the political opening of the country, the loss of natural as well as agricultural biodiversity (agrobiodiversity) increased.
The lack of infrastructure or its poor conditions, remoteness position to markets, lack of institutional attention and missing key social and public services constitutes the main hurdle to the development of the region, creating difficulties for a normal life quality, affecting directly to the migration of population towards urban areas.
Wild species are threatened by habitat fragmentation and collecting practices. Local crops are disappearing because of the exodus...