A project to preserve agricultural biodiversity and the living memory of gardens
The Marimurtra Botanical Garden is leading a unique and committed project to recover local agricultural heritage: the prospecting and cataloguing of traditional horticultural varieties of Maçanet de la Selva.
The project, coordinated by Carles Burguera, lead researcher of the garden’s germplasm bank and herbarium, has been awarded the 3rd Historical Research Grant by the town council.
A heritage cultivated generation after generation
Many of the varieties still grown today in the family gardens of Maçanet are the result of decades —or even centuries— of human selection and natural adaptation. These are the seeds that were saved each year, the ones that best resisted drought, produced more fruit, or simply tasted better at the table.
These traditional varieties are not just plants: they are a way to preserve the history, culture, and biodiversity of a territory. According to the Government of Catalonia, a traditional variety is one that has been cultivated in the country for at least fifty years. But beyond the technical definition, they are a living part of local identity.
Project objectives
The project follows five main lines of action:
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Prospecting: interviewing gardeners and visiting gardens to identify varieties cultivated in the municipality.
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Reproduction: sowing these varieties at the Marimurtra Botanical Garden to study and preserve them.
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Scientific conservation: preparing herbarium sheets and storing seeds in the Garden’s germplasm bank.
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Historical research: studying bibliographic sources and archives to document crops in the area prior to 1975.
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Outreach: promoting the varieties and the project through educational activities, social media, botanical illustrations, and public events.
Preliminary results: a living heritage
So far, about twenty local varieties have been identified that are still preserved through the practice of saving seeds year after year. The Garden has begun cultivating seven of these varieties, which are studied in situ and gradually incorporated into the Garden’s living collection, germplasm bank, and herbarium.
These varieties are also labeled with specific signage and are included in educational and awareness activities aimed at students and visitors.
A project with local and global impact
This initiative not only helps to revalue the agricultural heritage of Maçanet, but also actively contributes to the conservation of cultivated genetic diversity, a key resource in the context of climate change and widespread biodiversity loss.
Thanks to the inclusion of these varieties in the Garden’s Index Seminum —the seed catalogue for exchange between botanical gardens—, Maçanet de la Selva can be represented in international plant conservation projects.
Conclusion
This project is a living example of how science, culture, and society can work together to protect biodiversity and the agricultural memory of a territory. At the Marimurtra Botanical Garden, we remain committed to this task, literally sowing a richer, more resilient, and rooted future.
