A total of 140 varieties of traditional Irish apple trees have been saved from extinction by the Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA).
The association, with headquarters in Scariff, Co Clare, has also traced and saved 25 native strains of Irish oats, wheat, barley and ryes. Some of these long-lost strains of grain were found as far afield as Russia and Norway by Michael Miklis from Piltown, Co Kilkenny.
The main objective of the ISSA is the conservation of Ireland's special and swiftly disappearing native varieties of fruit, grain and vegetables. Their work includes the preservation of traditional varieties which are suitable for Ireland's unique growing conditions.
The organisation maintains a seed bank which distributes non-commercially available seeds, passing them on to members to save them and ensure a living agricultural legacy.
The work to save Irish varieties of apple trees began over a decade ago with an appeal to its members and the public to help conserve the native trees.
The native trees have evolved to suit the warm, damp Irish climate and survived before the advent of pesticides as they were more resistant to scab, mildew and canker. The ISSA now have sufficient trees to offer nearly 90 Irish varieties for sale to the public.
A report in Clover, the journal for professional organic production, said the ISSA is now carrying out trials on Irish turnip, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and kale to ensure their survival.
Other trials are being carried out on vegetable seeds which have been donated to the Irish centre by the Garterslabel Gene Bank in Germany which is on the same latitude as Ireland.