Banco ativo de germoplasma de tomateiro da UTFPR - campus Pato Branco: base para a introdução ao cultivo agroecológico de tomateiro de polinização aberta na região sudoeste do Paraná

It is of great interest to grow tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) of the mesa type, in the southwesternregion of Parana by the agroecological olericultores. However, there is a lack ofopen pollinated cultivars adapted to this region and organic cultivation. Thus, in early 2016 the“Active Tomato Germplasm Bank (BAGT)” and the “Tomato Genetic Improvement Program” ofUTFPR-PB were introduced. They are interdependent projects, since the breeding program isdependent on the use of a well characterized and diversified genetic base. Thus, the objectiveof this work is to report and describe the experiences obtained with the introduction of theBAGT of the UTFPR-PB. The implementation of the project is still underway, however, and hasalready obtained results of characterization, use and maintenance of ex situ genetic resources,allowing the long-term collaboration with agrobiodiversity and its diffusion in the southwesternregion of Parana.