In situ conservation and sustainable use of a native population of black mulberry (Morus nigra L.) in Slovakia

Black mulberry (Morus nigra L.) is counted among the interesting and economically important fruit tree. On the Slovak territory there are approximately 1,500 individuals of this species. The largest part of this population is in Pukanec village and in its neighbourhood. Many trees are 200 to 300 years old and some of them are in a very bad condition. Our experimental studies were oriented on inventory, monitoring, evaluation and cataloguing of mulberry genotypes spread in Slovakia. A GPS system has localized 954 genotypes totally. In an experimental study was determined traits variability on the level of trees, leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds for 480 selected genotypes. Morphometric analyses of the genotypes expressed distinct differences. Leaves length ranged from 34 to 217 mm, width 36 - 193 mm and the stem length 4 46 mm. On the fruit level have been found values for length in the range of 10.7 - 27.2 mm and for width 9.2 - 16.3mm, respectively. Fruits are highly nutritious, their pH value is about 3, they contain ascorbic acid 2.26-18.9 mg.100g(-1), total sugar 4.3 - 19.7 mg.kg(-1) and organic acids 0.79 - 1.73 mg.kg(-1). The gained experimental data will be applied for a complex evaluation of the black mulberry populations and for draft proposal oriented on their conservation in situ. The final activity will be the proposition to declare the black mulberry population for a protected species on the Slovak territory.