The University of Reading welcomed farming minister David Heath to the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale Farm in Kent last week.
The DEFRA-owned collection, which is maintained by the university, is home to over 3,500 fruit crops and part of an international programme to ensure food crops are protected in the future despite climate and environmental change.
Heath's visit included a tour of the recently repropagated apple collection and a look into the horticultural research scientists are carrying out at the site.
'It was fantastic to see how one of the largest fruit collections in the world can help protect us against future threats like pests and global climate change,' said Heath.
He added: 'The team in Kent and Reading do an excellent job helping make sure we have the right varieties of fruit for generations to come.'
Back in 2009, The National Trust warned that 60 per cent of England's orchards had vanished since the 1950s, and Dr Matthew Ordidge of the University of Reading, the scientific curator of the National Fruit Collection, says that the collection, which includes fruit varieties dating back to the 1500s, is doing crucial work for UK growers.
He explained: 'Our research helps policy makers and commercial growers in tackling the challenges of maintaining sustainable fruit production in the future. Indeed there is emerging evidence that spring is occurring earlier in the year which is leading to challenging conditions for almost all crops.
'Many people know the National Fruit Collection exists but perhaps do not recognise its status as a genetic resource. Brogdale houses varieties of both historic and current importance to the UK, including varieties thought to date back to the 1500s.'
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