Protection of genetic resources is recently our important target. As a part of the FAO programme on protection of genetic resources of cultivated plants, Poland signed the Convention on Biological Diversity. Within a framework of the Convention our Institute is obliged to determine fruit and ornamental plants as a genetic resource in Poland and create ex-situ and in-situ collections. This task is realised gradually. We have gathered about 4.000 taxons; among them 1.000 taxons of apples, 300 cherries, 200 pears, 160 plums, 150 peaches and apricots, 50 walnuts, 200 currants, 200 raspberries, 100 strawberries, 100 blueberries, 300 lilies, 700 tulips, 50 walnuts and corylus and some others. All the taxons are fully characterised and described and the data kept in a computerised databank. We offer our gene bank resources to foreign universities and research centres for breeding and collection purposes.