ABSTRACT
Genetic diversity is essential for the maintenance of ecological stability. Food plants that people have ‘domesticated’ do not endure on their own, isolated as they are from crossfertilization with other genetically diverse plants. Most of the world’s food now derives from about 20 plant species. Yet food crops must always be reinforced with infusions of genes from wild species. These wild relatives possess genes, for example, that protect against pests and disease, improve tolerance to drought and even improve nutritional values.
