ABSTRACT
Ensuring the genetic diversity of maize and its wild relatives J. Stephen Smith, Iowa State University, USA; Candice A. C. Gardner, USDA-ARS/ Iowa State University, USA; and Denise E. Costich, CIMMYT Germplasm Bank (Maize Collection), Mexico
1 Introduction
2 Global maize cultivation and yield trends
3 Domestication and global spread of maize
4 Genetic diversity in Zea: maize and its wild relatives
5 The importance of genetic diversity in improving maize productivity
6 Case studies of the use of maize genetic diversity in breeding
7 In situ diversity and conservation of maize genetic diversity
8 Ex situ conservation of maize diversity in genebanks
9 Critical issues facing maize genebank curators today and in the immediate future
10 Conclusions
11 References
‘Maize is a sensitive mirror of the people who grow it.’ (Edgar Anderson, 1947) Economic activity and the quality of life for current and future generations of humankind,
many other species, and the health and sustainability of the natural environment are inextricably linked with the management of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA).
