ABSTRACT
About 10,000 years ago, wild progenitors gave rise to the first primitive varieties or primitive forms, such as landraces. Some of them survived centuries and continue to serve as the source of new genes for modern plant breeding.
The reduction of genetic diversity by modern agriculture is a well-known phenomenon. Therefore, the utilization of genetic resources is mandatory for future development of crops. Nor they are generally considered a public good and shared internationally. Wild relatives of crop species and their derivatives represent the reservoir of genetic diversity that will help to meet the food demands of 9 billion people by 2050. A core set of crop genetic resources are considered “first-look-sources” of trait-specific accessions for use in crop-breeding programs. The major activities for ex situ genebanks include assembling, conserving, characterizing, and providing easy access to germplasm for scientists and breeders. Improvement programs concerned with the utilization of plant germplasm include the process of prebreeding, also called developmental breeding or germplasm enhancement.
The work on germplasm evaluation and characterization is being carried out at the Bureau’s Headquarters and their Regional Stations for more than 75 major and minor crops. Crop curators for all major crops have been identified within International Board for Plant Genetic Resources and also in the National Boards for Plant Genetic Resources. Preliminary evaluation and seed increase are done by the crop curators by growing one or two rows of the germplasm in an augmented design using two to three locally adapted checks for a period of minimum 2 years.
Advances in DNA technologies have made it possible to analyze a large amount of germplasm accessions against low production costs. The new developments have an impact on the user-oriented activities of genebanks. Recent application of TILLING by sequencing methodology determines levels of diversity within species and identifies those populations that will represent priorities for conservation efforts.
