Agrobiodiversity with emphasis on plant genetic resources

Abstract

The science of agrobiodiversity has emerged during the last 10 years. We review here the most important aspects of biodiversity for conservation. One of the aims of agrobiodiversity research is to introduce or to re-introduce into present-day agriculture and horticulture more diversity from gene banks, botanical or zoological gardens, and other secondary sources of diversity. To enlarge the basis of agricultural and horticultural resources for human and animal nutrition, a sustainable use of these native and cultivated resources is necessary, including animal and plant genetic resources. The total number of botanical plant species cultivated as agricultural or horticultural crops is estimated at almost 7,000. However, only 30 major crop species "feed the world". Comparable numbers of animal species have been lost. The reduction in crop species and variety diversity, in particular, has led to the establishment of germplasm collections, so called gene banks, or ex situ collections. Six million plant accessions are conserved in gene banks worldwide. All these accessions belong to a very limited number of species. About half of them are advanced cultivars or breeders' lines, and only a third are landraces or old cultivars. Approximately 15% are wild relatives of crop species and weeds. Among other obvious gaps, minor crops and underutilized species are underrepresented in these collections, particularly primitive cultivars and wild relatives from the centers of origin, diversity, and cultivation. To date, only a third of all gene bank accessions have been fully characterized.

Genetic diversity of the African hexaploid species Solanum scabrum Mill. and Solanum nigrum L. (Solanaceae)

“…Genetic diversity in S. scabrum Molecular markers (AFLP) have been used successfully to elucidate genetic diversity within crops and their wild relatives, and between accessions of cultivated or semi-cultivated plants from different geographical or ecological areas, and as basis for selection and for conservation of genetic diversity (Dehmer 2001;Hammer et al 2003;Lanteri and Barcaccia 2005;Mace et al 1999;Muluvi et al 1999;McGregor et al 2002;Perera et al 1998;Potokina et al 2002;Shan et al 2005;Vergara and Bughrara 2003;de Vicente et al 2005). The present study applies AFLPs to study the genetic diversity in S. scabrum and its relationship to geographical provenance, morphological differences and the possible existence of subspecies.…”

Morphological Characterization of Mango (Mangifera indica L.) Germplasm Using DUS Testing

“…Characterization of germplasm is essential to maximize its utility (Rubenstein et al, 2006) and foster efficient ex-situ conservation (Hammer et al, 2003 andDe Vicente et al, 2006). The evaluation of morphological and agronomic characters can provide relevant information on yield and quality traits, as well as other information of great interest to breeders, such as descriptions of available variation and estimates of trait heritability (Anumalla et al, 2015).…”

Molecular analysis of temporal genetic structuring in pea (Pisum sativum L.) cultivars bred in the Czech Republic and in former Czechoslovakia since the mid-20th century

“…While the number of species per unit area of agricultural land is lower than in most of the natural ecosystems, agriculture has also produced amazing genetic diversity (some species with more than hundred thousand varieties) (Hammer et al 2003). In the case of pea (Pisum sativum L.) being domesticated about 10 000 years ago (Ambrose 1995; Ellis 2011), followed by centuries of selection and breeding, this process resulted in thousands of varieties, many of which have survived and are maintained in numerous germplasm collections worldwide (Smýkal et al 2011).…”