Crop Wild Relatives

Results of the first genetic diversity assessment of Philippine eggplant germplasm collection consisting of accessions of Solanum melongena L. and related wild species using morphological traits and molecular markers is reported in this paper. Thirty-two accessions, representing 30% of the available collection of local landraces, improved cultivars and crop wild relatives (CWR) held in the national genebank were differentiated based on 39 morphological trait descriptors and 41 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. Ten out of the 39 morphological traits accounted for high phenotypic differences among the accessions. SSR polymorphism survey revealed that 33 out of the 41 SSR primer pairs (80.48%) detected variation among the accessions and the number of alleles ranged from 2 to 8 with a mean of 4.3 alleles per marker. The morphological trait and SSR data were analyzed as separate and combined data sets using principal component analysis (PCA) and unweighted pair-group method with arit...

Abstrakt Domácí ovoce ve starých sadech, zahradách, alejích, v intravilánu obcí a v roztroušené zeleni ve venkovské krajině představuje velmi různorodé nemovité kulturní bohatství. Zejména tato roztroušená zeleň dává zvlněné české krajině osobitý ráz. Informace z historických pramenů posloužily pro jejich vyhledávání v terénu. Byla prováděna inventarizace historického a současného výskytu a pěstování krajových odrůd v ČR. Výsledkem terénního výzkumu je zdrojová database, která byla využita pro mapování výsadeb a stromů za jednotlivé druhy a odrůdy ovocných dřevin ve formátu ArcGIS. Abstract Local fruits in old orchards, gardens, roadside plantations, in villages and in scattered rural country represent very diverse immovable cultural heritage. Especially the scattered plantations give the undulated Czech countryside its typical character. Historical literature data served for their localisation in the country. Inventory of historical and current distribution of landraces was provided for the Czech Republic. The result of field research is a database, that was a source for mapping of landraces, species and cultivars of fruit woody plants in the ArcGIS format.

Introduction Tomato (Solanum lycopersicon Mill.) is the second most important vegetable crops of Peru-Ecuador origin after potato. Ripe fresh fruits are consumed as salads, stew and various processed products such as juice, paste, powder, ketchup, sauce and canned whole fruits [1]. Unripe green fruits are used for preparation of pickles and chutney [1, 2]. Nutritionally, tomato is a good source of vitamin A and vitamin C [3] Fruits are also a good source of lycopene, ascorbic acid and ß-carotene, all of which are antioxidants and valued for their colour and flavour. For successful crop improvement programme, information on the nature and magnitude of genetic variability, degree of transmission of the traits is of immense importance [4]. The variability available in the population can be partitioned into heritable and non heritable component viz., phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation, heritability and genetic advance on which selection can be effectively carried out. The relative values of these types of coefficients give an idea about magnitude of variability present in the genetic population [5]. High phenotypic and genotypic co efficient of variation values indicates the presence of ample variation among the germplasm under study and felicitates the selection of desirable genotypes for improving the particular character [1]. However, presence of sufficient variation is not enough unless the character is additively inherent. Heritability and genetic advance are important selection parameters. High heritability alone is not enough for rewarding selection, unless accompanied by substantial amount of genetic advance [6]. High

Vanilla is the most well-known and economically important genus of Orchidaceae in the world. Vanilla
bahiana is restricted to Brazil and its conservation status was recently assessed as ‘Endangered’. The species is
phylogenetically closely related to V. planifolia, whose pods are the main natural source of vanillin. The primary
desirable traits for vanilla production are high fruit set and great resistance to abiotic stress. High temperatures (>
32ºC) and heavy rain favor fungal infection, and thus are indirectly responsible for fruit drop by V. planifolia in
cultivation. The aim of the present study was to follow the process of pod ripening of V. bahiana in a restinga fragment
in an Environmental Protection Area of Bahia State, and to highlight implications for vanilla crop improvement.
Fieldwork was carried out from April 2016 to January 2017. A total of nine manual self-pollinations and nine
manual cross-pollinations were successfully carried out. Fruit length, diameter and girth were recorded every two
weeks. Fruit permanence in the infrutescence was measured as consecutive days from pollination. Descriptive
statistics were calculated and Pearson correlation analysis performed among all attributes per pollination method.
The influence of temperature and rainfall was also analyzed. Pod measurements and fruit permanence in the
infrutescence were higher for cross-pollination than self-pollination. Higher rainfall results in fruit drop. The use
of V. bahiana in breeding efforts for the genus is here strongly suggested and supported by previously published
studies that allowed us to highlight several desirable traits: vanillin production, its wide geographical distribution and
occurrence in a variety of habitats; substantial populations; resistance to conditions of drought and high luminosity
and temperature; extensive blooming period; high number of flowers per raceme; possible synchronised flowering
with V. planifolia, and fruiting throughout the year. These prospects are promising and should be further evaluated,
not only for V. bahiana but for other vanilla crop wild relatives. Studies of pollination ecology can be used to set
guidelines for the conservation of the V. planifolia group and to encourage the development of strategies to increase
the production of fruit and, consequently, vanillin for its culinary uses and medical applications.

Faced with pressing climatic changes, scientific and industrial interests are vying to
develop crops that can survive drought, floods and shifting pest regimes.
Increasingly, they look for solutions in an unlikely place: the gene pools of wild
plants. Crop wild relatives (CWR) – species closely related to crops, including their
ancestors – offer breeders the allure of retracing the domestication bottleneck,
infusing genomes of modern crops with ‘lost’ genetic variety. Yet wild relatives also
confront threats from climate change, urbanization and expansion of industrial agrifood. Thus, CWR, seen as both salvational and threatened, have become an
international conservation and food-security priority. It is my contention that, in their
common project to harness wild-relative potential, conservation and breeding science
are co-evolving to extend seed commodity relations into new spheres. I examine
enclosures along two fronts: first within ‘systematic CWR conservation’, where ‘in
situ’ approaches, typically regarded as empowering and sustainable alternatives to ‘ex
situ’, instead may support a complementary system of value extraction; second, in
breeding and biotechnology research, which produces new value for CWR while
profoundly shaping upstream conservation priorities. An important finding is that
although today’s ‘ex situ-centric’ complementarity favors dispossession, an ‘in situ-centric’ approach could foster democratic renewal of biocultural diversity.

Main idea of the proposed project was to conduct inventory and develop
recommendations and management principles of conservation and sustainable use of crop wild
relatives (CWR) in Samtskhe-Javakheti region. This work was done by GSNE “Orchis” in the
framework of the project “Conservation and sustainable use of crop wild relatives in Samtskhe-
Javakheti”, which is part of the ELKANA agrobiodiversity program funded by GEF/UNDP.
The importance of this project is determined by ability of CWR to exchange genes with
the crops. CWR germplasm is used to improve production and food quality of cultivars
originated previously due to domestication of crop ancestor species. CWRs have already made
substantial contributions to improving food production through the useful genes that they
contribute to new crop varieties. They have provided resistance to pests and diseases in a wide
range of crops. The genes that come from CWR and other wild plants make a direct contribution
to increased human wellbeing through improving agricultural production and maintaining
sustainable agroecosystems. Therefore, the effective conservation and sustainable use of CWRs
are essential elements for increasing food security, eliminating poverty and maintaining a healthy
environment.

Results of the first genetic diversity assessment of Philippine eggplant germplasm collection consisting of
accessions of Solanum melongena L. and related wild species using morphological traits and molecular markers is
reported in this paper. Thirty-two accessions, representing 30% of the available collection of local landraces,
improved cultivars and crop wild relatives (CWR) held in the national genebank were differentiated based on 39
morphological trait descriptors and 41 Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) markers. Ten out of the 39 morphological
traits accounted for high phenotypic differences among the accessions. SSR polymorphism survey revealed that 33
out of the 41 SSR primer pairs (80.48%) detected variation among the accessions and the number of alleles ranged
from 2 to 8 with a mean of 4.3 alleles per marker. The morphological trait and SSR data were analyzed as separate
and combined data sets using principal component analysis (PCA) and unweighted pair-group method with
arithmetic averages (UPGMA) cluster analysis. Similar results were obtained from the 3 data sets. Landraces,
cultivars and crop wild relatives (CWR) were clearly differentiated. However, analysis of all 3 data sets did not
distinguish the S. melongena landraces based on geographic areas of collection. CWRs were the most diverse group,
followed by the landraces, while the improved cultivars were the least diverse. This study provided significant
information for the need to increase the present eggplant collection and to widen the genetic diversity of currently
cultivated eggplant varieties in the Philippines.

The brinjal eggplant, Solanum melongena L. is an economically significant crop, cultivated across much of the world. The taxonomic history of the brinjal eggplant complex has nevertheless presented us with a profusion of misidentifications and nomenclatural difficulties, as well as a complex puzzle of synonymous names. As a result, a consistent and workable system of classification for this important group has so far been lacking. This has had significant implications for the assessment of the genetic resources of this crop. Furthermore, the interpretation of genomic data generated by molecular marker analysis has often been compromised by the lack of a reliable taxonomic framework, and our understanding of the phylogeny and domestication of the brinjal eggplant may consequently have been limited. A survey of previous studies based on a wide range of methodologies, including the most recent genomic analyses, is given in this paper. Based on the morphological and ecogeographical assessment of around 2500 herbarium specimens, an updated and simplified taxonomic scheme for the brinjal eggplant complex is proposed. It consists of four species which include wild relatives from Africa and the Middle East, wild and semi-cultivated relatives from South and Southeast Asia, landraces from South and Southeast Asia, and modern cultivars grown worldwide.

Recently I came across a reference to a paper I gave at the 1986 Second Tucson Basin  Conference. My first thought was, "That one was pretty good, I wish I had written it up". I vaguely remember showing a lot of slides of crop - wild relatives in the Arizona - Sonoran Borderlands and talking about levels of Human - Plant Interactions. Turns out I did write it up. In many ways this is a mid-career summary paper, talking about things I had been thinking about up to that point that I still use in my approach to archaeological plant remains.

Recent Research On Tucson Basin Prehistory: Proceedings of the Second Tucson Basin Conference. William H. Doelle, Paul R. Fish, Linda Gregonis (1988) pp. 47- 56, Institute for American Research Anthropological Papers No. 10, Tucson.
https://core.tdar.org/document/56677/recent-research-on-tucson-basin-prehistory-proceedings-of-the-second-tucson-basin-conference

Crop wild relatives, the progenitors and kin of domesticated crop species, promise breeders a potent weapon against climate change. Having evolved outside the pampered environs of farms, wild relatives tend to be more rugged to survive temperature, salt, floods, and drought—all the extremes characteristic of a warming planet. But who will benefit from re-wilded crops? What kinds of agricultural systems will they tend to support? And can wild relatives be protected before they are lost under pavement, desertification, and expanding industrial farms? In this essay, I explore different visions of conservation and use for crop wild relatives. With CWR valued at an estimated $115–120 billion to the global economy annually, many researchers suggest ancient germplasm can be harnessed to feed billions in a warming world. Others look more closely at ancient customs and farmer knowledge that have long promoted conservation of wild species within and around cultivated landscapes. By intentionally planting crops at field borders, farmers also perform “in vivo” breeding. I conclude that wild relatives hold much potential to reinfuse diversity into eroded crop gene pools, providing greater systemic resilience. But unless we consider who controls seeds, intellectual property, and wild and agricultural lands, CWR innovations will only prop up an agriculture that ultimately undercuts crop and wild relative renewal.

The application of the various criteria for selection of crop wild relative species led to a list of 96 flowering plant species belongs to 43 genera and 20 families in Balaghat Ranges. Of them 10 species are relatives of pulses, 15 species of oil and fiber crops, 26 species are food and fodder crops, 27 species are vegetables, 7 species are fruit crops and 11 species are relatives of other useful crops. In order to establish some estimate of the degree of relatedness between crops and their wild relatives in Balaghat Ranges of Maharashtra adopted gene pool concept of Harlan and de Wet and Maxted et al., classification. Out of 96 CWR species, about 19 CWR species fall into gene pool-1b category, 10 into gene pool-2 category, 4 into gene pool-3 category, 6 into taxon group-1b, 3 into taxon group-2, 8 into taxon group-3 and 46 into taxon group-4. In addition to this, information on distribution, life form, economic types and threat assessment is provided in present paper. The present study will be helpful for future target collections and conservation to serve as reference for management of genetic resources.

Crop wild relatives are a reservoir of phenotypic
variation not present in the germplasm of cultivated
species and thus have great potential for
crop improvement. However, issues of genetic
compatibility often interfere with effective utilization
of crop wild relative taxa. Among chickpea
(Cicer arietinum L.) crop wild relatives, Cicer
echinospermum P.H. Davis is the sole species
in the secondary genepool, being partially compatible
with the primary genepool that is composed
of the cultigen and its progenitor wild
species Cicer reticulatum Ladizinksy. We report
results from genetic studies among interspecific
hybrids between cultivated chickpea and
accessions from six recently identified wild C.
echinospermum sites in southeastern Turkey,
encompassing the known genetic diversity of
the secondary genepool. Our studies indicate
that both hybrid sterility and hybrid breakdown
occur and are associated with distinct subgroups
of C. echinospermum. Analysis of earlygeneration
progenies suggests that both hybrid
sterility and hybrid breakdown are conditioned
by one to few genetic loci. These results clarify
ambiguity in the nature of the hybridization barriers
of reduced fertility in interspecific crossing
of cultivated chickpea with C. echinospermum
and should foster a more systematic and wider
use of C. echinospermum for base broadening
of cultivated chickpea.

Χρησιμοποιώντας μία μη-παραδοσιακή, μαθητο-κεντρική μέθοδο «Εκπαίδευσης Βάσει Αποτελεσμάτων» και τη διερευνητική τεχνική (γνωστή στην φιλοσοφία της εκπαίδευσης ως κονστρουκτιβισμός), προτείνονται δραστηριότητες μαθητών Γυμνασίου-Λυκείου με μαθησιακούς στόχους: 1) κατανόηση-αναγνώριση φυτογενετικών πόρων για την γεωργία-διατροφή και την σημαντικότητα τους, 2) αναγνώριση κοινών εδώδιμων αυτοφυών φυτικών ειδών στην φύση, 3) αλλαγή στάσεων και συμπεριφορών.
Το πλάνο του μαθήματος αποτελείται από το θεωρητικό (Δράση 1) και πρακτικό μέρος (Δράση 2). Στην Δράση 1, συγκεντρώνονται υλικά και τρόφιμα και διερευνάται η σύνδεση/γενετική προέλευση των καλλιεργούμενων φυτικών ειδών από το φυσικό περιβάλλον. Στην Δράση 2, οι εκπαιδευόμενοι χρησιμοποιώντας μία «κλείδα αναγνώρισης», εντοπίζουν εδώδιμα φυτικά είδη στο πεδίο. Τα φυτά που επιλέχθηκαν για τις δραστηριότητες, μπορούν να χαρακτηριστούν ως «εδώδιμα ζιζάνια» και αντιπροσωπεύουν ορισμένα από κυριότερα γένη των άγριων συγγενικών ειδών τα οποία έχουν διατροφική αξία για τον άνθρωπο.
Η παρούσα εργασία θα αποτελεί ένα πλάνο μαθήματος για τους μαθητές Γυμνασίου-Λυκείου, ώστε να αναπτύξουν ικανότητες, να ευαισθητοποιηθούν για το περιβάλλον και να αντιληφθούν ότι μεταξύ επιστημών, μερικές φορές με αντίθετους στόχους/σκοπούς (γεωπονία, βοτανική, τεχνολογία τροφίμων), υπάρχει «χρυσή τομή».

Effective assessments of the current status of biodiversity conservation are needed to support planning, policy and action, from local to global levels. Of particular use would be well documented, reproducible methods based on openly accessible data and tools. Such methods should provide an accurate estimate of the state of conservation of diversity, identifying gaps in current conservation systems, while providing a benchmark against which to measure success, including determining when conservation goals have been met. Here we introduce GapAnalysis, an open source R package developed to support the assessment of the state of conservation of taxa, both ex situ (in genebanks, botanic gardens and other repositories) and in situ (in protected natural areas). The eco‐geographic variation maintained in conservation repositories and that present within protected natural areas is compared with the full extent of eco‐geographic variation predicted within species' native ranges. Eco‐geographic conservation gaps are identified, and taxa are then prioritized for further action. The package enables users to quickly determine conservation status, gaps and priorities for as few as one to as many as thousands of taxa, for any wild flora or fauna for which occurrence data and species distribution models are available. To demonstrate the use of GapAnalysis, we provide case studies for wild plant taxa in the genera Capsicum L. and Cucurbita L, with an accompanying online R tutorial for three of the Cucurbita species.

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Agave angustifolia, o chelem, es el único maguey silvestre de la Península de Yucatán y es el ancestro de especies domesticadas de gran valor económico y cultural. Presta importantes servicios ambientales como recurso alimenticio para la fauna, fijación de suelos arenosos y captura de carbono en ambientes áridos con suelos pobres. Es un cultivo potencial de cara al aumento de las sequías predichas para la región y del empobrecimiento genético del henequén. El objetivo de este trabajo es recabar datos sobre la densidad de sus poblaciones, su patrón espacial, estructura poblacional y la relación entre su abundancia y los factores ambientales en el matorral costero de Yucatán, con el fin de evaluar su uso en la restauración ecológica.Métodos: Se muestrearon tres localidades costeras: Chuburná (Ch), San Benito (SB) y Río Lagartos (RL). En SB y RL se trazaron 36 cuadrantes de 4 m2; dentro de cada uno se estimó el porcentaje de cobertura de Agave angustifolia, el...

Mapping ancient Little Barley in time and space for the last 10,000 years. Text, spreadsheet, and references to accompany the Little Barley Map. Link to animated map https://www.academia.edu/video/kpbRP1

We would welcome any suggestions for places to publish this study; one that could handle video, text, and supplemental information.

One reviewer has already pointed out that we tended to rely on secondary references. This was only a matter of expediency, and hopefully the secondaries will lead you to the primaries.

Updated versions will be posted as suggestions come in.

Comments from the Discussion Session (which are normally hidden from readers after the discussion session closes) were uploaded 4 Dec 2021. We appreciate all those comments.

3/21/2024 update. Spreadsheet for Archaeological Barley Measurements uploaded

Crop wild relatives are valuable genetic resources for crop improvement. Knowledge gaps, including with regard to taxonomy, distributions, and characterization for traits of interest constrain their use in plant breeding. These deficiencies also affect conservation planning, both with regard to in situ habitat protection, and further collection of novel diversity for ex situ maintenance.
Here we model the potential ranges of all 16 known wild cucurbit taxa (Cucurbita L.), use ecogeographic information to infer their potential adaptations to abiotic stresses, and assess their ex situ and in situ conservation status.
The taxa occur from the central USA to Central America, plus two South American species. Predicted taxon richness was highest in central Mexico and in the western borderlands between Mexico and the USA. We find substantial ecogeographic variation both across taxa and among populations within taxa, with regard to low temperatures, high and low precipitation, and other adaptations of potential interest for crop breeding.
We categorize 13 of the taxa medium priority for further conservation as a combination of the ex situ and in situ assessments, two low priority, and one sufficiently conserved. Further action across the distributions of the taxa, with emphasis on taxonomic richness hotspots, is needed to comprehensively conserve wild Cucurbita populations.

Mentha is a strongly scented herb of the Lamiaceae (formerly Labiatae) and includes about 30 species and hybrid species that are distributed or introduced throughout the globe. These fragrant plants have been selected throughout millennia for use by humans as herbs, spices, and pharmaceutical needs. The distilling of essential oils from mint began in Japan and England but has become a significant industrial product for the US, China, India, and other countries. The US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Agricultural Research Service, National Clonal Germplasm Repository (NCGR) maintains a mint genebank in Corvallis, Oregon. This facility preserves and distributes about 450 clones representing 34 taxa, hybrid species, advanced breeder selections, and F1 hybrids. Mint crop wild relatives are included in this unique resource. The majority of mint accessions and hybrids in this collection were initially donated in the 1970s by the A.M. Todd Company, located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Other representatives of diverse mint taxa and crop wild relatives have since been obtained from collaborators in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and Vietnam. These mints have been evaluated for cytology, oil components, verticillium wilt resistance, and key morphological characters. Pressed voucher specimens have been prepared for morphological identity verification. An initial set of microsatellite markers has been developed to determine clonal identity and assess genetic diversity. Plant breeders at private and public institutions are using molecular analysis to determine identity and diversity of the USDA mint collection. Evaluation and characterization includes essential oil content, disease resistance, male sterility, and other traits for potential breeding use. These accessions can be a source for parental genes for enhancement efforts to produce hybrids, or for breeding new cultivars for agricultural production. Propagules of Mentha are available for distribution to international researchers as stem cuttings, rhizome cuttings, or seed, which can be requested through the GRIN-Global database of the US National Plant Germplasm System, subject to international treaty and quarantine regulations.

Aim: To fill critical knowledge gaps with regard to the distributions and conservation status of the wild relatives of chile peppers (Capsicum L.). Location: The study covered the potential native ranges of currently recognized wild Capsicum taxa, throughout the Americas. Methods: We modelled the potential distributions of 37 wild taxa in the genus, characterized their ecogeographic niches, assessed their ex situ and in situ conservation status, and performed preliminary threat assessments. Results: We categorize 18 of the taxa as "high priority" for further conservation action as a consequence of a combination of their ex situ and in situ assessments, 17 as "medium priority," and two as "low priority." Priorities for resolving gaps in ex situ conservation were determined to be high for 94.6%, and medium or high with regard to increased habitat protection for 64.9% of the taxa. The preliminary threat

The North American crop wild relatives (CWR) of lettuce (Lactuca L.) represent an underexplored pool of genetic diversity of potential value to breeding programs. The 10 species belong to three different groups: a native clade including at least six allotetraploid species [L. biennis (Moench) Fernald, L. canadensis L., L. floridana (L.) Gaertn., L. graminifolia Michx., L. hirsuta Muhl. ex Nutt., and L. ludoviciana (Nutt.) Riddell], a diploid clade with one species [L. tatarica (L.) C. A. Mey. subsp. pulchella (Pursh) Stebbins], and a clade related to the cultivated taxon (L. sativa L.) with three non-native species (L. saligna L., L. serriola L., and L. virosa L.). In this review, we examine the role of herbarium and genebank holdings in taxonomic and other foundational studies, as well as for germplasm exploration and use. We compile the state of knowledge on the ranges of lettuce CWR in North America, modeling the potential distributions of the species and assessing their ex situ and (for native species) in situ conservation status. We categorize seven of the species as high priority for further conservation and three as medium priority, with none currently considered low priority or sufficiently conserved. Further, we review morphological, phenological, genetic diversity, and pest and disease information with regard to North American species. We conclude by outlining the critical gaps and describing a way forward for addressing challenges in the conservation and use of North American wild lettuce germplasm.

© 2010 IFVC Summary: Vavilovia ( Vavilovia formosa (Stev.) Fed.) belongs to the tribe Fabeae along with peas, vetchlings, vetches and lentils. It prefers high mountain areas in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Russia, Syria and Turkey. A true success in the ex situ conservation has recently been achieved, within the display plot Flora and Vegetation of Armenia in the Yerevan Botanic Garden. The hybridization between vavilovia and other Fabeae was done in the N. I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry with F 1 seeds and F 1 plants that did not produce the next generation. The recent molecular research showed that vavilovia belongs to a Lathyrus-Pisum-Vavilovia clade with a clearly distinct status.

Crop wild relatives native to the United States have proved useful as genetic resources in breeding more productive, nutritious, and resilient crops. Their utilization is expected to increase with better information about the species and improving breeding tools. But this utilization may be constrained by their limited representation in genebanks and the ongoing loss of wild populations to habitat modification, invasive species, pollution, over-collecting, and climate change. We report on a series of related initiatives contributing to conservation of crop wild relatives in the United States. An inventory of wild relatives has documented taxa related to a broad range of food, forage and feed, medicinal, ornamental, and industrial crops. Valuable species are threatened in the wild, and few accessions of these taxa are currently conserved ex situ. Potential distribution models based on historical occurrence information are clarifying where the species diversity of wild relatives is likely to be concentrated, and a gap analysis methodology is facilitating efforts to identify those taxa and geographic areas of particular conservation concern. A novel collaboration between the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service and USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is making progress studying, collecting for genebank conservation, and protecting in situ a number of crop wild relative species. We discuss the value of broadening partnerships between agencies and aligning with ongoing regional and international initiatives to conserve, research, and utilize crop wild relative diversity.

Grunden för mänsklig civilisation utgörs av växterna och deras produkter. Alla idag odlade växter kommer en gång från  det vilda. Vår framtid står och faller med hur vi  förvaltar dessa livsviktiga resurser. Vi som har skrivit artikeln representerar olika myndigheter och organisationer och menar att det är dags för Sverige att utarbeta en hållbar strategi för kultur - växternas vilda släktingar. Detta är ett första steg i den processen.

The glutenin and gliadin characteristics of wheat germplasm have a potential value and understanding the allelic distribution in glutenin and gliadin loci is very important for any wheat breeding program. In the present study, we reported the allelic status at Glu-A3 and Gli-A2 loci among a set of 40 accessions of T. boeoticum and T. urartu collected from different regions of Iran, based on diagnostic polymerase chain reaction assays. With respect to Gli-A2, 93% of the accessions carried a 210 bp allele. However, 5 and 13% of the accessions carried two new alleles with size of 490 and 700 bp, respectively. For Glu-A3 gene, 11 allelic variants were detected using the locus-specific primers set Glu-A3.1, which among them nine alleles identified as new alleles. Distribution of alleles in different origins and species showed high frequency in some of alleles in accessions of T. boeoticum than T. urartu species. In general, we characterized nine new alleles for Glu-A3 as well as two new alleles for Gli

Crop wild relatives-the wild cousins of cultivated plants-are increasingly recognized for their potential to contribute to the productivity, nutritional quality and sustainability of agricultural crops. However, the use of these genetic resources is dependent upon their conservation in genebanks and consequent availability to plant breeders, the status of which has not been comprehensively analyzed in Australia. Such conservation assessments are given urgency by reports of increasing threats to natural populations due to habitat destruction, climate change, and invasive species, among other causes. Here we document Australian wild plants related to important food crops, and outline their priorities for ex situ conservation. Given that no major domesticated food plants originated in the country, Australia's native flora of crop wild relatives is surprisingly rich, including potentially valuable cousins of banana, eggplant, melon, mung bean, pigeonpea, rice, sorghum, sweetpotato, soybean, and yam. Species richness of the wild relatives of major food crops is concentrated in the northern and northeastern tropical regions, in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, and Queensland. Geographic priorities for collecting of these taxa for ex situ conservation, due to the limited representation of their populations in genebanks, largely align with areas of high species richness. Proposed dam building and agricultural expansion in northern Australia make conservation action for these species more urgent. We outline key steps needed for enhancing the ex situ conservation of Australia's heritage of major food crop wild relatives, and discuss the critical activities required to increase their use.

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Agave angustifolia, o chelem, es el único maguey silvestre de la Península de Yucatán y es el ancestro de especies domesticadas de gran valor económico y cultural. Presta importantes servicios ambientales como recurso alimenticio para la fauna, fijación de suelos arenosos y captura de carbono en ambientes áridos con suelos pobres. Es un cultivo potencial de cara al aumento de las sequías predichas para la región y del empobrecimiento genético del henequén. El objetivo de este trabajo es recabar datos sobre la densidad de sus poblaciones, su patrón espacial, estructura poblacional y la relación entre su abundancia y los factores ambientales en el matorral costero de Yucatán, con el fin de evaluar su uso en la restauración ecológica. Métodos: Se muestrearon tres localidades costeras: Chuburná (Ch), San Benito (SB) y Río Lagartos (RL). En SB y RL se trazaron 36 cuadrantes de 4 m2; dentro de cada uno se estimó el porcentaje de cobertura de Agave angustifolia, e...

The development of endophyte inoculants for agricultural crops has been bedevilled by the twin problems of a lack of reliability and consistency, with a consequent lack of belief among end users in the efficacy of such treatments. We have developed a successful research pipeline for the production of a reliable, consistent and environmentally targeted fungal endophyte seed-delivered inoculant for barley cultivars. Our approach was developed de novo from an initial concept to source candidate endophyte inoculants from a wild relative of barley, Hordeum murinum (wall barley). A careful screening and selection procedure and extensive controlled environment testing of fungal endophyte strains, followed by multi-year field trials has resulted in the validation of an endophyte consortium suitable for barley crops grown on relatively dry sites. Our approach can be adapted for any crop or environment, provided that the set of first principles we have developed is followed. Here, we report h...

Aim
To fill knowledge gaps regarding the distributions, ecogeographic niches and conservation status of sorghum's wild relatives (Sorghum Moench).

Location
The study covered the potential native ranges of wild Sorghum taxa worldwide, including Australia, New Guinea, Asia, Africa and Central America.

Methods
We modelled the distributions of 23 wild Sorghum taxa, characterized their ecogeographic niches, assessed their conservation status both ex situ and in situ and performed preliminary threat assessments.

Results
Three taxa were categorized as “high priority” for further conservation based on their ex situ and in situ assessments, with a further 19 as “medium priority” and only one as “low priority”. The preliminary threat assessment indicated that 12 taxa may be Endangered, four Vulnerable and four Near Threatened. The taxa fill a wide range of climatic niches, both across and within taxa, including temperatures and precipitation.

Main conclusions
Taxon richness hotspots, especially in northern Australia, represent hotspots for conservation action, including further seed collection and habitat protection, with Sorghum macrospermum E. D. Garber being the highest priority for increased in situ protection. Outside Australia, Sorghum propinquum (Kunth) Hitchc. stands out for further ex situ conservation, especially given its close relationship to the crop.

Extrafloral (EF) nectar is the foundation of many ant-plant interactions worldwide. EF nectar is a resource that encourages ant presence, in turn resulting in protection for plants against herbivores. There is a paucity of research on this relationship and the plant structures that underpin it in Australian species. An examination of the morphology and anatomy of EF nectaries of four Australian cottons (Gossypium spp.) revealed a suberised layer in the nectaries which indicates solutes must travel through the symplasm. ¹⁴CO₂ labelling showed the studied leaves were carbon sources and the EF nectar carbon cost was 1% of net photosynthates.

    Any environmental changes that affect EF nectar could have flow-on effects for ecological communities, for example rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels. This study tested the response of EF nectar to elevated CO₂; the first investigation of elevated CO₂ impacts on any EF nectar system. The total volume and composition of EF nectar did not change, but there was evidence of accelerated plant development and a change in EF nectar allocation within plants. Developmental changes due to elevated CO₂ could affect the timing of EF nectar production which could have flow-on effects to ant mutualists and the defence of plants.

Crops and wild relatives of Apiaceae, Brassicaceae, Chenopodiaceae, Poaceae and Rosaceae familes: first
results for Umbria Region (Central Italy) – Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) are wild plant taxa more or less closely related to
species of direct socio-economic importance and that have an indirect use for their genetic relationship to a crop. They possess
traits, such as biotic and abiotic stress resistance or valuable characteristics from a qualitative point of view, that can
be bred into crops to address the environmental and market demand changes. For these reasons they are a valuable part of
biodiversity although they are generally neglected by conservation policies and actions. European CWR are currently suffering
erosion and extinction and, considered that they are generally neglected by conservation policies, it is crucial to set up a
conservation strategy for them. There are more than 12,500 native species to Europe, but information about CWR species
distribution and conservation status is almost completely lacking. To create European and national CWR lists is the first step
to be able to protect them. This work was carried out within the frame of the project “Novel characterization of crop wild
relative and landrace resources as a basis for improved crop breeding” (PGR secure, 2011-2013 EC FP-KBBE- 2010-103
GA n. 266394) aimed at producing an Italian CWR list and conservation strategy. In this context, we initially analysed a
large amount of CWR floristic and phytosociological literature relative to Umbria and central Italy surveys. The surveys are
equally distributed in both protected (National Park as Monti Sibillini and Regional Natural Parks as Trasimeno Lake, Mount
Cucco and Mount Subasio) and non-protected areas, in habitats like the road margins or the cultivated areas. The work was
initially focused on the CWR belonging to Aegopodium, Apium, Avena, Beta, Brassica, Helosciadium, Petroselinum, Prunus
and Smyrnium genera for which many cultivated forms of great economic importance exist. According to the reviewed
literature, 1 species of Aegopodium, 1 species of Apium, 1 species of Helosciadium, 1 species of Petroselinum, 1 species
of Smyrnium, 5 of Avena, 2 of Beta, 4 of Brassica and 10 of Prunus are recorded in the area of Umbria (Central Italy). The
less mentioned taxa are: Brassica gravinae Ten, B. rapa L., Prunus armeniaca L., P. domestica L. subsp. domestica and P.
domestica L. subsp. insititia (L.) Bonnier & Layens. The most represented species are: Avena barbata Pott ex Link, A. fatua
L., Prunus avium L., P. mahaleb L. and P. spinosa L. The actual presence of the identified species and of their populations
will be assessed through surveys in the mentioned sites. The next step will be to hierarchize the territorial grid according to
the species record density and to cross these data with the land use, in order to outline a model which can point out the most
CWR-rich landscapes.

This study provides conservation assessments for 600 US native plants that are wild relatives of important agricultural crops. We found that more than one-half of the species may be endangered in their natural habitats, and that the great majority require further conservation action, both ex situ (in gene banks and botanical gardens) and in situ (in protected areas). Diversity hotspots across the nation represent focal regions for further collecting for ex situ conservation as well as for enhanced habitat protection. Wider collaborations, as well as greater awareness, access to, and information about these resources are needed to bolster their conservation and use.

Crop wild relatives, the wild progenitors and closely related cousins of cultivated plant species, are sources of valuable genetic resources for crop improvement. Persisting gaps in knowledge of taxonomy, distributions, and characterization for traits of interest constrain their expanded use in plant breeding and likewise negatively affect ex situ (in genebanks) and in situ (in natural habitats) conservation planning. We compile the state of knowledge on the taxonomy and distributions of the wild relatives of carrot (genus Daucus L.) natively occurring within Tunisia-a hotspot of diversity of the genus, containing 13 taxa (27% of species worldwide). We use ecogeographic information to characterize their potential adaptations to abiotic stresses of interest in crop breeding and assess their ex situ and in situ conservation status. We find substantial ecogeographic variation both across taxa and between populations within taxa, with regard to adaptation to high temperatures, low precipitation, and other traits of potential interest. We categorize three of the taxa high priority for further conservation both ex situ and in situ, five medium priority, and five low priority, with none currently considered sufficiently conserved. Geographic hotspots for species diversity, especially in the northern coastal areas, represent particularly high value regions for efficient further collecting for ex situ conservation and for in situ protection in Tunisia.

Crop Wild Relatives of sweetpotato [Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam., I. series Batatas] have the potential to contribute to breeding objectives for this important root crop. Uncertainty in regard to species boundaries and their phylogenetic relationships, the limited availability of germplasm with which to perform crosses, and the difficulty of introgression of genes from wild species has constrained their utilization. Here, we compile geographic occurrence data on relevant sweetpotato wild relatives and produce potential distribution models for the species. We then assess the comprehensiveness of ex situ germplasm collections, contextualize these results with research and breeding priorities, and use ecogeographic information to identify species with the potential to contribute desirable agronomic traits. The fourteen species that are considered the closest wild relatives of sweetpotato generally occur from the central United States to Argentina, with richness concentrated in Mesoamerica...

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are a rich source of genetic diversity for crop improvement. Combining ecogeographic and phylogenetic techniques can inform both conservation and breeding. Geographic occurrence, bioclimatic, and biophysical data were used to predict species distributions, range overlap and niche occupancy in 36 taxa closely related to sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.). Taxa lacking comprehensive ex situ conservation were identified. The predicted distributions for 36 Helianthus taxa identified substantial range overlap, range asymmetry and niche conservatism. Specific taxa (e.g., Helianthus deblis Nutt., Helianthus anomalus Blake, and Helianthus divaricatus L.) were identified as targets for traits of interest, particularly for abiotic stress tolerance, and adaptation to extreme soil properties. The combination of techniques demonstrates the potential for publicly available ecogeographic and phylogenetic data to facilitate the identification of possible sources of abiotic s...