Future Perspectives

Abstract

To face challenges of food and nutritional security of ever-growing human population and the challenges of the present scenario of climate change and to improve over the narrow genetic base of crops that has caused around 75% crop losses in the twentieth century would require engineering of new sustainable and productive cultivars in the twenty-first century. This would need access to wider genetic diversity of genetic resources and application of advanced breeding technologies to accelerate the process of crop improvement. This should include increasing use of wild genetic diversity, particularly those of the wild relatives of crop/cultivated species in crop improvement. However, it is globally recognized that biodiversity is at risk from multiple threats, including climate change. The genetic diversity contained in plant genetic resources of a cultivated species, particularly among wild species that are related to crops, is under threat. It is threatening the opportunities and the ability to respond to the new stresses in the changing agricultural environment. Therefore, there is strong reason to understand and develop knowledge about the genetic value of the wild relatives, to embark upon their collection, conservation, characterization, and evaluation, promoting their use in breeding program. This will enable facilitated access to new and more evolved genetic variation, in addition to the one found in the plants of the crop/cultivated species, against the various biotic and abiotic stresses, for nutritional quality and other desired traits.