Abstract
The genus Arachis has 80 diploid, aneuploid and tetraploid species that have been separated into nine sections. The cultivated peanut Arachis hypogaea L. is an allotetraploid that originated from the two diploids in section Arachis, and there has been no apparent introgression from related wild species since its origin. Systematic acquisition of wild and cultivated species began in the 1960s and has resulted in large collections of both Arachis species and A. hypogaea. However, additional germplasm is needed to fill in gaps for several A. hypogaea botanical varieties, and large areas in South America remain unexplored for Arachis species. The cultivated germplasm collection has been evaluated for several diseases, but many useful traits have not been assessed in the germplasm collections. Significantly higher levels of disease and insect resistances are found in the Arachis species, but introgression is difficult and very slow due to ploidy and genomic differentiation. Progress has been made in recent years for utilizing wild species genetic resources, including development of several cultivars.
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