Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Wild Relatives of Crop Species

Abstract

The continuous increases in the global population, the declining availability of farming land, the increasing shortage of water, and the loss of rural labour to the urban centers profoundly challenge the world’s food security. To meet the increasing demand for food supply humanity has to significantly enhance crop productivity, for which fuller exploitation and utilization of genetic resources in crop species, particularly those in the gene pool of wild relatives of crop species will provide many more opportunities. Examples of the successful use of wild relative species are hybrid rice, where the male sterility (MS) gene was introduced from the common wild rice (Oryza rufipogon L.), and grassy stunt virus resistant rice varieties, in which the virus resistance gene was incorporated from the annual wild rice (O. nivara Sharma et Shastry). Many disease resistant genes in wheat, barley and rye, as well as soybean varieties were also transferred from their wild relative species in the tribeTriticeaeand the genusGlycine. Conserving biodiversity of wild relative species is therefore essential for the continued availability and sustainable use of these valuable genetic resources, and essential for the sustainable world’s food security.