Abstract
My approach to the above topic will be based on Dobzhansky’s well-known dictum that “nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution.” My thesis is that genetic resource conservation, as well as the deployment of genetic resources in plant breeding, are evolutionary processes and that understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for the genetic progress that has occurred over time will provide the most certain guide to future progress. I turn now to empirical data to examine the genetic changes that have occurred in three species groups in response to many generations of natural and man-guided selection for high performance in agricultural environments. These species groups are: cultivated barley and its conspecific wild ancestor Hordeum vulgare, ssp. spontaneum; corn, Zea mays and its wild ancestor teosinte (Zea species); and the tetraploid slender wild oat, Avena barbata and its diploid ancestor, the A. birtula-A. wiestii complex. The Hordeum and Avena species groups are heavily self-pollinated whereas the Zeas are outcrossers.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
