In Situ Conservation of Crop Genetic Resources for Wheat: Current Status and Future Prospects.

The cultivation of crop plants in native habitats where crop plants and their wild relatives grew in close contact created “native agroecosystems”. The native agroecosystems facilitated frequent genetic exchanges between crop plants and their wild ancestors enriching the crop gene pool and even produced new crop plants such as bread wheat. With the dawn of scientific method of breeding, the genetic diversity in land races of crop plants and wild relatives was exploited to develop highly productive crop cultivars. The population pressures, habitat destruction and the spread of modern industrial agriculture are destroying the very native agroecosystems that have been our lifeline. While the genetic diversity conserved in Crop Gene Banks is and will be useful, functioning native agroecosystems will be needed as wellsprings of new genetic diversity in response to changing climate. The current status and future prospects for in situ conservation of wheat wild relatives will be discussed.