Plant Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Their Use in Crop Improvement

Plant genetic resources and traditional knowledge offer opportunities for economic growth and sustainable food security for developing world. The landraces, modern varieties, genetic stock and advanced breeding material are the wealth of plant genetic resources. All these have contributed towards achieving food security and protection of biodiversity for sustainable development. The plant genetic resources have been used for the development and improvement of cultivars. The crop improvement by using these genetic resources is considered as one of the most important methods to ensure food security on a sustainable basis. This will also help in conserving the genetic diversity for future increase in agricultural crop production. Documentation and sustainable utilisation of plant genetic resources for crop improvement and equal sharing of benefits are the main objectives of crop improvement. The plant genetic resources are the rich source of important resistance genes for biotic and abiotic stresses. The rich source of genes can be transferred to the cultivated varieties by using conventional as well as modern plant breeding methods. Both conventional and biotechnological research inputs such as pure line selection, fine mapping of quantitative trait loci, marker-assisted selection, advanced backcross quantitative trait loci analysis and introgression libraries, association studies, direct allele selection and gene transfer have contributed in solving some of the constraints limiting crop productivity for sustainable food security.