Conserving plant genetic diversity in protected areas: population management of crop wild relatives

AbstractCereal crops are one of the most widely consumed and most valuable crops for humankind. The species have been domesticated for over 10,000 years and as such have lost much of the genetic diversity that is present within their wild relatives. Future breeding efforts will require the use of genetic diversity from crop wild relatives (CWRs) to help improve our cereal crops. This study aims to identify anin situconservation network within the Mediterranean Basin and west Asia for the four cereal crops, barley (HordeumL.), oat (AvenaL.), rye (SecaleL.) and wheat (AegilopsL.,AmblyopyrumL.,TriticumL.). This region is a centre of diversity for these taxa and an area of potentially high genetic diversity, which if left unprotected will not be available for plant breeders to utilize in the future. Presence point data for a total of 90 taxa were collected from GBIF and resulted in 76,343 individual presence points across the 44 countries in the study region. Geographic Information System (GIS) software was used to identify potentialin situreserve networks per crop genepool and for all crops combined. Results indicate a network of 10 locations across the region which would protect over 80% of the taxa. The number one priority reserve is found within the Fertile Crescent region on the border of Israel, Syria and Jordan. This proposed reserve location contains 93 currently protected areas (i.e. National Parks) and as such, it may only be necessary to alter management plans to effectively protect CWR populations. For taxa not found within protected areasex situconservation may be more appropriate and should be implemented as a backup to thein situreserve network.

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Conserving the genetic resources of crop wild relatives in European Protected Areas

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/s0006-3207(03)00123-x ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 113 (3) ◽

pp. 411-417 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Nigel Maxted

Keyword(s):

Genetic Resources ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Crop Wild Relatives ◽

Wild Relatives

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Techniques and key issues in collecting crop wild relatives

Plant genetic resources: A review of current research and future needs - Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science ◽

10.19103/as.2020.0085.08 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 155-184

Author(s):

Michael Way ◽

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Best Practice ◽

Seed Quality ◽

Crop Wild Relatives ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Wild Plant ◽

Genetic Sampling ◽

Key Issues ◽

Essential Resource ◽

Seed Collections

The genetic diversity found in populations of crop wild relatives is an essential resource for future crop breeding, but populations are at risk of loss before germplasm has been fully conserved in genebanks. This chapter describes best practice for targeting and identifying species, and review knowledge about the variation in wild plant populations to guide the timing of collecting and approaches for genetic sampling. Indicators are presented for seed quality, ripeness and dispersal. Techniques for collection of seed, herbarium vouchers and associated data are reviewed with examples drawn from the Adapting Agriculture to Climate Change (Crop Wild Relative) project. Further research is needed to find optimal approaches for handling of seed to ensure high longevity of seed collections, and improved tools are needed to guide sampling of genetic diversity of crop wild relatives.

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The Genetic Diversity of Cranberry Crop Wild Relatives, Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton and V. oxycoccos L., in the US, with Special Emphasis on National Forests

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9111446 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1446

Author(s):

Lorraine Rodriguez-Bonilla ◽

Karen A. Williams ◽

Fabian Rodríguez Bonilla ◽

Daniel Matusinec ◽

Andrew Maule ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Genetic Diversity ◽

The United States ◽

Crop Wild Relatives ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Vaccinium Macrocarpon ◽

Ex Situ ◽

National Forests ◽

United States Department ◽

The Us

Knowledge of the genetic diversity in populations of crop wild relatives (CWR) can inform effective strategies for their conservation and facilitate utilization to solve agricultural challenges. Two crop wild relatives of the cultivated cranberry are widely distributed in the US. We studied 21 populations of Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton and 24 populations of Vaccinium oxycoccos L. across much of their native ranges in the US using 32 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers. We observed high levels of heterozygosity for both species across populations with private alleles ranging from 0 to 26. For V. macrocarpon, we found a total of 613 alleles and high levels of heterozygosity (HO = 0.99, HT = 0.75). We also observed high numbers of alleles (881) and levels of heterozygosity (HO = 0.71, HT = 0.80) in V. oxycoccos (4x). Our genetic analyses confirmed the field identification of a native population of V. macrocarpon on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest in the state of Washington, far outside the previously reported range for the species. Our results will help to inform efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) and the United States Forest Service (USFS) to conserve the most diverse and unique wild cranberry populations through ex situ preservation of germplasm and in situ conservation in designated sites on National Forests.

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Crop wild relatives in the Magadan province of Russia: perspectives of gene pool conservation

VAVILOVIA ◽

10.30901/2658-3860-2019-3-42-55 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 42-55

Author(s):

G. V. Talovina

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Nature Reserve ◽

Far East ◽

Crop Wild Relatives ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Distribution Area ◽

State Nature Reserve ◽

Oxycoccus Palustris ◽

Specially Protected Areas ◽

State Nature

Eight species classified as rare in the Magadan Province, including those located at the boundary of their natural distribution area, with a narrow ecological amplitude, require not only monitoring of the known, but also search for new populations. These species can be recommended for the inclusion in the Red List of Crop Wild Relatives of the Far East. Most successfully these species can be conserved in protected areas with a special conservation regime. Populations of three species recorded in the Magadansky State Nature Reserve (Allium ochotense Prokh., Caragana jubata (Pall.) Poir. and Oxycoccus palustris Pers.) should be monitored on a regular basis. The occurrence of Rheum compactum L. in the nature reserve needs to be confirmed. Also, Rheum compactum L. and others species not recorded in the nature reserve, i.e., Artemisia dracunculus L., Bromopsis canadensis (Michx.) Holub, Dracocephalum stellerianum F. Hiltebr. and Linum komarovii Juz., require a search for stable cenoses (and establishment of intracenotic relations) in order to justify the need in creating special nature micro-reserves, including those in other specially protected areas of the province.

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CROP WILD RELATIVES OF KALININGRAD PROVINCE RECOMMENDED FOR IN SITU CONSERVATION

PROCEEDINGS ON APPLIED BOTANY GENETICS AND BREEDING ◽

10.30901/2227-8834-2019-4-32-43 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 180 (4) ◽

pp. 32-43 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

L. Yu. Shipilina

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Plant Species ◽

In Situ Conservation ◽

Crop Wild Relatives ◽

Wild Relatives ◽

Published Data ◽

Vulnerable Species ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Herbarium Collections

Background. Preservation of the entire genetic diversity of the world’s flora is indispensable to the deployment of breeding practice aimed at development and improvement of the existing economically useful plant species and varieties. The in situ conservation approach is recognized as the topmost priority. Therefore, a study of crop wild relatives (CWR) in Kaliningrad Province appears vital to identify the most vulnerable species and enhance their in situ conservation.Materials and methods. Crop wild relatives occurring in Kaliningrad Province were the research target. The WIR and LE herbarium collections, published data, and results of VIR’s plant explorations undertaken in 1974 and 1983 served as the material for the research. Plant species included in the Red Data Books of Kaliningrad Province, Lithuania, Estonia, Poland, etc. were analyzed, and the data from open databases (GBIF, CWR, ILDIS, etc.) and AgroAtlas maps were employed. CWR requiring special conservation measures were identified.Results and conclusions. Kaliningrad Province, Russia, is home to 324 species of CWR. Natural habitats of the 6 most vulnerable plant species were mapped: Vicia dumetorum L., Trifolium rubens L., Chrisaspis spadiceum L., Elytrigia juncea (L.) Nevski, Phleum phleoides (L.) H. Karst., and Allium vineale L. These species fall under the 1st vulnerability category.

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