Role of Neglected Potential Crops in Climate Resilient Sustainable Agriculture

Climate change, ever-increasing global population and declining in the arable land are burning challenges to food and nutritional security. Although over 7000 species are known to have potential for food which are domesticated either partly or fully but very few, about 30 crops, species provide 95% of the world’s food energy. Extensive cultivar improvement and reduced genetic diversity of crops has led them to their vulnerability to various climate change threats. Thus, now strong action is required to emphasize upon the potential of local solutions for sustainable food and agricultural systems and to improve less focused minor crops that conserve a great genetic diversity to use against biotic and abiotic stress management. Large number of orphan crops that can perform better than the staple food crops in less favored circumstances. For example, Niger, a minor oilseed crop can perform better in poorly drained soils. Safflower, another minor oilseed crop can be used for phytoremediation of soils rich in lead, cadmium and zinc as it shows tolerance to heavy metals. Besides this, there exist numerous challenges also for the actual realization of potential of orphan crop plants that needs to be tackled strategically for their promotion, cultivation, consumption, utilization, research and market development. Minor crops hold great opportunity to explore their utilities as feed, fodder, ornamentals, and medicinal properties. Strategic approaches are required to conserve the plant biodiversity of potential crops. Systematic characterization and documentation in gene banks will help the stakeholders to make their optimum utilization.