Sustainable Utilization of Wild Germplasm Resources

Breeders have received a number of “game-changing” features or genes from crop wild relatives (CWRs), which have increased crop resilience and agricultural output worldwide. Crop wild relatives (CWR) or wild germplasm are the resources for improving genetic performance in crop plants by providing an integrated reference genetic diversity for the improvement of specific characters. Such wild relatives are a reservoir of genetic variation and can be used to generate new allelic variation needed for breeding programs. Improvements in breeding and genomics have sped up the search for useful CWRs for crop development. Unfortunately, unsustainable management methods and climate change are making the habitats where CWR are found more unstable, endangering CWR populations. To maintain genetic progress, breeding pools with increased genetic diversity must contain ideal allele combinations for the intended crop-growing regions. In vitro approaches such as, cryopreservation and cold storage, are recognized as useful tools for medium- to long-term conservation of crop wild relatives’ species. Passport data from germplasm collections may be used to feed expression genome-wide association study (eGWAS) models to accelerate the identification of adaptive variation for improving climate resilience in future crops. Germplasm conservation attempts to safeguard vulnerable and endangered plant species worldwide for future reproduction and development. It is also the basis for agricultural productivity. This chapter elaborated genetic potential and natural history of wild relatives, and their utilization in the breeding program to improve existing knowledge about specific wild relatives and research surrounding them, and research gaps between them.