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Wild Relatives of Horticultural Crops: PGR Management in Indian Context

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Conservation and Utilization of Horticultural Genetic Resources

Abstract

Crop wild relatives (CWR) are wild taxa closely related to crop plants, including wild progenitors and/or wild forms of crops. CWR were successfully employed in incorporation of desired traits in a few horticultural crops. In fruit crops, wild relatives also serve as clonal rootstocks/pollinizers to increase productivity and impart resistance/tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. The distribution, variability, and conservation status of various CWRs in horticultural crops are described. The representation of CWRs in seed banks is inadequate and often collected sporadically (rather than systematically). The PGR management in these species (exploration, collection, characterization, and conservation) is also dealt in detail. Analysis revealed the existence of huge gaps in CWR collection in terms of number as well as representative collection, even in the crucial crop-groups such as vegetables and in protected areas and fragile ecosystems such as coastal and cold-arid ecosystem. The future needs of research in CWR related to horticultural crops are dealt with.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, Regional Station, Thrissur, Kerala, India

    K. Joseph John

  2. ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi, India

    K. Pradheep

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  1. K. Joseph John
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Plant Genetic Resources, ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

    P.E. Rajasekharan

  2. Global Research for Development Support Ventures (GRSV), Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

    V. Ramanatha Rao

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Joseph John, K., Pradheep, K. (2019). Wild Relatives of Horticultural Crops: PGR Management in Indian Context. In: Rajasekharan, P., Rao, V. (eds) Conservation and Utilization of Horticultural Genetic Resources. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-3669-0_15

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