Genetic and Genomic Resources and Their Exploitation for Unlocking Genetic Potential from the Wild Relatives

Abstract

There is a need for the plant breeders to exploit novel genetic variations to meet up with increasing food needs by the human population which can be cultivated in different climatic conditions and to provide top-quality and beneficial foods as demanded by the people. Plant breeders can utilize the crop wild relatives (CWRs), which are the closest relatives to the domesticated plants, as a practical gene pool. The expansion of genetic diversity of crop plants has been supported by the data revealed by the genomics of CWR. Advanced DNA sequencing technology has provided opportunities for sequencing of CWR and its enhanced application in the development of the crop. After the completion of the genomic sequencing of significant crop species, the focus has been placed in the broader gene pool analysis of the important farm produce including CWR. In order to perform an efficient exploration of the beneficial genetic variation in CWR, de novo sequencing and resequencing must collectively be applied. According to the results of genome analysis, beneficial alleles present in CWR were discovered, and genome regions where the variation is missing in domestication bottlenecks have been identified. Maximizing what the genome sequencing of CWR offers can be achieved by targeting top priority CWR for sequencing. By coordinating the worldwide efforts to use genomics, it is possible to speed up biodiversity exploitation and conservation needed to sustain agriculture and availability of foods.