A crop wild relative inventory for Brazil

Abstract

Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are defined as wild plant taxa that are closely related to agricultural crops. In the face of global pressures of climates change and biodiversity loss, CWR requires urgent conservation attention. As a first step toward a national strategy for the conservation of CWRs, we present an inventory of taxa occurring in Brazil, with suggested prioritization of species based on potential value in crop improvement. The CWR checklist comprised 3652 taxa among 112 genera, and after applying the prioritization criteria, 289 CWRs were prioritized. The prioritized CWRs are related to crops of regional, national, and global importance such as cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.), coffee (Coffea arabica L. and Coffea canephora Pierre ex A. Froehner), cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.), rice (Oryza sativa L.), orange (Citrus spp.), beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.), potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), and cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.). More than half of the prioritized CWRs (50.86%) are endemic, and 28.03% are nationally endangered. A subsequent prioritization was also carried out using the criteria of socioeconomic value of the related crop and endemism, with 95 taxa being prioritized. The production of the first CWR inventory for Brazil is an important tool for planning conservation actions as part of a national strategy to maintain food security.