Article

Conservation through plant breeding and in situ conservation

Authors:
Cubero J.I.
Publication: Bocconea
Pages: 207-212
Article history:
  1. Published online

Abstract

Although in a rather primitive phase of modem plant breeding some breeders behaved like 'stamp collectors', the necessary variability for continuous progressin plant breeding has forced the search for new genes to solve new problems. Even though artificial mutation offers possibilities to find suitable variation, wild relatives of cultivated plants offer a different approach as they can be tested for specific traits in order to see whether nature had already created and tested the genes sought for. Gene manipulation by genetic engineering has emphasized even more the need for wild resource conservation, as any species can be the source of important genes for use in any other species. Besides, for modem breeders agroecological data are very important, and are nowincluded in germplasm collection studies. Amongst breeders there is agreement on the increasing need to preserve natural stands of wild species as it is impossible to collect and preserve ali the wild relatives required in plant breeding today. This leads to according an increasing importance toin situ conservation of natura I resources in plant breeding practice. Thus, if only because of professional needs, plant breeders have became strong advocates of natural resou rces conservation that is thus transformed into an economic activity.