“Enhancing Crop Gene Pool with Beneficial Traits Using Wild Relatives”

UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, GKVK, BENGALURU

DEPARTMENT OF GENETICS AND PLANT BREEDING

SEMINAR – GPB 681 (0+1)

“Enhancing Crop Gene Pool with Beneficial Traits Using Wild Relatives”

The genetic diversity within crop species plays a vital role in their adaptation and resilience to changing environmental conditions, pests and diseases. However, over centuries of domestication and selective breeding, crop gene pools have become limited, leading to a loss of beneficial traits and susceptibility to various biotic and abiotic stresses. To address this issue, scientists have turned to wild relatives of crops as a valuable source of genetic diversity that can be used to enhance the crop gene pool.

Using crop wild relatives (CWR) in crop breeding programs involves crossing them with cultivated varieties and subsequently selecting and breeding the resulting hybrids. However, gene introgression from CWR to cultivars has been difficult due to cross incompatibility, hybrid sterility and linkage drag. In order to overcome these difficulties, various tools such as somatic hybridization, chromosome-mediated alien gene transfer, using cloned genes from wild relatives to produce transgenics, marker-aided introgression, resynthesizing the crop progenitors, developing exotic genetic libraries, advanced backcross QTL analysis and de novo domestication have been used in crop improvement.

To illustrate the potential of wild rice relatives as a source of novel alleles for rice improvement: a total of 40 chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) of O. longistaminata in the background of Taichung 65 were developed and evaluated for yield and yield-related traits. The results showed significant variations in traits such as plant height, number of panicles and grain yield among the CSSLs, indicating the potential of incorporating desirable traits from O. longistaminata into cultivated rice varieties. This research demonstrates the value of utilizing crop wild relatives to enhance the genetic diversity and improve yield traits in rice breeding programs.

Incorporating genetic diversity from wild relatives into crop plants offers an effective strategy to enhance the crop gene pool. By harnessing the unique adaptation traits present in wild relatives, crop breeders can develop varieties and hybrids with increased resistance, adaptability and nutritional value. This approach contributes to the development of more sustainable and resilient agricultural systems, ensuring food security in the face of future challenges.

References:

1. Dwivedi, S. L., Upadhyaya, H. D., Stalker, H. T., Blair, M. W., Bertioli, D. J., Nielen, S. and Ortiz, R., 2008, Enhancing crop gene pools with beneficial traits using wild relatives. Plant Breed. Rev., 30: 179-230.

2. Kashyap, A., Garg, P., Tanwar, K., Sharma, J., Navin, C. G., Ha, P. T. T., Bhattacharya, R. C., Mason, A. S. and Rao, M., 2022, Strategies for utilization of crop wild relatives in plant breeding programs. Theor. Appl. Genet., 135(12): 4151-4167.

3. Ramos, J. M., Furuta, T., Uehara, K., Chihiro, N., Angeles-Shim, R. B., Shim, J., Brar, D. S., Ashikari, M. and Jena, K. K., 2016, Development of chromosome segment substitution lines (CSSLs) of Oryza longistaminata A. Chev & Rohr in the background of the elite japonica rice cultivar, Taichung 65 and their evaluation for yield traits. Euphytica, 210(2): 151-163.