Ensuring the availability of the broadest possible germplasm base for agriculture in the face
of increasingly uncertain and variable patterns of biotic and abiotic change is fundamental …

Alongside the use of fertilizer and chemical control of weeds, pests, and diseases modern
breeding has been very successful in generating cultivars that have increased agricultural …

Global environmental changes strongly impact wild and domesticated species biology and
their associated ecosystem services. For crops, global warming has led to significant …

In situ conservation of agricultural biodiversity is the maintenance of the diversity present in
and among populations of the many species used directly in agriculture or used as sources …

Plant diversity sustains all animal life, and the genetic diversity within plants underpins
global food security. This text provides a practical and theoretical introduction to the …

Smallholder farmers who grow diverse landraces in centres of crop diversity contribute to
sustaining the capacity of agricultural and food systems to adapt to change by maintaining …

The obvious answer to the question posed in the title of this chapter is yes. Landraces
contain the genetic diversity used for the generation of new and improved crop varieties, and …

Crop wild relatives (CWRs) offer novel genetic resources for crop improvement. To assist in
the urgent need to collect and conserve CWR germplasm, we advance here the concept of …

Conservation of plant genetic resources is achieved by protection of populations in nature
(in situ) or by preservation of samples in gene banks (ex situ). The latter are essential for …

The resilience and sustainability of food systems depend on crop diversity. It is used by
breeders to produce new and better varieties, and by farmers to respond to new challenges …