State of ex situ conservation of landrace groups of 25 major crops

• DOI: 10.1038/s41477-022-01144-8
• Publication Date: 2022-05-09T16:02:46Z
• Authors: Julian Ramirez-Vi...; Colin K. Khoury; Harold A. Achicanoy; Maria Victoria Diaz; Andres C. Mendez; Chrystian C. Sosa; Zakaria Kehel; Luigi Guarino; Michael Abberton; Jorrel Aunario; Bashir Al Awar; Juan Carlos Alarcon; Ahmed Amri; Noelle L. Anglin; Vania Azevedo; Khadija Aziz; Grace Lee Capilit; Oswaldo Chavez; Dmytro Chebotarov; Denise E. Costich; Daniel G. Debouck; David Ellis; Hamidou Falalou; Albert Fiu; Michel Edmond Ghanem; Peter Giovannini; Alphonse J. Goung...; Badara Gueye; Amal Ibn El Hobyb; Ramni Jamnadass; Chris S. Jones; Bienvenu Kpeki; Jae-Sung Lee; Kenneth L. McNally; Alice Muchugi; Marie-Noelle Ndji...; Olaniyi Oyatomi; Thomas S. Payne; Senthil Ramachandran; Genoveva Rossel; Nicolas Roux; Max Ruas; Carolina Sansaloni; Julie Sardos; Tri Deri Setiyono; Marimagne Tchamba; Ines van den Houwe; J. Alejandro Vela...; Ramaiah Venuprasad; Peter Wenzl; Mariana Yazbek; Cristian Zavala
• Keywords: Ex situ conservation; Genetic erosion; Crop Diversity; In situ conservation; Agroecology; Genetic Resources

Abstract Crop landraces have unique local agroecological and societal functions offer important genetic resources for plant breeding. Recognition of the value landrace diversity concern about its erosion on farms led to sustained efforts establish ex situ collections worldwide. The degree which these succeeded in conserving has not been comprehensively assessed. Here we modelled potential distributions eco-geographically distinguishable groups 25 cereal, pulse starchy root/tuber/fruit crops within their geographic regions diversity. We then analysed extent are represented genebank collections, using ecological coverage metrics as a proxy find that conservation is currently moderately comprehensive average, with substantial variation among crops; mean 63% ± 12.6% genebanks. Breadfruit, bananas plantains, lentils, common beans, chickpeas, barley bread wheat most fully represented, whereas largest gaps persist pearl millet, yams, finger groundnut, potatoes peas. Geographic prioritized further collection include South Asia, Mediterranean West Mesoamerica, sub-Saharan Africa, Andean mountains America Central East Asia. With progress fill gaps, high representation group genebanks feasible globally, thus fulfilling international targets conservation.