North American wild relatives of grain crops

Authors: BRENNER, DAVID - Iowa State University; Bockelman, Harold; Williams, Karen

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/15/2018
Publication Date: 3/14/2019
Citation: Brenner, D.M., Bockelman, H.E., Williams, K.A. 2019. North American wild relatives of grain crops. In: Greene, S., Williams, K., Khoury, C., Kantar, M., Marek, L., editors. North American Crop Wild Relatives, Volume 2. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. p. 41-82
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97121-6_2

Interpretive Summary: The wild-growing relatives of the grain crops are useful for long term world-wide crop improvement research. There are neglected examples that should be accessioned as living seeds in genebanks. Some of the grain crops: amaranth, barnyard millet, proso millet, quinoa and foxtail millet have under-studied unique and potentially useful crop wild relatives in North America. Other grain crops: barley, buckwheat, and oats have fewer relatives in North America that are mostly weeds from other continents with more diverse crop wild relatives. The expanding abilities of genomic science are a reason to accession the wild species since there are improved ways to study evolution within genera, and make use of wide gene pools. Rare wild species, especially quinoa relatives in North American, should be acquired by genebanks in cooperation with biologists that already study and conserve at-risk plant populations. Many of the grain crop wild relatives are weeds that have evolved herbicide resistance which could be used in breeding new herbicide resistant cultivars, so well-documented examples should be accessioned and also vouchered in genebanks.

Technical Abstract: The wild-growing relatives of the grain crops are useful for long term world-wide crop improvement research. There are neglected examples that should be accessioned as living seeds in genebanks. Some of the grain crops: amaranth, barnyard millet, proso millet, quinoa and foxtail millet have under-studied unique and potentially useful crop wild relatives in North America. Other grain crops: barley, buckwheat, and oats have fewer relatives in North America that are mostly weeds from other continents with more diverse crop wild relatives. The expanding abilities of genomic science are a reason to accession the wild species since there are improved ways to study evolution within genera, and make use of wide gene pools. Rare wild species, especially quinoa relatives in North American, should be acquired by genebanks in cooperation with biologists that already study and conserve at-risk plant populations. Many of the grain crop wild relatives are weeds that have evolved herbicide resistance which could be used in breeding new herbicide resistant cultivars, so well-documented examples should be accessioned and also vouchered in genebanks.