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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Plant Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #405210
Research Project: Genetic and Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Complex Agronomic Traits in Grain Crops

Location: Plant Genetics Research

Title: Diamonds in the not-so-rough: wild relative diversity hidden in crop genomes

Author
item Flint-Garcia, Sherry
item FELDMANN, MITCHELL - University Of California, Davis
item DEMPEWOLF, HANNES - Global Crop Diversity Trust
item MORRELL, PETER - University Of Minnesota
item ROSS-IBARRA, JEFFREY - University Of California, Davis

Submitted to: PLoS Biology
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/6/2023
Publication Date: 7/13/2023
Citation: Flint Garcia, S.A., Feldmann, M., Dempewolf, H., Morrell, P.L., Ross-Ibarra, J. 2023. Diamonds in the not-so-rough: wild relative diversity hidden in crop genomes. PLoS Biology. 21(7): Article e3002235. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002235.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002235

Interpretive Summary: Not required

Technical Abstract: Crop production is becoming an increasing challenge as the global population grows and the climate changes. Modern cultivated crop species are selected for productivity under optimal growth environments and have often lost genetic variants that could allow them to adapt to diverse, and now rapidly changing, environments. These genetic variants are often present in their closest wild relatives, but so are less desirable traits. How to preserve and effectively utilize the rich genetic resources that crop wild relatives offer while avoiding detrimental variants and maladaptive genetic contributions is a central challenge for ongoing crop improvement. This Essay explores this challenge and potential paths that could lead to a solution.