Approaches and Advantages of Increased Crop Genetic Diversity in the Fields
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Crop Genetic Diversity
3. Diversity in Research and Production Systems
4. Approaches for Increasing Diversity
5. Advantages of Increased Crop Diversity
6. Practices for Narrowing Diversity
7. Impact of Narrow Genetic Diversity
8. Policy Dimension
9. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Scheme | Approach | Explanation and Applied Crop Groups | Remarks |
---|---|---|---|
1. | Bulk method | Bulking of seeds from different plants, and/or from different fields, blocks, plots and plants. In cereals and grain legumes | Some farmers have more than one separate field to grow crops which helps to bulk the seeds from different fields |
2. | Bulk seed processing | Crop harvesting together for both seeds and grains from all fields and threshing, cleaning, drying and storing together. In cereals and grain legumes | No selection and separation of seeds for next season’s planting |
3. | Classes-bulking selection | Making different classes of crops in the field, selecting within classes, and mixing selected seeds from all classes. In rice and bean | Classes can be made based on the farmer’s preferred traits and other important morphological traits, seed color, size, etc. |
4. | Community genebank | Many different landraces are made available to the local community. They also conserved the same landraces from different farmers and sites. In cereals, grain legumes, and vegetables | It also includes a community seed bank and facilitates the exchange of seeds, and adds new collections. Mixed seed collection from different farmers helps to increase diversity |
5. | Crossing | Hybridization of two or more different genotypes to obtain segregating lines. In rice and maize | Segregating lines provide diversity selection options |
6. | Cultivar mixture | Growing more than one landrace/variety together in the same fields. In cereals and grain legumes | Continuous mixing can help generate new genotypes |
7. | Multiple sources for seeds | Different seed suppliers can provide many different genotypes of the same crops. Seed sources from the local shop, relatives, neighbors, community seed bank, market, etc., help to increase the diversity. In cereals and vegetables | Informal seed sources supply broad genetic base materials, whereas formal seed sources generally supply uniform varieties |
8. | Diversity block | Many blocks or plots of different cultivars within a field. In cereals | It provides diversity to farmers for selection and helps maintain the diversity within a targeted locality |
9. | Diversity fair | Display of all crops and their seeds/germplasm by many farmers in one place at a certain time. In cereals, grain legumes and vegetables | All available crop diversity can be seen, exchanged and traded |
10. | Diversity field school | Farmers and experts discuss and observe crops diversity in the field. In cereals | Similar to farmer’s field school, but focuses on genetic diversity |
11. | Diversity kit | Planting pack with a mini pack of many different crops’ seeds. In cereals, grain legumes and vegetables | It includes the elite line, released variety and native landraces of many suitable crops |
12. | Evolutionary plant breeding | Mixing and growing many more (>10) landraces and varieties together, focusing on developing dynamic mixture population or by using many segregating or recombinant inbred lines. In rice and bean | Very easy way to conserve crop biodiversity through uses |
13. | Informal seed system | Exchange or marketing of seeds among farmers without any formal regulations. In cereals, grain legumes, vegetables and fruits | The very old system exists in many communities for multiple crop species |
14. | Insect-friendly farming system | Ecological agriculture favors insects which help to pollinate and maintain genetic diversity. In maize, oil seed crops and vegetables | Insect field genebank accelerates pollination in many crops |
15. | Landrace enhancement | Participatory selection of landraces for their genetic improvement. In cereals and grain legumes | Farmers prefer to grow landraces if their genetic performance enhanced |
16. | Mass selection | Selection of particular seeds from different plants and mixing them. In cereals and grain legumes | Simple and common practices, but effective in large population size |
17. | Mix cropping | Growing more than one crop in the same field. In maize, finger millet, pumpkin and cowpea | Increased diversity at species levels |
18. | National Genebank | Collection of all types of crop diversity from around the country and distribution to farming communities. In cereals, grain legumes, vegetables and oil seed crops | Useful to repatriate the landraces as well as to establish diversity blocks in the target location |
19. | Negative selection | Removing seeds or plants that are not suitable or cannot produce seeds very well. In vegetables | Selection pressure is very low |
20. | Open pollination | Pollination and fertilization go naturally. In cereals, grain legumes, vegetables and oil seed crops | Pollinators help to accelerate the creation of genetic diversity |
21. | Participatory plant breeding | Involvement of farmers and breeders in selection and evaluation, including hybridization and handling of segregating lines. In rice, wheat and buckwheat | Segregating lines are generally handled in a target environment |
22. | Participatory seed exchange | Event for farmers in a certain place to exchange seeds of mainly rare, endangered landraces. In cereals, grain legumes and vegetables | Organize during seed scarcity, i.e., after the earthquake, flooding, etc. |
23. | Participatory varietal selection | Growing of a few fixed genotypes (generally 5-10) in farmers’ fields along with local in farmers’ management system. In rice, wheat, maize and grain legumes | Farmers can select more than one variety. Different farmers can select a different variety |
24. | Repatriation | Growing of landraces that were available in the past but not now. Additionally, a climate analog tool can be used to identify the suitable germplasm to repatriate the climatically smart germplasm. In rice, bean, proso millet and foxtail millet | Such materials can be collected from the National and Global Genebank. Landraces can be collected from climatically analog sites |
25. | Multiline variety | Growing more than one different line. In rice and bean | Usually, these are breeding lines and differ from each other for certain traits |
26. | Near isogenic lines | Lines that are genetically identical except for the allele at one locus. In rice | Applicable to mostly for monogenic traits |
27. | Site-specific variety | Development and maintenance of a variety for a particular site. In cereals and grain legumes | A large number of different varieties are needed for a diverse agroecosystem |
28. | Growing the same variety over a time | Growing the same variety over a period in the same field for different generations. In cereals, grain legumes and oil seed crops | Selection choices and mutation along with natural crossing create and maintain diversity |
29. | Hybrid swarm | Cultivated varieties may cross with wild relatives available near to the field and grow their progeny in the field. In rice and wild rice | It is common in rice that crosses with wild rice available near the field. Many different genotypes can be observed in the next generation |
30. | Shattered seeds and off-types in the next season’s plant population | During harvest in some crops, seeds fall in the field and grow together the next season with a seeded plant population. Off types are also included in the farming system. In rice, wheat and finger millet | This favors growing both in situ and on-farm materials together |
31. | Manual weeding during flowering and multiple harvests | Manual weeding during flowering helps to pollinate the flowers by shaking plants. Similarly, when picking fruits, seeds in indeterminant plants may shake plants to pollinate. In maize and oil seed crops | Weeding and traveling during flowering accelerates the cross-pollination |
32. | Natural selection | Growing landraces with minimum human interferences and survival of the fittest applied. In cereals and grain legumes | No selection during harvest and seed cleaning |
33. | Parent–offspring mix plantation | Growing parental lines and their offspring together in the same field. In finger millet, sponge gourd and cucumber | Farmers sometimes mix newly harvested seeds with the previous year’s seeds |
34. | Ethnicity specific variety | Ethnic groups need different crops and landraces for their cultural and religious purposes. Based on their requirements, variety is developed and grown. In cereals | Diverse ethnic groups live together and may have different genotypes |
35. | Natural agents for translocating planting materials | Sometimes, natural factors/agents, e.g., birds, insects, wind and flood, transfer seeds and other planting materials from one location to another. In wild rice, amaranth and proso millet | New genotypes can be observed in the fields and harvested together with normal plants |
For Space Use (All Dimensions) | For Disease and Insect Pests | For Drought | Similarity in Traits |
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Crop | Mixing Components | Site | Advantages |
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Bean | >20 landraces | Jumla | Less damage from diseases (anthracnose, rust, leaf spot, blight, etc.), 2–3 months continuous harvest, tasty |
Finger millet | Dalle Kodo + Bhotyangre Kodo + Chyalthe Kodo | Jugu, Dolakha | High yield, good forage, fewer diseases (blast, smut, blight) |
Rice | Kali Marshi + Chandanath-1 + Chandanath-2 | Jumla | Less damage by blast, taste remains as local landrace |
Rice | Gurdi + Mansara | Pame, Kaski | Better even in drought condition, less damage by insect pests and diseases |
Rice | Kalo Patle + Machhapuchhre-3 + Lekali | Dhikur Pokhari, Kaski | No damage by a monkey, higher grain yield, less damage by disease, no lodging |
Rice | 1. Mana Muri + Sano Gurdhi, 2. Kathe Dhan + Panhele, 3. Thimaha + Anga + Mansara,4. Kalo Patle + Chommrong + Machhpuchhre-3 | Kaski | Lodging tolerant, less damage by insect pests and diseases, tasty, high grain yield |
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Joshi, B.K.; Ghimire, K.H.; Neupane, S.P.; Gauchan, D.; Mengistu, D.K. Approaches and Advantages of Increased Crop Genetic Diversity in the Fields. Diversity 2023, 15, 603. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050603
Joshi BK, Ghimire KH, Neupane SP, Gauchan D, Mengistu DK. Approaches and Advantages of Increased Crop Genetic Diversity in the Fields. Diversity. 2023; 15(5):603. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050603
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoshi, Bal Krishna, Krishna Hari Ghimire, Shree Prasad Neupane, Devendra Gauchan, and Dejene K. Mengistu. 2023. "Approaches and Advantages of Increased Crop Genetic Diversity in the Fields" Diversity 15, no. 5: 603. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050603
APA StyleJoshi, B. K., Ghimire, K. H., Neupane, S. P., Gauchan, D., & Mengistu, D. K. (2023). Approaches and Advantages of Increased Crop Genetic Diversity in the Fields. Diversity, 15(5), 603. https://doi.org/10.3390/d15050603