Indian J. Plant Genet. Resour.

29(3): 448-451 (2016)

DOI 10.5958/0976-1926.2016.00098.X

Utilization of Crop Wild Relatives in the Breeding Programmes: Progress,

Impact and Challenges
JS Sandhu and JC Rana1
Deputy Director General (Crops), Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Krishi Bhavan, New Delhi–110001, India
1ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources, New Delhi–110012, India

The Crops Wild Relatives (CWR) includes wild forms, crops, which resulted into 817 taxa belonging to 730
progenitors and those species that are closely related species, including wild/weedy form(s) or populations of
to cultivated crops. The concept of CWR is relative 142 crop species, occurring in India (Table 1).
in the sense that all the related species may not have
Importance of CWR
equal potential as gene donors to crops (Maxted et
al., 2006); their relative status is very often inferred The increasing genetic uniformity of crop varieties
rather than based on direct evidence (Heywood et al., combined with climate change effects makes crops more
2007). The gene pool system devised for understanding vulnerable to various biotic and abiotic stresses. There
genetic relationship between crops and related species had been examples of large scale devastations of crops
by Harlan and de Wet (1971) facilitated beneficial gene due to genetic uniformity, for instance potato famine
and traits transfer from wild to cultivated. Historically, of the 1840s due to late potato blight epidemic across
the conservation of plant genetic resources (PGR) has Ireland, Europe and North America; 1970s southern
focused almost explicitly on cultivated plants (Maxted corn blight outbreak in the US maize and rice losses
et al., 2008), however, in the recent past the importance due to blast in the Philippines, Indonesia and India
of CWR have been recognized globally for breeding leading to the great Bengal famine. Intensive modern
high yielding varieties to feed increasing population breeding efforts have contributed to a narrowing of the
gene pool by concentrating more on favorable alleles
and to tolerate variety of stresses arising due to climate
already present in early domesticates (Debouck, 1991).
change. Thus, future crops species will need to be able
CWR are therefore important for maintaining genetic
to thrive in a drier, warmer, and more variable climate
diversity for and preventing such losses, which may
and in an environment increasingly populated by new
have serious consequences for food, nutrition and
pathogenic organisms. To meet these challenges we
environmental security. Advancement in the molecular
need broader crop gene pools and CWR has greater
biology in the study and utilization of species as gene
role to play in it.
source has made CWR a priority in PGR management
Crop Wild Relatives in India and crop improvement. At the same time, post-CBD
India is one of the 12-mega diversity centres, concerns of habitat loss, genetic erosion, policy issues
accommodates part of four hot-spots – the Himalaya, related to access and benefit sharing and sovereign rights
Western Ghats, Indo-Burma and Sundaland out of have also come in the forefront.
35 identified the world over and is immensely rich in Utilization in India Breeding Programmes
agricultural biodiversity. Indian gene centre is rich in
Despite having valuable genes with immense value
domesticated crops diversity having 168 species out for crops improvement and adaptation to changing
of 2489 species distributed in 12 regions of diversity environmental conditions, utilization of CWR has enjoyed
of cultivated plants (Zeven and de Wet 1982). Among a great success only in few crops, while disappointing
CWR, 326 documented species have originated and/ for numerous others. Many genes are still lies untapped
or developed diversity in different phyto-geographical in these genetic resources, presumably due to the lack
regions of India (Pandey and Arora, 2004). However, of useful genetic information and genetic bottlenecks
Pradheep et al., 2014 have made a pragmatic exercise as well. Scientists, the world over have argued that
to further shortlist and update the CWR of 168 native breeders were not fully exploiting the potential of
*Author for Correspondence: Email- ddgcs.icar@nic.in

Indian J. Plant Genet. Resour. 29(3): 448-451 (2016)

 Utilization in India Breeding Programmes 449

Table 1. Summary of crop-group-wise native CWR occurring in India

Crop-group (crops**) No. of CWR species* Taxa Crop-group (crops**) No. of CWR species* Taxa
Cereals and millets (13) 72 (2) 83 Vegetables (25) 76 (11) 87
Pseudocereals (3) 13 (1) 13 Spices and condiments (12) 50 (7) 54
Grain legumes (10) 49 (4) 57 Ornamentals (13) 141 (61) 152
Oilseeds (4) 9 (1) 10 Medicinal & aromatic plants (20) 70 (19) 81
Fibres (5) 18 (3) 20 Plantation crops (3) 12 14
Forages (16) 58 (14) 63 Others (8) 35 (7) 39
Fruits and nuts (36) 127 (12) 144 Crops: 168 730 (142) 817
*Figures in parenthesis is crop species with wild/weedy form(s) or populations occurring in India, which are also included for counting as CWR;
**One crop may involve more than one species

CWR; historically they relied on searching genes for root structure (Sharma et al., 2011), as well as additional
beneficial traits associated with certain CWR rather than positive agronomic characteristics (Rajaram et al., 1983).
searching more generally for beneficial genes. Hajjar Also, using marker assisted selection, one APR gene
and Hodgkin (2007) while reviewing the utilization for leaf rust and stripe rust has been transferred from T.
of CWR in 20 years found that over 60 wild species monococcum to bread wheat WL711 and one gene for
were used in 13 major crops and >100 beneficial traits leaf rust has been transferred to PBW343 background
derived from them. (Singh et al., 2007).
Although, utilization of CWR in crop improvement In potato, Solanum demissum provided resistance
is limited still many wild species have used successfully. to late blight (National Potato Council 2003) while in
Some of the examples include; use of Oryza nivara tomato >40 resistance genes have been derived from S.
genes provided long-lasting resistance to grassy stunt peruviannum, Solanum pennellii Correll var. pennellii,
virus (Brar and Kush, 1997) and use of O. spontanea as Lycopersicon cheesmanii, L. pimpinellifolium for traits
the source of wild abortive cytoplasmic male sterility, such as increased soluble solid content, fruit colour,
which has provided the cornerstone for today’s hybrid and adaptation to harvesting (Rick and Chetelat 1995).
rice (Li and Zhu 1988). Many unique traits such as weed Broccoli varieties producing high levels of anti-cancer
competitiveness, drought tolerance and the ability to grow compounds have been developed using genes obtained
under low input conditions has been transferred from O. from wild Italian Brassica oleracea. The species of
glaberrima to O. sativa and combined with high yield Solanum complex such as S. incanum, S. viarum, S.
to develop NERICA (NEw RIce for AfriCA), which is melongena var. insanum, S. khasianum have provided
high yielding, drought and pest resistant and adapted gene for resistance to Fusarium wilt, bacterial wilt, frost
to the growing conditions of West Africa (Sarla and tolerance and fruit & shoot borer. The wild species of
Mallikarjuna, 2005). Molnar-Lang et al. (2013), have
okra Abelmoschus tuberculatus to YVMV and wild
given comprehensive review on intergeneric breeding of
cucumbers Cucumis hardwickii and C. callosus have
Hordeum species (cultivated and wild) with wheat. They
resistance to downy mildew and fruit fly, Cucumis melo
found that wheat-barley hybridization has the potential to
var. chito for Fusarium wilt resistance.
incorporate earliness, salt and drought tolerance, desired
amino acid integration, and high tillering ability of Among pulses, Vigna tribolata, V. mungo var.
barley into wheat, whereas the favourable characteristics sylvestris, V. radiata var. sublobata have provided
of stem strength and winter hardiness of wheat can be resistance to yellow mosaic virus, V. vexillata has high
introgressed into barley. Resistance to stem and leaf protein and resistance to cowpea pod sucking bug and
rust have been transferred from Agropyron elongatum buchids and is crossable with V. unguiculata and V.
and Aegilops umbellulata in wheat (Prescott-Allen and radaita. Cytoplasmic male sterile systems were developed
Prescott-Allen 1986) and spring wheat germplasm lines for pigeon pea exploiting the cross-pollination mechanism
derived from Aegilops tauschii provided or resistance and utilizing wild Cajanus species (Mallikarjuna et al.,
to Hessian fly (Suszkiw 2005). The most well known 2012). High protein and seed size breeding lines such
introgression is the rye (S. cereale) 1RS translocation as HPL 2, HPL 7, HPL 40 and HPL 51 were developed
that harbors genes involved in multiple disease resistance from C. sericeus, C. albicans and C. scarabaeoides
(Pm8/Sr31/Lr26/Yr9; Mago et al., 2005) and improved (Saxena et al., 1987, Jadhav et al., 2012). Phaseolus

Indian J. Plant Genet. Resour. 29(3): 448-451 (2016)

450 JS Sandhu and JC Rana

coccineus is a source of resistance to anthracnose as native economically important taxa in India. Also,
well as root rots, white mold, and BYMV in common species introduced for their potential importance are
bean (Sharma and Rana, 2012). In chickpea, productivity another large resource, which needs to be conserved
enhancement related traits have been introgressed from on a priority basis as future introductions are likely to
C. reticulatum, C. echinospermum, (Sandhu et al., 2006; be few especially since these are now exchanged only
and for resistance to Ascochyta blight, pod number and with prior consent and under material transfer and
short internode from C. reticulatum, C. echino (Singh benefit- sharing agreements. To cope with problems
et al., 2015). Cicer microphyllum have been identified arising from intensive modern agriculture and climate
to carry genes for cold hardiness, drought tolerance change, it is essential to maintain genetic diversity
and seeds/pod (Rana et al., 2009. Stable Recombinant within crop gene pools. In the past crop breeders had
Inbred Lines (RILs) were developed for resistance to rust, been struggling with the problem of linkage drag while
powdery mildew and pod number from Lens orientalis, dealing with CWR. Nevertheless, now the advances in
L. odomensis and L. ervoides (Singh et al., 2013) DNA sequencing technology particularly combination
Gene sources have also been identified in of de novo sequencing and resequencing are being
Sesamum laciniatum to leaf phyllode, S. malabaricum, used efficiently to explore useful genetic variation in
S. mulyanum and S. alatum for powdery mildew; CWR. Therefore, plant breeders have to work closely
Linum perenne for drought and cold hardiness, L. with genetic engineers to develop new cultivars. There
grandiflorum for linseed bud fly and alternaria blight; is need to design altogether new crops, plant types and
Brassica oxyrhina, Moricandia arvensis, Trachystoma varieties, which have the ability to perform well under
balli, Diplotaxis catholica as sources of CMS, B. adversities. Breeders should be well equipped with the
tournefortii, Diplotaxis acris, D. harra, Eruca sativa genes to keep themselves one-step ahead of the rapidly
for drought tolerance in Brassica; Corchorus aestuans, evolving pests and diseases and even new climate
C. tridens, C. fascicularis resistant to Jute semi-looper regimes. The value of diversity in crops is similar to the
and Macrophomina sp., C. olitorius for yellow mite, C. value of a diversified portfolio to an investor. If one stock
capsularis for stem rot and anthracnose, C. depressus fails, the investor does not lose everything. Nature does
for drought tolerance and Erianthus sp. have gene for not produce individual plants resistant to all diseases,
cold and drought tolerance, high yield for Saccharum pests and environmental stresses, and neither can the
improvement. breeder. It is natural genetic diversity, in which many
individuals, each somewhat different genetically, thrive
Among fruits, Malus baccata in apple; Pyrus pashia together, allows a population to withstand challenges to
and P. pyrifolia in pear; Prunus cerasoides in cherry and its survival and produce traits of needs.
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