Landrace Germplasm for Improving Yield and Abiotic Stress Adaptation

Plant landraces represent heterogeneous, local adaptations of domesticated species, and thereby provide genetic resources that meet current and new challenges for farming in stressful environments. These local ecotypes can show variable phenology and low-to-moderate edible yield, but are often highly nutritious. The main contributions of landraces to plant breeding have been traits for more efficient nutrient uptake and utilization, as well as useful genes for adaptation to stressful environments such as water stress, salinity, and high temperatures. We propose that a systematic landrace evaluation may define patterns of diversity, which will facilitate identifying alleles for enhancing yield and abiotic stress adaptation, thus raising the productivity and stability of staple crops in vulnerable environments.

TrendsGlobal climate change emphasizes the need to use better-adapted cultivars of the main crops and landraces as potential donors of useful genes.The contribution of modern agriculture to total human-made greenhouse gas emissions is approximately 30%, and a shift to agro-ecological modes of production is increasingly seen as urgent, with landraces playing an important role in breeding programs.During the past few decades interest in landrace conservation has been growing, with much research focusing on the maintenance of on-farm crop genetic diversity.There is increasing consumer concern worldwide about food safety and nutrition. Landraces or old crop cultivars may provide solutions as sources of healthy and nutritious food.