Castor genetic resources: A primary gene pool for exploitation

Castor (Ricinus communis L., 2n = 2x = 20) is grown across the world in tropical, sub-tropical and warm temperate regions. Castor oil has more than 700 industrial uses and its global demand is rising constantly at 3–5% per annum. Vast castor germplasm collections are being conserved in more than 50 genebanks across the world. But consolidated reports on their status and value are not available to tap their potential. Utilization of vast global germplasm could only be enhanced when the information on germplasm is shared and seed are exchanged. Therefore, the review provides information on current status of global castor collections and an overall view of potential of these collections besides highlighting the challenges and opportunities facing germplasm. This report serves as a unique starting point for the global castor community to build strong multinational collaborations to facilitate knowledge and resource integration and coordinated research planning.

► Origin and history of castor.
► Status of world castor germplasm collections.
► Diversity in castor germplasm with respect to morphological and agronomic traits, oil content and quality, and diversity at molecular level in castor gene pool.
► Wealth of existing castor collections with respect to availability of genotypes possessing desirable traits of interest as well as sources of resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses.
► Castor germplasm core collection and its importance.
► Conservation of ex situ collection and the documented castor genebanks in the world and accessibility to ex situ collections.
► Utilization of ex situ collections in castor improvement.
► Challenges and opportunities facing ex situ collections.
► Strategies to enhance utilization and collection of natural diversity existing in castor gene pool.