A global strategy for the conservation and use of apple genetic resources

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Conserving Citrus Diversity: From Vavilov’s Early Explorations to Genebanks around the World

Citrus is among the most economically important fruit crops. Its vast species diversity and global production was observed by N.I. Vavilov during his international plant explorations from the early to mid-1900s. Currently, ex situ citrus collections located around the world conserve and protect citrus genetic resources, as revealed in a survey conducted in 2021. Responses were received from 43 collections in 27 countries, of which 35 provided data regarding collection composition, management practices, and security, as well as other information. The six largest citrus collections have between 1000 and 1735 accessions. The largest accession holdings are mandarins and sweet oranges, although all citrus fruit types are maintained: mandarin, sweet orange, lemon, pummelo, grapefruit, hybrids, lime, sour orange, citron, kumquat, papeda, finger lime, and crop wild relatives. Diseases pose significant threats to collections, though some collections are maintained in a clean-plant state as a result of intensive sanitation efforts. National and regional quarantine regulations often limit the export and import of citrus plants or propagative materials, thus limiting the availability of materials at an international level. Resources, both financial and human, are necessary to ensure the long-term safety and security of citrus collections on a global scale. Future efforts to develop citrus genebanking communities will provide opportunities for improved conservation, as well as collaborations and training

Conserving <i>Citrus</i> Diversity: From Vavilov’s Early Explorations to Genebanks around the World

Citrus is among the most economically important fruit crops. Its vast species diversity and global production was observed by N.I. Vavilov during his international plant explorations from the early to mid-1900s. Currently, ex situ citrus collections located around the world conserve and protect citrus genetic resources, as revealed in a survey conducted in 2021. Responses were received from 43 collections in 27 countries, of which 35 provided data regarding collection composition, management practices, and security, as well as other information. The six largest citrus collections have between 1000 and 1735 accessions. The largest accession holdings are mandarins and sweet oranges, although all citrus fruit types are maintained: mandarin, sweet orange, lemon, pummelo, grapefruit, hybrids, lime, sour orange, citron, kumquat, papeda, finger lime, and crop wild relatives. Diseases pose significant threats to collections, though some collections are maintained in a clean-plant state as a result of intensive sanitation efforts. National and regional quarantine regulations often limit the export and import of citrus plants or propagative materials, thus limiting the availability of materials at an international level. Resources, both financial and human, are necessary to ensure the long-term safety and security of citrus collections on a global scale. Future efforts to develop citrus genebanking communities will provide opportunities for improved conservation, as well as collaborations and training

Introduction to crop wild relatives

Food production has advanced from the original form where humans gathered food from the wild, to cultivation and selection of wild plants (landraces), and further to modern-day plant breeding of new varieties and cultivars with high quality, yields, and resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Food crops have been derived from wild plant species (crop wild relatives) from throughout the world and are now cultivated in locations that may be far from their original sources. Here, we provide information and illustrations about where food crops originated and we highlight the important work of the Russian Geneticist Dr. Nikolai Vavilov, who introduced the concept of “centre of origin” for crop plants and encouraged the conservation and use of crop wild relatives for plant improvement. Crop wild relatives (CWR) provide genetic diversity that may not be available in current cultivated varieties. The novel genetic diversity within these wild species may be the building blocks that breeders need to improve productivity and quality of agricultural products. Although CWR are likely to be the key to future crop improvements, as wild species, they may be lost if there are shifts in their native habitats. Ex situ genebank collections (maintained under cultivated conditions) provide an opportunity to conserve and protect crop wild relatives for future generations

Tracking Permeation of Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO) in <i>Mentha × piperita</i> Shoot Tips Using Coherent Raman Microscopy

Cryopreservation has emerged as a low-maintenance, cost-effective solution for the long-term preservation of vegetatively propagated crops. Shoot tip cryopreservation often makes use of vitrification methods that employ highly concentrated mixtures of cryoprotecting agents; however, little is understood as to how these cryoprotecting agents protect cells and tissues from freezing. In this study, we use coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering microscopy to directly visualize where dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) localizes within Mentha × piperita shoot tips. We find that DMSO fully penetrates the shoot tip tissue within 10 min of exposure. Variations in signal intensities across images suggest that DMSO may interact with cellular components, leading to its accumulation in specific regions