Promoting seed germination of Bunias erucago, a Mediterranean leafy vegetable

Knowledge of germination and propagation requirements are crucial for the use of plant genetic resources. Here, we compare different treatments to improve the germination of Bunias erucago (Cruciferae), a Mediterranean vegetable herb of growing commercial interest. Its cultivation is limited by the poor germination shown by the seeds which are enclosed in indehiscent silicles. To improve the germination, we investigated four treatments: (1) pre-soaking silicles in water for 48 hours; (2) scarification of silicles with sandpaper; (3) seed extraction; and (4) seed exposure to gibberellic acid (GA3). The same treatments (except the GA3 treatment) were also used to investigate seedling emergence under glasshouse conditions. In the absence of treatments and/or soaking in water, there was very low final germination (< 10%), while scarification and seed extraction increased the germination to ∼40% and > 90%, respectively. Scarification was the most effective treatment in a horticultural context, since the brittleness of seeds makes their extraction too delicate and time-consuming. The seedling emergence results confirmed those of seed germination in the laboratory, underlining the effectiveness of the treatments for plant cultivation. Seed germination performance varied among wild populations, underlining the importance of provenance when using wild plants as new crops

Conservation and Use of Latin American Maize Diversity: Pillar of Nutrition Security and Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Latin America is the center of domestication and diversity of maize, the second most cultivated crop worldwide. In this region, maize landraces are fundamental for food security, livelihoods, and culture. Nevertheless, genetic erosion (i.e., the loss of genetic diversity and variation in a crop) threatens the continued cultivation and in situ conservation of landrace diversity that is crucial to climate change adaptation and diverse uses of maize. We provide an overview of maize diversity in Latin America before discussing factors associated with persistence of large in situ maize diversity, causes for maize landrace abandonment by farmers, and strategies to enhance the cultivation of landraces. Among other factors, maize diversity is linked with: (1) small-holder farming, (2) the production of traditional food products, (3) traditional cropping systems, (4) cultivation in marginal areas, and (5) retention of control over the production system by the farmers. On the other hand, genetic erosion is associated with substitution of landraces with hybrid varieties or cash crops, and partial (off-farm labor) or complete migration to urban areas. Continued cultivation, and therefore on-farm conservation of genetic diversity held in maize landraces, can be encouraged by creating or strengthening market opportunities that make the cultivation of landraces and open pollinated varieties (OPVs) more profitable for farmers, supporting breeding programs that prioritize improvement of landraces and their special traits, and increasing the access to quality germplasm of landraces and landrace-derived OPVs

The forgotten giant of the Pacific: a review on giant taro (Alocasia macrorrhizos (L.) G.Don).

This article provides an overview over taxonomy, distribution, cultivation and use of giant taro, (L.) G.Don. The species belongs to the Araceae (aroid) family, which consists of 3700 species grouped into 107 genera. Among those species are several important crop species from tropical Asia and America. Giant taro, with a thick stem, large leaves and inflorescences, is cultivated as a food crop in several Pacific countries and in tropical Asia. In other parts of the world, it is mainly cultivated as an ornamental species. With a high starch content and its pest resistance, it often forms part of local traditional polycropping and agroforestry systems, e.g. in Tonga, and it contributes to local food security in particular during periods of food scarcity. Few production statistics are available as giant taro is mainly cultivated on a small scale and as part of subsistence agriculture. We consider giant taro a neglected crop. To our knowledge, no breeding or research programmes for crop improvement are currently happening. A database query and literature review revealed only 59 gene bank accessions, held in 7 different gene banks worldwide. We suggest further research into the conservation of landraces and into an increase of the productivity of this crop

The importance of conserving crop wild relatives in preparing agriculture for climate change.

Climate change is widely acknowledged to have severe implications for global food production and therefore food security. Utilising crop wild relatives (CWR) to help build resilience in domesticated crops is seen as part of the solution assuming that important genetic traits can be transferred to domesticated crops and that the resulting improved crop varieties can be farmed on a sufficiently large scale. CWR can be exploited as a valuable source of alleles related to adaptive traits to counter abiotic and biotic stresses resulting from climate change, and to improve yield and nutrition. This review aims to critically analyse the degree to which CWR have been utilised by crop breeders and researchers and will draw conclusions about the importance of CWR in preparing agriculture for climate change. Examples for CWR-derived improved varieties of nine major crops and at different plant development stages are presented. However, working with CWR is often seen as ‘marginal’. It is problematic due to the complex processes involved and length of time needed for traditional crop breeding, shortage of funds, the limited availability of CWR germplasm, overcoming risk aversion among farmers, and a reluctance by the wider agricultural community to appreciate the scale of the problem and to embrace the potential benefits that could derive from using CWR in crop breeding. Given the observed lack of availability of CWR in accessible germplasm collections, additional resources must be directed towards ensuring CWR are protected and conserved so they can be made available to researchers