Molecular analysis of gene banks for sustainable conservation and increased use of crop genetic resources.

Abstract

The effective use of crop genetic resources stored in genebanks by breeding programs is limited. The number of accessions deposited in genebanks, however, is continuously growing. Slow germplasm characterization has been pointed out as a major cause of this discrepancy. Molecular marker technology offers opportunities to increase the use of crop genetic resources deposited in genebanks. High throughput genotyping of germplasm accessions allows for the examination of genetic relationships and sampling of core collections representative of the allelic richness of the genebank. Core collections can be used for intensive phenotypic evaluation of traits of agronomic importance and re-sequencing of candidate genes associated with their control. Single nucleotide polymorphism variation between the accessions of the collection can be associated with phenotypic variation. The integration of genomic technology and characterization of germplasm banks will play an importante role in the sustainable conservation and increased use of crop genetic resources.