
USDA Develops Inventory for Wild Relatives of Important Crops
February 5, 2014Geneticists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture developed the first-of-its kind inventory for wild and weedy relatives of important crops. According to USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientist Stephanie Greene, the objective of the project is to aid the conservation of crop wild relatives and guarantee their accessibility as important sources of genetic diversity for economically important traits such as drought tolerance and disease/pest resistance.
The inventory is comprised of over 4,000 taxa from 194 plant families which are present in the U.S. It includes crop wild relatives of important crops such as sunflower, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, grapes, and stone fruits like cherries and plums.
Several native wild U.S. species have shown potential in ensuring the continued health and productivity of crops grown worldwide. A recent example is cultivated sunflowers worldwide, which have benefitted from wild North American relatives in the form of resistance to rust, sclerotinia, downy mildew, and other diseases and pests.
Read more at http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2014/140127.htm.
The Crop Biotech Update is a weekly newsletter of ISAAA, a not-for-profit organization. The CBU is distributed for free to over 23,000 subscribers worldwide to inform them about the key developments in biosciences, especially in agricultural biotechnology. Your support will help us in our mission to feed the world with knowledge. You can help by donating as little as $10.
-
See more articles:
-
News from Around the World
- AATF Receives Feed the Future Funding to Improve Maize Production in East Africa
- USDA Develops Inventory for Wild Relatives of Important Crops
- New Process Makes "Biogasoline" from Farm Waste
- Potatoes Show Promise for Meeting Climate Change Challenges
- Researchers Find Genetic Cause for Citrus Canker
- Protein as 'Master Regulator' Controls Flowering, Disease Resistance in Plants
- Adoption and Uptake Pathway of GM Technology by Chinese Smallholders: Evidence from Bt Cotton Production
- Pakistan Formulates Biotech Policy Plan
- Asia and Pacific Countries Finalize Regional Rice Strategy
- India Should Not Succumb to Unscientific Prejudices Againts GM Crops: Prime Minister
- UN to Give Technical Facilities to Pakistan's Agriculture, FAO Rep
- EuropaBio Launches Digital Platform for GM Dialogue
- Scientists Reveal Secrets of Potato Blight
-
Research Highlights
- Regulation of GMOs in India
- Study Shows that Beneficial Insects Unharmed by Bt Crops
- Comparative Diversity of Arthropods on Bt Maize and Non-Bt Maize in South Africa
-
Beyond Crop Biotech
- Scotts Tests Biotech Grass at Home Lawns
- Drug Company Searches for People with Super Traits
-
Announcements
- 40 Chances Fellows
-
Resources
- Infographics About ISAAA: The Go-to-source of Information for GM Crops
-
Read the latest: - Crop Biotech Update (August 10, 2022)
- Genome Editing Supplement (August 10, 2022)
- Gene Drive Supplement (July 27, 2022)
-
Subscribe to CBU: - Share
- Tweet