Plant genetic resources (PGR) are the key resources that support sustainable agriculture and food production. Issues of access to PGRs and benefit-sharing have become important since the convention on biological diversity (CBD) treaty in 1992. PGR includes the diversity within domesticated species and their wild relatives, crop wild relatives (CWRs), that are the source of the genes required to support crop improvement to deliver food security. Recent advances in sequencing technologies, chromosome-level genome assemblies for crops and CWRs, and computational tools have made genomics a key tool in the sustained management and utilization of the PGRs. Research applying genomics in the management and use of PGR for crop improvement is the focal theme of this research topic.
Globally, genebanks conserve germplasm collected over a period of time from diverse environments. Genomics has the potential to support (1) better management (conservation) of collections, (2) Enhancement of ex situ collections, and (3) Improvement in their utilization. With genebanks conserving hundreds of thousands of accessions representing the crop variability, it is difficult to identify the potential value for each accession, for its use in crop improvement. It is here that genomic science plays a key role in understanding and assessing the potential value of the accessions being conserved in the genebanks. Tools are required to address this need appropriately at genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and phenome levels in identifying the genotype (or gene or allele or the marker) that is associated with the traits of interest.
The research topic focuses on ex-situ PGR collections, from the perspectives of both a germplasm user and that of a genebank manager. Genebank managers use genomics in areas such as managing heterogeneity in genebanks, preventing human errors in genebank operations by preserving the genetic identity of the accessions, assessment of genetic integrity, and the development of markers for genes or their associated traits. Emerging and cross-cutting issues that affect PGR conservation include the use of digital sequence information (DSI), curbing misappropriation of shared genetic resources, biosecurity issues (related to PGR exchange and use). There is a growing interest in genome-environment or phenotype (trait) associations and due to their wide diversity, ex situ collections are acting as a rich resource for these studies. Linking genomic databases with data on ex-situ collections is an area that needs to be explored. The major application remains in the use of the appropriate genomic tool(s) for prediction or identification of the genotype(s) holding the trait of interest and supporting their use in breeding.
All article types published by Frontiers in Plant Science relevant to this topic are welcome.
Please note: Frontiers in Plant Science does not accept solely descriptive studies - studies which report responses to treatments and descriptive reports of ‘Omics studies will not be considered if they do not progress biological understanding of these responses.
Plant genetic resources (PGR) are the key resources that support sustainable agriculture and food production. Issues of access to PGRs and benefit-sharing have become important since the convention on biological diversity (CBD) treaty in 1992. PGR includes the diversity within domesticated species and their wild relatives, crop wild relatives (CWRs), that are the source of the genes required to support crop improvement to deliver food security. Recent advances in sequencing technologies, chromosome-level genome assemblies for crops and CWRs, and computational tools have made genomics a key tool in the sustained management and utilization of the PGRs. Research applying genomics in the management and use of PGR for crop improvement is the focal theme of this research topic.
Globally, genebanks conserve germplasm collected over a period of time from diverse environments. Genomics has the potential to support (1) better management (conservation) of collections, (2) Enhancement of ex situ collections, and (3) Improvement in their utilization. With genebanks conserving hundreds of thousands of accessions representing the crop variability, it is difficult to identify the potential value for each accession, for its use in crop improvement. It is here that genomic science plays a key role in understanding and assessing the potential value of the accessions being conserved in the genebanks. Tools are required to address this need appropriately at genome, transcriptome, proteome, metabolome, and phenome levels in identifying the genotype (or gene or allele or the marker) that is associated with the traits of interest.
The research topic focuses on ex-situ PGR collections, from the perspectives of both a germplasm user and that of a genebank manager. Genebank managers use genomics in areas such as managing heterogeneity in genebanks, preventing human errors in genebank operations by preserving the genetic identity of the accessions, assessment of genetic integrity, and the development of markers for genes or their associated traits. Emerging and cross-cutting issues that affect PGR conservation include the use of digital sequence information (DSI), curbing misappropriation of shared genetic resources, biosecurity issues (related to PGR exchange and use). There is a growing interest in genome-environment or phenotype (trait) associations and due to their wide diversity, ex situ collections are acting as a rich resource for these studies. Linking genomic databases with data on ex-situ collections is an area that needs to be explored. The major application remains in the use of the appropriate genomic tool(s) for prediction or identification of the genotype(s) holding the trait of interest and supporting their use in breeding.
All article types published by Frontiers in Plant Science relevant to this topic are welcome.
Please note: Frontiers in Plant Science does not accept solely descriptive studies - studies which report responses to treatments and descriptive reports of ‘Omics studies will not be considered if they do not progress biological understanding of these responses.