GENETIC RESOURCES IN

AGRICULTURE
Origin and distribution of crop plants

 Origin : a geographical area where a

plant species, either domesticated or
wild, first developed its distinctive
properties.

 Domesticated ?

 Wild ?
Domesticated
 A process of taming a population of animals
(although it can also be used to refer to plants)

 These species or varieties are bred and raised

under human control for many generations and
are substantially altered as a group in appearance
or behavior

 Humans have brought these populations under

their care for a wide range of reasons: to produce
food or valuable commodities
Wild plants

 Wild: These species experience

their full life cycles without
deliberate human intervention
World Center of Crop Origin
1. Mesoamerica
Southern Mexico, and North Central
America.
 Maize, beans, sweat potato, tomatoes, cotton,
papaya, guava, peppers, sunflowers,
strawberry, grapes, avocado.
2. Andes and South America
 Tapioca,pineapple, groundnut, cotton,
papaya, guava, pepper, rubber, cocoa.
 3. Southeast Asia.
 Asian rice, peas and beans, yam, breadfruit,
mango, nutmeg, brinjal, cucumber, banana,
plantain, coconut, orange, lime, grapefruit
4. China

 Asianrice, soybean, green gram, orange,

apricot, peach, tea, cabbage, ginger,
ginseng, rape seed, chestnut, turnip,
yam.
5. Africa
 Sahel Region including Ethiopian Highlands)
 Sorghum, cowpea, coffee, melon,
watermelon, yam, oil palm, okra, kenaf,
brinjal
6. Southwest Asia
 Near East including Fertile Crescent
 Wheat, barley, re, oat, pea, lentil, carrot,
radish, safflower, olive, rape seed, walnut,
date palm, almond, grape, apple, pear, plum,
onion, lettuce
Livestock, Poultry and Fish
Beef Cattle: high growth rate
and excellent meat quality.
 Angus:
 from the highlands of northern
Scotland
 Finest beef cattle
 Brahman:
 tropical breed originally from
India
 Malaysia imported this breed for
integrated cattle farming in oil
palm plantation
 Hereford:
 The breed was established in
Hereford, England
Dairy Cattle: best known for its
ability to produce high milk
yield.
 Jersey:
 from Jersey, Channel Islands
(near France).
 Friesian:
 from the highlands of northern
Scotland.
 One of finest and most popular
dairy cattle
 Holstein:
 Originated in Holland close to
2,000 years ago.
Goats and Sheep
Reared for meat, skin and
fiber (wool and hair).
These animals originate
from Western Asia.

Poultry: chicken, ducks and turkeys.

First domesticated chickens (fowl) of Indian
origin for the purpose of cockfighting in
Asia, Africa, and Europe
From India, the domesticated fowl moved to
western Asia and then to Europe in the 5th
century BC.
Fish:
 Aquaculture started by the Egyptians and the Chinese around 2500
BC.
 The current farmed species have been domesticated since the
beginning of 20th century.
 Ex: freshwater (catfish or Keli and carp, Lampam) and marine or
saltwater (grouper, Mackerel and Pomfret or bawal).
 Aquaculture in Malaysia covers:
 rearing of freshwater and marine (saltwater) fishes, shells, shrimps,
crabs, seaweed and others.
 In cages or ponds.
 Ornamental fish (e.g. aquarium fish) is important and Malaysia is the
largest breeder and exporter in the world.
Germplasm and Biodiversity
 Germplasm :
 the genetic resources or DNA of an
organism and collections of the material.
 any material of plant, animal, microbial
containing functional units of heredity.

 worldwide collections of plant,

animal and bacterial germplasm for
use in breeding new organisms and
the conservation of existing species.
Biological diversity (Biodiversity)
 variability among living organisms from all sources
including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic
ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they
are part
 includes diversity within species, between species and of
ecosystems.
 Biodiversity is often a measure of the health of biological
systems.
Significance Of Biodiversity
1. Factor for the healthy functioning of the earth’s
ecosystems.
2. Provides humans with substantial economic benefits with
respect to crops, livestock, medicines, natural products
3. It provides humans with aesthetic benefits
Genetic Resource Application
⚫ Yield
⚫ Pest and disease resistance
⚫ Ecological tolerance
⚫ Green Revolution
 Biodiversity hotspot = reservoirs for richest and
threaten species (sites where many types of
biological organisms exist and constitute
invaluable genetic resources)
 www.biodiversityhotspot.org
Genetic Variation
 Source of variation : mutations and sexual recombinant
 Mutation : rare and random
 Large amounts of variation are present in natural
populations.
 1.7 million species identified and named.
 About 1 million are animals which 750,000 are
insects
 250,000 are plants
 69,000 are fungi
 A species name consists of two words
(binomial system), for example Zea mays (corn)
 New species are discovered everyday with
about 10,000 reported every year
Techniques to Conserve Genetic Resources

1. In Situ
 On-Site conservation of important
genetic resources in wild populations
and landraces (in natural populations of
plants and animals)
 Ex: National Parks, Community reserve,
Wild Sanctuaries
2. Ex Situ
 conservation of genetic resources off-site
(away from native habitat)
 Ex: seed storage, botanical garden, zoo,
gene banks, aquarium
Issue : July 2011
Threats to Diversity and Loss of Genetic Resources

1. Domestication and use of modern varieties

Issue : July 2011
Issue : September 2008
2. Wide spread and concentrated habitat destruction.
Natives species often lost and habitat invaded by
exotic weeds.

3. Natural extinctions as a result of competition and

natural disasters.