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Plant Genetic Resources in the Andes: Impact, Conservation, and Management
Author(s) -
Castillo Raúl O.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1995.0011183x003500020010x
Subject(s) - indigenous , germplasm , agroforestry , agriculture , biodiversity , genetic diversity , biology , diversity (politics) , resource (disambiguation) , genetic resources , amazon rainforest , ecology , geography , microbiology and biotechnology , agronomy , population , computer network , demography , sociology , anthropology , computer science
The Andean region harbors a variety of ecological niches including tropical mountains, Pacific coastal and Amazonian humid lowlands, and many intermediate microclimates. These areas contain a great diversity of crops and their wild relatives. Much of this diversity is indigenous and much has been selected by man. This genetic diversity includes food plants and their wild relatives, in addition to medicines, condiments, colorants, and spices. Both great empires and small indigenous groups have used various plants over thousands of years. Unfortunately, many landraces and their wild relatives have disappeared and others are near extinction. Although many collecting expeditions and some research projects have been conducted on these plants, more funding is needed for germplasm collection and conservation. National programs of plant genetic resources have been formed in the Andean countries to preserve and maintain this diversity and develop additional research. Both the Andean countries and the whole world will benefit from the discovery and market development of indigenous food, medicine, and industrial crops. These new agricultural products can be an important economic resource in emerging world markets and international trade.