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Challenges in Conserving and Utilizing Plant Genetic Resources (PGR)

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Challenges in Conserving and Utilizing Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) Vol. 6(2), pp. 16-22, March 2014 DOI: 10.5897/IJGMB2013.0083 Article Number: DE9B5EB47127 International Journal of Genetics and Molecular ISSN 2006-9863 Copyright © 2014 Biology Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/IJGMB Review Challenges in conserving and utilizing plant genetic resources (PGR) Ogwu, M. C.*, Osawaru, M. E. and Ahana, C. M. Plant Conservation Unit, Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. Received 2 October, 2013; Accepted 22 January, 2014 The problems of food and income security are of global significance and are further compounded by precedential increase in world population resulting in overexploitation of natural resources and by extension plant genetic diversity. Plant genetic resources (PGR) refer to the heritable materials contained within and among plant species of present and potential value. In the recent past, genetic diversity found in landrace, weedy and wild cultivars have been reported to savage animal and plant population diseases, pest and environmental changes. Nevertheless, these resources are lost at alarming rates due to anthropogenic product and by products such as climate change, pollution, genetic erosion, gross mismanagement of these resources and population growth. Hence, the need for conservation and sustainable utilization of these resources. PGR conservation is the management of varietal diversity in plant occasioned by interaction between genes and the environment for actual or potential and present or future use. A complimentary application of in situ and ex situ conservation technique is recommended for their effective conservation. Efficient survey, collection and documentation is also pertinent. International, national and individual appreciation of the value of this vast genetic diversity would facilitate their sustainable utilization. PGR utilization refers to the use value of these genetic resources. There is need to create avenues through which these can be easily accessed and enact effective policies for their protection especially in their hotspot and regions of high endemism. Key words: Plant genetic resources (PGR), conservation, utilization, environmental changes, population growth, genetic erosion. INTRODUCTION Plant genetic resources (PGR) is the pillar upon which mical, pathological and ecological research and breeding; world food security and agriculture depends especially encompassing all cultivated crops and those of little to no with expanding global population. PGR refers to the agricultural value as well as their weedy and wild heritable materials contained within and among plant relatives (Ulukan, 2011). Hammer and Teklu (2008) species of present and potential, economic, scientific or opined that the genetic adaptation and the rate of societal value. They include materials considered of evolutionary response of a species to selective forces systematic importance and applicable in cytogenetic, (changing environments, new pests and diseases and phylogenetic, evolutionary biology, physiological, bioche- new climatic conditions) depend on inherent levels of *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Tel: +234-8060428048. Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Ogwu et al. 17 genetic diversity present at the time. The importance of trial agriculture and increasing globalization of markets, PGR is reflected in every facet of human endeavor as it tastes and cultures, much of this wealth is being lost both provides the gene pool from which resistant and on-farm and in genebanks, as increasingly the integrity of improved varieties can be engineered. The economic these resources is being compromised by genetically value of increasing crop productivity through the diffusion modified organisms. of improved, modern varieties has been extensively This is further compounded by issues arising from documented, particularly in the context of industrialized patent rights. The world faces major challenges of agriculture by Alston et al. (2000) and Evenson and population growth, climate change, increasing social and Gollin (2003). Costs and benefits for plant genetic economic instability and a continuing failure to achieve resources conserved in gene banks, destined principally food and income security. for use by commercial farmers have also been estimated by Koo et al. (2004) and Smale and Koo (2003). Thus, PGR can play roles in ensuring income security Population growth and Urbanization especially for developing and under developed countries where majority of livelihood is hinged upon these natural As human population break new grounds machinery are resources. set up that modifies the natural environment to his thirst In the past, plant genetic diversity loss was largely resulting in a strangling pressure on land and other caused by natural processes, mainly as a result of natural resources for food, industries, shelter and climate changes and is still occurring although at a very agriculture; ultimately leading to habitat destruction and minimal rate. By contrast, the recent acceleration in the loss of plant genetic resources. For example, Malik and loss of plant diversity is mainly due to the activities of the Singh (2006) estimated that the food grain demands by earth’s dominant species. Land clearing, overgrazing, the the year of 2020 is anticipated to be around 250 million cutting and burning of forests, the indiscriminate use of tonnes, which means an extra 72 million tonnes of food fertilizers and pesticides, war and civil strife have all grains are required. This could lead to over exploitation of impacted negatively to destroyed natural habitats and the PGR as witnessed during the Green Revolution. Social diversity contained therein. Sodhi and Erhlich (2010) disruptions or wars and poverty also pose a constant supported this by stating that earth dominant species threat to genetic wipeout as it is associated with heavy have destroyed, degraded and polluted earth’s natural reliance directly on natural resource which often leads to habitat which are key in life support. More so, serious overexploitation and destruction of wild PGR. illnesses, water contamination and ecological destruction can be attributed to the drilling of oil which has caused widespread destruction of rainforest and endangered the Pollution lives of tens of thousands of people (Hvalkoff, 2001). The diversity of genes within species increases its ability to Soil and atmospheric biodiversity including microbial adapt to adverse environmental conditions. When these diversity and the diversity of pollinators and predators are varieties or populations of these species are destroyed, also under threat of pollution. Threats to these resources the genetic diversity within the species is diminished. In include pollution by genetically modified material and the many cases, habitat destruction has narrowed the increasing use of intellectual property rights (IPRs) to genetic variability of species lowering the ability to adapt claim sole ownership over varieties, breeds and genes, to changed environmental conditions. The greater the which restricts access for farmers and other food variability of the species, the more is the ecosystem producers. This loss of diversity is accelerating and stability. sliding down the slippery slope of food insecurity that This report is aimed at creating awareness on the today sends more than 1.2 billion people to bed, hungry. threats to PGR and the need for their effective conservation and sustainable utilization. Habitat loss and modification THREATS TO PGR CONSERVATION AND Exploration and extraction of natural resources affect and UTILIZATION alter the geophysical environment of the areas where they are carried on. An example is the environmental The impact of humans upon biological diversity impact of oil exploitation in the Niger Delta region of (biodiversity) has gradually increased with growing Nigeria which contribute in no small measure to the industrialization, technology, population, production and destruction of the fragile ecosystem, thus making the consumption rates. Food sovereignty, accessibility and region ‘one of the world’s most severely petroleum security, landscapes and environmental integrity along impacted ecosystems and one of the five most with gross mismanagement are contending issues which petroleum-polluted environments in the world’ (Niger impact on PGR. Since the era of green revolution, Indus- Delta Natural Resource Damage Assessment and 18 Int. J. Genet. Mol. Biol. Restoration Project, 2006). With the exploration of oil; in environmental services, such as flood control and spillage, deforestation, noise pollution and other water supply, water assimilation, nutrient recycling, ecological effects, they are not willing to yield to their conservation and regeneration of soils. Although not all demands for adequate attention to their polluted and alien species will become invasive or threaten the depreciating environment (Olubisi and Oluduro, 2012). environment there is need for a clear policy approach because of its potentially wide-ranging impacts when they do become invasive, and because of the difficulties, Climate change including financial costs, in reversing its impacts. Virtually all countries in the world are affected at different degrees Climate change is having a significant negative impact on
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