Abstract:
Knowledge of genetic diversity within
crop species and the nature of their breeding systems
are critical for crop improvement. These determine the
appropriate species specific breeding methodologies
to deploy. Genetic diversity analysis is an ongoing
process in the breeding programmes of ‘major crops’,
which is used to direct or re-direct breeding objectives
(especially selection of parental lines). In this regard,
the importance of such information in ‘underutilised’
or ‘minor’ crop species, which largely exist as
landraces with little information about their genetic
diversity and breeding systems, becomes very important.