A Review on Genetic Diversity and Suitability of Ex-situ Germplasm Conservation for Re-introduction:

Genetic diversity is crucial for plant performance and adaptation to climate change, as it provides resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, species with little or no genetic diversity may be more susceptible to biotic and abiotic stresses. Genetic erosion is a significant issue affecting crop plants, with modern cultivars being widely distributed and suppressing landraces principal to loss of genetic diversity. Conservation and sustainable use of Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) are crucial for sustainable development. Effective conservation involves in situ and ex situ conservation techniques. Ex situ conservation of wild plant species by seed banks has been used for a decade to preserve biological and genetic diversity. However, ex situ collection may be ineffective in preserving genetic diversity due to a decline in fitness for small and isolated plant populations, environmental pressures like replacement, fragmentation, habitat destruction, and pollution leading to potential genetic risks, growing plants ex situ exposes them to new environmental conditions, a loss of adaptive response and adaptation to the original environment. This raise concerns that ex situ cultivated plants may be less well adapted to their original environment and less suitable for reintroduction in to the wild.

Author(s): Solomon Abebe

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