Should Plant Breeders be Denied of Genetic Resources from Protected Areas?

Cultivated plants have evolved from their close wild relatives through thousands of years of evolution and selection. Crop wild relatives (CWRs) are taxa closely related to crop plants and form an important source for incorporation of useful traits like biotic and abiotic stress tolerance, which are critical for food and nutritional security and environmental sustainability1,2. Over 167 crops and about 320 high priority CWRs are believed to have originated in India3, which has been designated as the Hindustani Centre of Origin and Diversity by Vavilov4. India is the primary centre of origin of rice, sugarcane, green gram, black gram, jute, mango, citrus, banana, jackfruit, snake gourd, yams, taro, turmeric, ginger, cardamom, black pepper, etc.