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Genetic Diversity

What is Genetic Diversity?

Crop domestication and subsequent breeding efforts has resulted in modern crops with a restricted genetic base sometimes referred to as ‘allelic canalisation’.



The selection process can lead to great variation in morphology between crop types but with overall reduced genetic diversity.

The diversity in the species genepool can be captured in the form of diversity fixed foundation sets. This un-adapted genetic variation can be adapted using traditional breeding methods in unison with DNA markers to breed better crops.