Buckwheat ( Fagopyrum sp.) genetic resources: What can they contribute towards nutritional security of changing world?
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REVIEW PAPER
Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) genetic resources: What can they contribute towards nutritional security of changing world? Mohar Singh . Nikhil Malhotra . Kriti Sharma
Received: 6 February 2020 / Accepted: 10 June 2020 Ó Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract The global population depends on fairly a small number of crops including wheat, rice and maize for food and nutrition, leaving a wealth of genetic resources neglected. Owing to ever increasing demands of the growing world, food production must be increased but research evidences suggests that climate change has adversely affected crop yields, thereby impacting whole agriculture. Exploring the potential reservoir of underutilized crops would provide a highly diversified agricultural production system in sustaining food and nutritional security under climate change. Buckwheat (Fagopyrum sp.) is one such crop representing a broad gene pool harboring diverse genetic resources for future agriculture due to their suitability to marginalized environments. Research advancements suggest that buckwheat has immense potential of commercialization due to presence of essential nutrients and therapeutics. With a balance of bioactive components and nutraceuticals, it has the ability to withstand various environmental stresses to make it a suitable candidate crop for future nutritional security initiatives. Despite such potential, efforts pertaining to genetic improvement, including
Mohar Singh and Nikhil Malhotra have contributed equally to this work. M. Singh (&) N. Malhotra K. Sharma ICAR-National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Regional Station Phagli, Shimla, India e-mail: [email protected]
breeding and molecular techniques are not exemplary. In this review, we present a comprehensive coverage of buckwheat germplasm research done till date along with a tangible perspective of integrating breeding and omics-driven approaches to accelerate higher genetic gains. The implementation of this strategy could enhance the nutritional benefits and adaptation to changing climates for future needs. Keywords Buckwheat Genetic resources Conservation Climate change Nutritional security
Introduction Globalization of agriculture and consequent industrialization along with changing climate scenario has diminished the genetic diversity in general and, food and agriculture in particular. Adoption of monoculturing practices and technological advancements have ousted the traditional cropping practices, thereby, making the global food security and economic growth dependent on limited number of crop species. With an ever increasing human population (* 9 billion by the year 2050) and its nutritional requirements, there is an urgent need to combat food and feed deficiencies which are developing in the form of hidden hunger as per estimates of Sustainable Development Goals (Barrett 2010; FAO 2017; Allen and de Brauw 2018). According to the EASAC Policy Report
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Genet Resour Crop Evol
(2011), the underutilized crops
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