LAUSR

PMB group of NIAB has created new agro-bio-diversity through conservation into commercial cultivars, genomes of 5 different accessions of Aegilops geneculata (syn. ovata). The objectives were to produce new agricultural bio-diversity for stressed lands and enhancing the existing one through the use of wild relatives of wheat. The accessions were collected from abroad and within the country and are no more available. However, the genomes of these accessions conserved in commercial cultivars are available for improvement of salinity and water deficiency tolerance in wheat. Compared to in situ and ex situ, in vivo conservation is selective yet two steps ahead of the former two. Firstly, genome conserved in vivo is known for its specific characters. Secondly, its cross-ability with wheat is also known. For in-situ and ex-situ conservation, first the germplasm is to be collected followed by screening for specific characters. The selected species/accession would then be crossed to transfer the required characters to the commercial cultivars if the two are crossable. In-vivo conservation is therefore, less cumbersome, economical, and more practical.