Research

An analysis of the in-situ conservation status of fruit and nut Crop Wild Relatives in Central Asia

Iowa State University Global Resource Systems senior thesis | December 2021

Abstract: Crop Wild Relatives (CWR) are critical harbors of genetic traits and resources that underpin the modern success of our plant breeding and wider food system. Protecting these genetic resources in the wild is key to their future utilization in crop improvement programs for yield, disease and pest resistance, and resilience against increasingly intense environmental stressors. Central Asia is an important center for CWR conservation, being the center of origin for a number of economically and culturally important fruit and nut crops. There is a diverse set of threats to the conservation of CWR populations in central Asia. This review seeks to compile and assess these limitations to better understand the general and unique threats that undermine the wild populations of 14 fruit and nut crops in the region. This literature review (n = 15 papers) identified threats that are multivariable and include genetic, land-use, pest and disease, governance, and socio-cultural drivers of population degradation. A better understanding of which issues apply to which crops and at what scale can better inform preservation efforts in the region. Gaps in research are identified, specifically a lack of research exploring social, cultural, and economic causes of CWR decline and a gap in research exploring more niche CWR populations. Policy recommendations are made towards limiting genetic erosion, enhancing landscape protection, and diversifying agriculture in the region in the hope of furthering the wild conservation of these essential genetic resources.

Comparing Genetically Modified Varieties of Maize in Waterlogged Conditions

Borlaug Dialogue poster presentation | October 2019 | With Dr. Yuyi Zhou

Abstract: Waterlogging is a major and often understudied issue affecting maize farmers across the world, especially in developing countries. This project takes two different lines of Zea mays, which have been genetically modified to over-express two segments of the genome. They were grown under normal and waterlogged conditions and compared by physical development to a standard variety of corn. The lines of maize were then compared in both terms of root activity and the level of expression in the genome. The first set of maize showed no signs of waterlogging resistance, and maize from the second set showed some signs of resistance to waterlogging