Spreading Seeds by Human Migration
Using DNA collected from corn grown by immigrant farmers in Los Angeles and Riverside, researchers at the University of California, Riverside have found the genetic diversity of corn in some home and community gardens in Southern California far exceeds levels found in commercially available seeds.
The researchers cautioned that this is a preliminary study with a small sample size. Future research would expand to include a greater number of gardens, and focus on characteristics of the corn, such as tolerance to drought, difference in cob size and flowering time.
The research addresses the importance of maintaining a diverse range of genetic resources for future crop improvement. A broad mix of genetic material is useful for breeding modern improved lines, minimizing the vulnerability of inbred crops to pathogens and pests, improving performance and incorporating unique traits.
Yet, crop genetic diversity is threatened in developing and developed countries as policies and program encourage the use of relatively homogeneousmodern cultivars and as people migrate from farms to cities, often abandoning farming altogether.
Using DNA collected from corn grown by immigrant farmers in Los Angeles and Riverside, researchers at the University of California, Riverside have found the genetic diversity of corn in some home and community gardens in Southern California far exceeds levels found in commercially available seeds.
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