Importance of wild species for the improvement of fruit crops

Abstract

Inchanging climate scenario there is a great challenge for us to produce more food and nutritional security. There are several constraints to achieve the desirable production and productivity level in horticultural crops especially in fruit crops. As population is increases day by day there is a great challenge for us to overcome all these constraints like biotic and abiotic stresses. Among all technological advancement crop improvement techniques will be very useful to overcome these problems. For crop improvement availability of a desired traits /sufficient germplasm is prerequisite and there are lot of wild species are available in fruit crops. Exploitation of wild species of fruit crops to a large extent depend on the efficient use of germplasm resources available in natural habitat, which will be used as a parent. To bring a greater diversity into the breeding pool, it requires introduction of exotic and wild material. In fruit crops, wild species are of considerable importance in improvement programmed as a source for several biotic and abiotic stresses.