Webbinuarium om vilda kulturväxtsläktingar 6: "Use of wild genetic diversity (CWR) in plant breeding"

All wild plant species have an intrinsic worth and play a role in natural ecosystems. In addition, many wild species have a specific value for humans, for example they can be used directly for food, to decrease soil erosion, as building material or a wide range of other purposes. Crop Wild Relatives (CWR, wild species that are related crops) are of this latter category. They are of special relevance to humans since their traits can be transferred into cultivated crops. In this way, characteristics such as drought and heat tolerance or pest and disease resistance can be transferred into crops that lack these traits and contribute to the development of new cultivars better adapted to climate change and other future challenges.

In this lunch webinar, you will hear about practical examples where wild species have been used in plant breeding.

The webinar is part of the project “Conservation and sustainable use of genetic resources in the Nordic countries”, which is a collaboration among all Nordic countries and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers as part of the Nature-based Solutions programme. 

Speakers: Ahmed Jahoor (Nordic Seed), Saila Karhu (Natural Resources Institute Finland).

Language: English.