Crop domestication has been inferred genetically from neutral markers and increasingly from specific domestication-associated loci. However, some crops are utilized for multiple purposes that may or may not be reflected in a single domestication-associated locus. One such example is cultivated flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), the earliest oil and fiber crop, for which domestication history remain...

The genus Cannabis (Family Cannabaceae) is probably indigenous to wet habitats of Asiatic continent. The long coexistence between mankind and Cannabis led to an early domestication of the plant, which soon showed an amazing spectrum of possible utilizations, as a source of textile fibers, as well as narcotic and psychoactive compounds. Nowadays, the specie(s) belonging to the genus Cannabis are...

Both the origin of domesticated apple and the overall phylogeny of the genus Malus are still not completely resolved. Having this as a target, we built a 134,553-position-long alignment including two previously published chloroplast DNAs (cpDNAs) and 45 de novo sequenced, fully colinear chloroplast genomes from cultivated apple varieties and wild apple species. The data produced are free from c...

Arcelin, the antimetabolic protein from wild pulses is a known natural insecticidal molecule. Wild pulses with high arcelin content could serve as potential source to. increase the levels of insect resistance in cultivated pulse crops. In this study, arcelin (Arl) gene expression was screened in seven stored product insect pest resistant wild pulse varieties using real time RT-qPCR. Arcelin gen...

Climate changes will have an impact on food production and will require costly adaptive responses. Adapting to a changing environment will be particularly challenging in sub-Saharan Africa where climate change is expected to have a major impact. However, one important phenomenon that is often overlooked and is poorly documented is the ability of agro-systems to rapidly adapt to environmental va...

The aim of the study was to document wheat landraces that were and and Dandi districts, West Shewa, Ethiopia; and to investigate the extent of genetic loss and its causes. Survey was carried out in three Peasant Associations of Ambo District and four Peasant Associations of Dandi District from 2007 to 2008. Three to five farmers’ group per Peasant Association containing 5 to 12 individual farme...

Manioc (Manihot esculenta Crantz) originated in Amazonia and is the main staple for more than 800 million people worldwide; it also had a fundamental role as a source of calories for many pre-Columbian peoples, especially in Amazonia, where it was domesticated. There are two major groups of manioc varieties: sweet varieties have low amounts of toxic substances (cyanogenic glycosides) and may be...