Germplasm conservation in mulberry (Morus spp.)

As the threat from urbanization, climatic changes, out breaks of new diseases and pests, and the frequent occurrence of natural calamities increases as a result of global warming, conservation of plant genetic resources is seen widely as a necessary step to preserve the world's germplasm for posterity. Conservation strategies for vegetatively propagated plants are different from those adopted for conserving annual crops. This article summarizes the strategies that are best suited for better and safer conservation of precious genetic germplasm of mulberry, an economically important tree of Asia. An overview of the merits and demerits of in situ, ex situ and in vitro techniques as well as DNA banking or cryopreservation is provided in the context of mulberry genetic resources.