Untapped Genetic Diversity of Wild Relatives for Crop Improvement

We live in a time when, thanks to the achievements of a modern civilization, the consumption and destruction are uncontrolled of what ensures human survival on the planet – the biosphere. Special pressure is focused on biodiversity, equally to all its elements – genes, species, and ecosystems. In order to ensure sustainable food supply for increasing human population, new varieties with increased tolerance to environmental stresses need to be created. Due to the richness of genetic diversity, CWR show very high adaptability in a fairly wide range of ecological conditions. Therefore, in order to preserve the adaptability of crops and future food safety, CWR, as a critical component of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture, will be needed more than ever before. There is no doubt that climate change in the future will increasingly affect the survival of wild species. The ever-present loss of their germplasm and habitat requires greater mobility in their protection. It is therefore necessary to take urgent steps to preserve these resources both in their natural habitats (in situ) and in the gene banks (ex situ), while the genetic diversity they contain is still available. Any further postponement of their conservation would lead to further disturbance of biodiversity, and these activities would become even more uncertain in the future. For these reasons it is necessary to develop acceptable conservation agendas as soon as possible that will offer a solution where and how to protect the diversity of wild relatives in situ. Due to their actual or potential value, this should be done as soon as possible in order to ensure continuous crop improvement for food sustainability through the conservation of CWR diversity.