Inno. Farm., 2(1): 63-65, 201 GENETIC EROSION: A Vijayata Singh*, Jogendra Singh, Central Soil Salinity Research Instit *Corresponding author’s E-mail: vi KEY WORDS: Genetic erosion, Biodiversity, Conservation ARTICLE INFO Received on: 14.12.16 Revised on: 29.01.17 Accepted on: 30.01.17 ABSTRACT Genetic erosi individual ge such as those the natural en used in a nar referring to th erosion in cr population pr systems. Gen conservation, Introduction World population is expected to rea by feeding them will require productivity. The world needs asto food production to feed this popu resources (PGR) constitute the agriculture and world’s food securit genetic diversity in the plant germ critical to the world’s combat to th the primary source of genetic mater plant varieties and are a reservoir Inherent genetic diversity response for genetic adaptation and evolu species experiences threats to it diversity enables a plant species to environments i.e. new pests and d calamities including various abiotic farmers provided valuable heritag major and minor crops which adap evolved due to natural and artific over the millennium (Myers, 1994). The future breeding is based o landraces, wild and weedy re threatened by various factors of gen 17 Singh et al., 2017 www.in A THREAT TO BIODIVERSITY DE , Awtar Singh, Arijit Barman, Sagar Vibhute and R tute, Karnal, Haryana-132001, INDIA ijayatasingh.gpb@gmail.com ion in crop biodiversity is the loss of genetic diver enes, and the loss of particular combination of ge e manifested in locally adapted landraces of domes nvironment in which they originated. The term gen rrow sense, such as for the loss of alleles or genes, he loss of varieties or even species. The major driv rops are: variety replacement, land cleaning, ove ressure, environmental degradation, overgrazing, a netic erosion can be prevented by four ways, , off farm or ex-situ conservation and complementa ach 10 billion in 2050 a boost in crop onishing increase in ulation. Plant genetic base upon which ity is depending. The mplasm collections is he hunger. They are rial for breeding new of genetic diversity. e to selective forces ution at the time a ts survival. Genetic o adapt the changing diseases and natural c stresses. Traditional ge of genotypes of pted locally and have cial selection forces . on genetic base of elatives have been netic erosion. Genetic erosion (Loss of g genetic resources could also world’s food security in the lo the potential of species to pe and biotic stresses as wel population to cope with short change. Detecting and asse been suggested as the first pri protect the loss of genetic div Causes of Genetic erosion It refers to the gradual reduc in the population of a spec various genotypes. In other diversity caused by eithe processes is referred to as gen erosion is more in endangere occurs because each indivi unique genes which get lo reproduction. Low genetic d plants leads to a further re Inbreeding and a weakening eventual extinction of a spec of genetic erosion, viz. Innovativ -An International Jo nnovativefarming.in Page | 63 Popular Article EPLETION R. S. Tolia rsity, including the loss of enes (or gene complexes) sticated plants adapted to netic erosion is sometimes , as well as more broadly, ving forces behind genetic er exploitation of species, and changing agricultural viz. on farm or in-situ ary conservation. genetic variation) of these pose a severe threat to the ong term and may decrease ersist in the face of abiotic ll alter the ability of a t-term challenges of climate essing genetic erosion has iority in any major effort to versity. ction in genetic variability, cies, due to elimination of words, the loss of genetic er natural or man-made netic erosion. Thus, genetic ed species. Genetic erosion idual genotype has many oss when it dies without diversity in wild species of eduction in the gene pool. of immune system lead to cies. There are five reasons ve Farming ournal of Agriculture