Enhancing the Use of Crop Genetic Diversity to Manage Abiotic Stress in Agricultural Production Systems

Diversity can provide one means of sustaining and improving the livelihoods of farmers where or when environmental conditions are unfavourable in production systems. Much of the world's agricultural biodiversity is found in environments marginal for agricultural production. It is in such environments where management of high levels of diversity can become a central part of the livelihood management strategies of farmers and the survival of their communities. Loss of such diversity or genetic choices diminishes farmers' capacities to cope with extreme temperatures, drought and salinity. Farmers in stress-prone areas have to take particular care not to introduce non-adapted material which often fails and can lead to erosion of the desired characteristics in local varieties through unwanted crossing. Thus, in the face of constant vulnerability to loss of key stress-resistant types, the management of appropriate diversity of a specific crop constitutes a significant component of livelihood strategies of farmers in highly stressed production environments.