Presentation entitled "Centres of origin- biodiversity and its significance" explains all the basics and some recent aspects regarding center of origins of some crops.

1. PROFESSOR JAYASHANKAR TELANGANA STATE
AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
College of Agriculture, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad- 500030
Presented by,
Ajay Kumar Chandra
RAM/14-97
M.Sc. (Ag) Mol. Biology & Biotechnology
CENTRES OF ORIGIN-
BIODIVERSITY AND ITS
SIGNIFICANCE

2. Introduction
• Center of origin is the region of the world where a crop is believed to have
originated.
• Knowledge of time and place of origin is important
- For taxonomists and plant breeders.
- Present day plants are much different than the wild varieties.
Genetically and morphologically different
Several genes (characteristics) are selected
- Loss of plants is loss of gene pools from which new traits can be retrieved.
- Breeders used it to identify diverse forms of the species with useful traits
or characters for crop improvement.
- Used by crop protectionist in designing biological control e.g. cassava
meal bug .

3. Where did our crops originate?
• Evidence for the origins of agriculture comes from archaeological excavations
and botanical observations on the distribution of the relatives of our domesticated
crops.

4. Alphonse De Candolle(1883)
• Wrote a book “PHYTOGRAPHIE” on the origin of cultivated plants.
• Wild relatives of the major crops (rice, wheat, beans).
• French systematic botanist (taxonomist) proposed that the crops of the world
originated in 3 centers:
1). Mesoamerica
2). the Fertile Crescent of the Middle East
3). South East Asia.
• Criteria for recognizing centers of origin
– Places where a plant grows spontaneously in a wild state.
– Places where fragments of plants in old deposits and buildings (archeological
and palaeobotanical) are found.
– Archives describing the adventures of travelers.
– Philogical (naming) origin.

5. N. I. Vavilov (1926)
• Vavilov concluded that the most likely areas of
origin were, where the plant was cultivated and
the wild ancestors grew.
Further, the areas of origin should be areas in
which there was lots of variation.
• He was interested in the presence of wild
ancestors.
In 1926 he published "Studies on the Origin of
Cultivated Plants" which described his theories
on the origins of crops.
• Based on genetics, chromosome studies, and
anatomical data.
(1) Mexico-Guatemala, (2) Peru-Ecuador-Bolivia, (2A) Southern Chile, (2B) Southern Brazil, (3)
Mediterranean, (4) Middle East, (5) Ethiopia, (6) Central Asia, (7) Indo-Burma, (7A) Siam-
Malaya-Java, (8) China and Korea.

6. Cont….
• Vavilov concluded that each crop has a characteristic primary center of
diversity which is also its center of origin.
• Eight areas were recognized and suggested as centers from which all of our
major crops were domesticated. Later, he modified his theory to include
"secondary centers of diversity" for some crops.
• 1n 1926, N.I. Vavilov, proposed and classified as
1). Primary centers of origin
- Crops evolved from wild species in the areas showing maximum
diversity.
2). Secondary centers of origin
- in some areas, certain crop species show considerable diversity
of forms, although they did not originate there.

7. • largest & oldest independent center .
- Includes the mountainous regions of central and western China, and
adjacent lowlands.
- A total of 136 endemic plants are listed.
a). Primary center of origin- soybean, radish, orange, pear, millets,
oats and Chinese cabbage.
b). secondary center of origin- maize, rajma, cowpea, turnip and
sesame.
Chinese Center of origin
Mediterranean Center
• Includes the borders of the Mediterranean Sea.
• 84 plants are listed for
Cereals and Legumes: durum wheat, Mediterranean oats, sand oats, pea.
Forage Plants: Egyptian clover, white clover
Fiber Plants: flax, rape, black mustard, olive
Vegetables: garden beet, cabbage, turnip, lettuce, asparagus.
Ethereal Oil and Spice Plants: peppermint.

8. Indian (Hindustan) Center
• Two sub-centers
1). Indo-Burma: Main Center (India): Includes Assam and Burma, but not
Northwest India, Punjab, nor Northwest Frontier Provinces.
- includes 117 plants, such as
Cereals and Legumes: rice, chickpea, pigeonpea, mung bean, cowpea.
Vegetables and Tubers: eggplant, cucumber, radish, taro, yam
Fruits: mango, orange, tangerine, citron, tamarind
Sugar, Oil, and Fiber Plants: sugar cane, coconut palm, sesame, safflower,
cotton, jute.
Spices, Stimulants, Dyes, and Miscellaneous: hemp, black pepper,
sandalwood, bamboo.
2). Siam-Malaya-Java: Includes Indo-China and the Malay Archipelago,
- includes 55 plants, such as
Fruits: banana
Miscellaneous: : coconut palm, sugarcane, clove

9. Central Asiatic Center
• Includes Northwest India (Punjab, Northwest Frontier Provinces and Kashmir),
Afghanistan, Tadjikistan, Uzbekistan, and western Tian-Shan.
• includes 43 plants species, such as
Grains and Legumes: wheat, peas, lentil, chickpea, mustard, sesame, mung
bean.
Fiber Plants: hemp, cotton
Vegetables: onion, garlic, spinach, carrot
Fruits: pear, almond, grape, apple.
Middle East or Persian
• Includes interior of Asia Minor, all of Transcaucasia, Iran, and the highlands of
Turkmenistan. 83 plants species
Grains and Legumes: common wheat, oriental wheat, Persian wheat, lentil
rye, Mediterranean oats, common oats.
Forage Plants: alfalfa, Persian clover
Fruits: fig, pomegranate, apple, pear, cherry.

10. Ethiopia
• Includes Abyssinia, Eritrea, and part of Somaliland.
• 38 species listed; rich in wheat and barley.
Grains and Legumes: Abyssinian hard wheat, barley, sorghum, pearl
millet, African millet, cowpea.
Miscellaneous: sesame, castor bean, coffee, okra.
Central American or South Mexican Center
• Includes southern sections of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Costa Rica.
Grains and Legumes: maize, common bean, jack bean, grain amaranth
Melon Plants: malabar gourd, winter pumpkin.
Fiber Plants: upland cotton, bourbon cotton, henequen (sisal)
Miscellaneous: sweetpotato, pepper, papaya, guava, cashew, wild black
cherry, cherry tomato, cacao.

11. South American Center
• 62 plants listed.
• Three sub centers
i) Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia Center:
- Comprised mainly of the high mountainous areas
Root Tubers: Andean cultivated potato species.
Grains and Legumes: starchy maize, lima bean, common bean
Vegetable Crops: tomato, ground cherry, pumpkin, pepper
Fiber Plants: Egyptian cotton
Fruit and Miscellaneous: cocoa, guava, quinine tree, tobacco
ii) Chile Center (Island near the coast of southern Chile)
Common potato , Chilean strawberry
iii) Brazil-Paraguay Center
peanut, rubber tree, pineapple, Brazil nut, cashew.

12. USA centre
• No major cultivated crop origins
- relies on introduced crops
- many minor fruit and nut crops: American grapes and plums, pecan,
chestnut, hickory nut, hazelnut, black walnut, persimmon,
blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, and cranberry.
- Additional crops: sunflower ,Jerusalem artichoke
- some grasses
- many ornamentals
- Timber tree species

13. • Opposed Vavilov’s eight centers.
• Harlan concluded that there were three
"centers":
1). Near East
2). Northern China
3). Meso-America
• Three other areas with diffuse origins (S.E.
Asia, S. America, and much of Africa) that he
called "non-centers".
Further, it had become clear that a "center of
origin" often was not the same as a "center of
diversity".
• Harlan concluded that it is very difficult to
separate the origin and later expansion of a
successful crop.
Jack R. Harlan

14. Biodiversity and Agriculture are strongly
interdependent
• Biodiversity is the basis of agriculture. It has enabled farming systems to evolve ever since
agriculture was first developed some 10,000 years ago.
• Biodiversity is the origin of all species of crops and domesticated livestock and the variety
within them.
• It is also the foundation of ecosystem services essential to sustain agriculture and human
well-being. Today's crop biodiversity are the result of many thousands years of human
intervention.
• Biodiversity and agriculture are strongly interrelated because while biodiversity is critical for
agriculture, agriculture can also contribute to conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
Indeed, sustainable agriculture both promotes and is enhanced by biodiversity.
• Maintenance of this biodiversity is essential for the sustainable production of food and other
agricultural products and the benefits these provide to humanity, including food security,
nutrition and livelihoods.

15. Biodiversity
• Biodiversity refers to the total variability present within and among species of
all living organisms and their habitats.
Or
Biodiversity is the totality of genes, species and ecosystem in a region.
• Three types
1). Genetic diversity
- Variation within genetic constitution of an organism.
2). Species diversity
- variation of species within a region.
3). Ecosystem diversity
- variation in ecosystems within a country.
• Crop genetic diversity provides an insurance against crop losses due to disease and
pest.
E.g. land races provides protection from biotic and abiotic stresses due to
genetic diversity.
• Biodiversity is getting eroded due to factors responsible for genetic erosion.

16. Center of Diversity
• Center of diversity is the region of the world where the greatest variability in crop species is
believed to have occurred.
• Centers of origin are also considered centers of diversity.
• A Vavilov Center (or, Vavilov Center of Diversity) is a region of the world first indicated
by Dr. Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov to be an original center for the domestication of plants.
• Types of centers of diversity
1). Primary center of diversity
2). Secondary center of diversity, and
3). Micro-centres

17. Center of Diversity
Feature Primary centres of diversity Secondary centres of diversity
Definition Regions of vast genetic
diversity of crop plants
Valuable forms of crop plants
are found far away from their
primary areas of origin.
Genetic diversity Wide Lesser than primary
Regions includes Original homes of the crop
plants which are generally
uncultivated areas like
mountain, hills, river valleys.
Generally cultivated areas
Genetic activity Dominant genes Recessive genes
Characters contains Wild Characters Desirable Characters
Crossing over Exhibits lesser Exhibits more
Selection operates Only natural Both natural and artificial

18. Microcenters
• J. R. Harlon made exploration to turkey and added micro centres.
• Small areas within the centres of diversity exhibit tremendous genetic
diversity of some crop plants, referred as micro centres.
• These are important sources for the collecting valuable plant forms and also
for the study of evolution of cultivated species.
• The main features are:
a). They represents small areas within the centres of diversity.
b). Exhibit tremendous genetic diversity.
c). The rate of natural evolution is faster than larger areas.
d). They are important sites for the study of crop evolution.

19. Mega- gene centres
• Zeven- zhukovsksy (1975) and zeven-de Wet (1982), recognised 12- mega gene
centres of crop plant diversity and a number of micro gene centres of wild growing
species related to our crop plants.
• These includes:
1). Chinese- Japanese region
2). Indo- Chinese- Indonesian region
3). Australia - New Zealand region
4). Indian (Hindustan) region
5). Central Asian region
6). Near eastern Asian region
7). Mediterranean region
8). African
9). Europe - Siberia
10). South American
11). Mexico & Central America
12). North America

20. Genetic erosion in Agricultural biodiversity
• Genetic erosion in agricultural biodiversity is the loss of genetic diversity, including
the loss of individual genes, and the loss of particular combinations of genes (or
gene complexes) such as those manifested in locally adapted landraces or breeds.
• The major driving forces behind genetic erosion in crops are:
- Variety replacement
- Land clearing
- Overexploitation of species
- Population pressure
- Environmental degradation
- Overgrazing
- Govt. policy and
- Changing agricultural systems.

21. Why Agricultural biodiversity matters?
• Foundation of agriculture.
• Can provide a cost-effective way for farmers to manage pests and diseases.
• Gives farmers options to manage climate risks.
• Can contribute to health and nutrition.
• Can play a role in sustaining soil health, food and habitat for important
pollinators and natural pest predators that are vital to agricultural production.
• Traditional knowledge and culture is often based on local species diversity and
its use.
Important:

22. What's the Problem?
• Agriculture has to face two main challenges in relation with biodiversity:
1). To sustain agricultural biodiversity and ecosystem services provided by, and necessary
for agriculture, and
2). To mitigate the negative impacts of agricultural systems and practices on biodiversity
which is not used directly whether in the same or other ecosystems?
• The major challenge for agriculture is to ensure food security, adequate nutrition and stable
livelihoods for all, now and in the future, by increasing food production while adopting
sustainable and efficient agriculture, sustainable consumption of resources, and landscape-
level planning to ensure the preservation of biodiversity.

23. Organizations, technology and solutions
The implications of crop diversity are at both the local and world level, and numerous
organizations are emerging with great global backing in response to this ideology.
• Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI – now known as Biodiversity International), the
International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (ITTA), the Borlaug Global Rust Initiative,
and the International Network for Improvement of Banana and Plantain (INIBAP),
Members of the United Nations, at the World Summit on Sustainable Development 2002 at
Johannesburg.
• The Global Crop Diversity Trust ,ensure the conservation and availability of crop diversity
for food security worldwide.
• The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is a consortium
of International Agriculture Research Centers (IARC) conduct research on and preserve
germplasm..
• National germplasm storage centers including the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National
Center for Genetic Resources Preservation, India's National Bureau of Plant Genetic
Resources (NBPGR), and the Australian Network of Plant Genetic Resource Centers.
• Organizations such as the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Conservation
Union (IUCN) are non-profit organizations that provide funding and other support to off site
and on site conservation efforts.

24. Thanks
have a nice day…