Harnessing Indian genetic heritage: plant genetic resources as foundational tools for sustainable plant health management

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture faces a critical challenge: feeding a growing global population while mitigating
the impacts of climate change, pest evolution, and a reliance on chemical inputs. This review argues that Plant Genetic Resources (PGR) serve as a foundational, pre-emptive toolkit for achieving sustainable plant health. We explore how genetic diversity, particularly in landraces and crop wild relatives (CWRs), provides durable, multi-gene resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. This principle is demonstrated through compelling case studies across major crops, including wheat, rice, and maize, and a few vegetable crops. The paper highlights the role of modern tools—such as high-throughput phenotyping, genomic sequencing, and CRISPR-Cas9—in rapidly identifying and deploying these valuable traits. While India possesses a vast and rich genetic heritage, its effective utilization is currently hindered by a significant utilization deficit, fragmented data systems, and complex policy hurdles. We propose a proactive roadmap to address these challenges, focused on the creation of a national “PGR-to-product” pipeline, seamless digital integration of data, and robust institutional support for Community Seed Banks (CSBs), to transform India’s genetic heritage from a conserved asset into a dynamic engine for resilient, sustainable agriculture.