DISTRIBUTION OF GENETIC RICHNESS

THERE IS A HISTORICAL DISPROPORTION IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF PLANT SPECIES. THOSE THAT ARE NOW CALLED AS INDUSTRIALIZED, DEVELOPED NORTH COUNTRIES ARE HISTORICALLY GENE POOR. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE DEVELOPING SOUTH COUNTRIES ARE GENE RICH COUNTRIES. TILL SOME CENTURIES AGO, MUCH OF THE PLANT DIVERSITY WAS CONCENTRATED BETWEEN THE TWO TROPICS, WITH A VERY FEW PLANT SPECIES IN THE CONTINENTAL EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA.

OVER THE YEARS, THE PRESENT DAY DEVELOPED COUNTRIES HAVE NOT ONLY SUCCEEDED IN ACCLIMATIZING PLANT SPECIES FOR FOOD, FIBRE AND MEDICINAL NEEDS, BUT ALSO IMPROVED THEIR PRODUCTIVITY. DEVELOPING COUNTRIES CONTRIBUTE 96 PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S TONNAGE IN FOOD THROUGH INTER DEPENDENCE AMONG REGIONS OF GENETIC DIVERSITY AND REGIONS OF CROP PRODUCTIVITY.

THE WILD FORESTS CONTAIN A TREMENDOUS VARIETY OF BIODIVERSITY AND ECONOMICALLY USEFUL PLANTS. THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF VARIETIES OF POTATOES, SWEET POTATOES, RICE, WITH UNEXPLORED GENETIC ABILITIES TO ADJUST TO NEW CLIMATES AND TO RESIST VARIOUS DISEASES. MOST OF THE CURRENTLY HIGH YIELDING RICE CULTIVARS HAVE BEEN MADE DISEASE RESISTANT BY THE TRANSFER OF RESISTANT GENES OBTAINED FROM AN INDIAN WILD RICE ORYZA NIVARA. HAD THIS ONE WILD INDIAN RICE BECOME EXTINCT BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF ITS RESISTANT GENE, THE LOSS TO WOULD HAVE RUN INTO BILLIONS OF RUPEES PER YEAR THAT WOULD HAVE GONE ON PESTICIDES TO KILL THE PESTS.  WILD WHEAT HAS INCREASED THE PRODUCTION OF WHEAT TO THE TUNE OF 50 MILLION US DOLLARS ANNUALLY. A GENE FROM AN ETHIOPIAN BARLEY FOR RESISTANCE AGAINST YELLOW DWARF VIRUS HAS RESULTED IN THE SALE OF WHEAT GAINING 160 MILLION US DOLLARS ANNUALLY.