Conservation and Use of Crop Genetic Diversity to Control Pests and Diseases in Support of Sustainable Agriculture (Phase 1)

The outcome of the project will be that resource-poor rural populations will benefit from reduced crop vulnerability to pest and disease attacks through increased use of genetic diversity on-farm. By providing farmers and NARS researchers with the tools and practices needed to manage local crop (intra-specific) genetic diversity, farmers’ options to combat pest and disease on-farm will be expanded, food security will be increased, genetic diversity conserved, and ecosystem health improved. The project will develop tools to determine when and where intra-specific crop diversity can be used to manage pest and disease pressures by integrating existing farmer knowledge, belief and practices with advances in the analysis of crop-pest/disease interactions.