Landraces – UPSC Prelims

Landraces:
  • Landraces refer to naturally occurring variants of commonly cultivated crops.
  • These are different from commercially grown crops, which are developed by selective breeding (hybrids) or through genetic engineering to express a certain trait over others.
  • Naturally occurring landraces still have a large pool of still untapped genetic material, which can provide solutions to climate change induced biotic and abiotic stress factors.
  • With proper agricultural practices, landraces can give better yield with lower input costs.
  • Landraces are richer in nutrients than commercially grown variants.
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