What is crop diversity?

Crop diversity is the variance in genetic and phenotypic characteristics of plants used in agriculture. Over the past 50 years, there has been a major decline in two components of crop diversity; genetic diversity within each crop and the number of species commonly grown.

Why seed diversity is important?

Seed diversity is critical to our food supply because individual varietals can get wiped out by disease and climate changes, according to the University of Chicago Food Security initiative.

Why is it important to preserve the genetic diversity of crops?

Genetic diversity is needed to safeguard potentially vital traits that could be used to combat an unexpected future pest or adapt to the needs of the world’s food supply. Plant breeders utilize genetic diversity to create improved crop varieties with traits such as yield, pest resistance and environment stress.

Why are crops so important?

Importance of Crop Production Agronomic crops provide the food, feed grain, oil, and fiber for domestic consumption and are a major component of U.S. export trade. Horticultural plants — those grown specifically for human use — offer variety to human diets and enhance the living environment.

How do you maintain crop diversity?

Crop rotations, management of crop residues, conservation tillage, incorporation of animal manures and the use of nitrogen-fixing crops can increase soil health and productivity. Breaks insect, disease and weed cycles Diverse plantings often decrease insect pest populations.

Why is a diversity of plants important in a garden or on a farm?

Biodiversity offers significant protection for your garden. To increase biodiversity in your garden, avoid chemicals — including pesticides and fertilizers (which can kill soil organisms) — and plant a wide variety of plants, including natives and perennials.

Why is diversity in plants and animals important?

The diversity of plant and animal resources underpins the wellbeing of society and serves as an important source of food and income, particularly for poor communities living in rural areas. Domestic plant and animal species are used for food and agriculture.

What are the benefits of diversity on a farm?

The benefits of incorporating biodiversity into agriculture range from enhancing soil health, habitat establishment, biological pest control, nutrient cycling, erosion resistance, fertilizer reduction, infiltration, and the prevention of runoff into waterways.

Why do we diversify crops?

Through crop diversification, farming households can spread production and economic risk over a broader range of crops, thus reducing financial risks associated with unfavorable weather or market shocks. Growing diverse produce may also help financially by expanding the market potential.

Why is crop rotation important?

A crop rotation can help to manage your soil and fertility, reduce erosion, improve your soil’s health, and increase nutrients available for crops.

How can crop diversity be improved?

Strategies for increasing biodiversity: Include beneficial flowers, perennials, hedgerows or areas of uncultivated land. Provide nesting areas for pollinators. Incorporate cover crops.

What is diversity in plants and animals?

The diversity or variety among the different species in the living organisms that are present on planet Earth is called the Biodiversity of plants and animals. Studying the concept of Biodiversity involves counting the total number of species living in a specific area.

Why is crop diversity important for agriculture?

Crop diversity is one of humanity’s most potent weapons in the fight against hunger and poverty. The use of a greater diversity of available crops is a strategy that farmers can apply to develop their own agricultural systems with minimal environmental impacts.

How does crop diversity loss threaten global food security?

Crop diversity loss threatens global food security, as the world’s human population depends on a diminishing number of varieties of a diminishing number of crop species. Crops are increasingly grown in monoculture, meaning that if, as in the historic Irish Potato Famine, a single disease overcomes a variety’s resistance,…

What is the importance of genetic variability in agriculture?

While genetic variability provides farmers with plants that have a higher resilience to pests and diseases and allows scientists access to a more diverse genome than can be found in highly selected crops. The breeding of monocultural crops steadily reduces genetic diversity as desirable traits are selected, and undesirable traits are removed.

Can we secure crop diversity globally by 2020?

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG Target 2.5, calls to secure crop diversity globally by the year 2020, as a prerequisite for food security and nutrition. This is one of the few near-term targets of the SDGs, making it truly urgent to achieve this goal but also very plausible if we all work together.