A roadmap for breeding orphan leafy vegetable species: a case study of Gynandropsis gynandra (Cleomaceae)

Abstract

Crop breeding: Tending the unattended Developing the potential of neglected crops can improve food security and economic stability of impoverished farmers. Orphan crops are local, often indigenous, crop species which have been overlooked by research and underutilized as an agricultural resource. Eric Schranz of Wageningen University and his colleagues around the world have reviewed what is known about orphan leafy vegetables and provided guidelines to coordinate research into their breeding and cultivation. The guidelines include increasing awareness of orphan crop potential, collecting and characterizing wild varieties, implementing a breeding program based on modern genetics and genomics, and integrating the needs of key players throughout the process. Orphan leafy vegetables offer an excellent opportunity for small-scale farmers to feed and support themselves, but properly developing this resource requires a concerted effort from researchers, seed companies, policy-makers, farmers, and consumers.