Genetic Divergence in Crop Plants: Driving Forces, Analytical Methods, and Breeding Implications
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15109659Keywords:
Crop Improvement, Genetic Divergence, Molecular Markers, Plant Breeding, Genomic DataAbstract
Genetic divergence, defined as the accumulation of genetic differences between populations, holds fundamental importance in plant breeding and is crucial for the development of new and improved crop varieties. The factors that promote genetic divergence between populations consist of natural selection along with genetic drift together with mutation and gene flow and controlled breeding techniques. The study of genetic divergence employs four distinct analytical approaches which include morphological traits together with cytological markers and biochemical markers and molecular markers as well as genomic data. Studies of finger millet and chickpea along with rice and soybean farming confirm that genetic divergence serves as a key tool for finding distinct genetic elements as well as important traits for conservation. The article surveys the estimation techniques alongside statistical programs which aid genetic divergence determination. Plant breeders can achieve better adapted crop varieties through population diversity conservation which leads to enhanced food security and sustainable agriculture. The detailed content overview gives important findings to both researchers and breeders who want to increase crop variety diversity and adaptiveness against environmental changes.
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