Germplasm Collection

• The sum total of hereditary material or genes present in a species is known as the germplasm of that species.
• Therefore, a germplasm collection is the collection of a large number of genotypes of a crop species and its wild relatives.
• Germplasm collections are also known as gene banks (or world over the world).
• Germplasm collections are being made and maintained to conserve as many genotypes as possible.
• The germplasm collections contain land varieties, various wild forms, primitive races, exotic collections and highly evolved varieties.

Domestication

• The process of bringing a wild species under human management is referred to as domestication.
• Domestication may be the most basic method of plant breeding.
• Domestication continuous today and is likely to continue for some time in future.