Nordic Crop Wild Relatives

Help us to map the distribution of crop wild relatives (CWR) in the Nordic countries! You are invited to add your own observations to this Nordic CWR group in iNaturalist.

A Crop Wild Relative (CWR) is a wild species that is closely related to a cultivated crop. This close relationship means that properties in a CWR can be transferred to the crop by traditional crossings. As modern cultivars may lack the desired variation, diversity found in CWRs can be central for adaptation to new demands on the crops. CWRs can for example contain variation in resistance to pests and diseases, tolerance to cold, waterlogging or adaptation to the large seasonal differences in day-length in the Nordic region. Use of CWRs can therefore be an important component for solving future challenges regarding food security, adaptation to climate change, and sustainable environmentally friendly agriculture.

With this iNaturalist project we invite amateur naturalists to contribute to the knowledge of crop wild relatives and their distribution across habitats in the Nordic countries.

Crop wild relatives reported here will be used to assess the conservation status and to develop improved conservation strategies for the Nordic countries.

Species checklist:
http://www.inaturalist.org/lists/525787-Nordic-Crop-Wild-Relativess-Check-List?rank=species

Project home page:
https://sites.google.com/nordgen.org/cwr/home less ↑