Isozyme assessment of plant genetic resources

The genetic resources of cultivated plants consist of the genetic diversity present among developed cultivars, in the land races or primitive stocks, and in wild populations of their evolutionary relatives. Genetic evaluation of these resources through isozyme studies provides an important aid in efficient collection, storage, and use. Recent isozyme studies with barley exemplify these points. The allelic isozyme diversity present in 12 land race samples from Iran has been compared with that found in cultivars on the one hand, and natural populations of wild barley (H spontaneum) on the other. The primitive materials were on average more variable than the cultivars but less variable than the wild populations, supporting the view that the land races are or crucial importance in genetic conservation. Some roles for isozyme data in the manipulation of genetic resources have been outlined.