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wild-relatives

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Wild relatives are the untamed ancestral and closely related species of domesticated crops that retain genetic diversity lost during agricultural breeding. These plants harbor valuable traits—such as drought tolerance, pest resistance, and disease immunity—that can be introgressed into cultivated varieties to improve resilience and yield. Studying and conserving wild relatives is essential for plant science as they represent an irreplaceable genetic reservoir for adapting crops to changing climates and emerging threats.

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