Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana.
Germplasm of cultivated bread wheat and durum wheat, their wild primitive forms/land races and related genera such as Aegilops, Agropyron, Secale, Elymus etc. are valuable genetic resources for upgrading wheat productivity. Over 10,000 accessions of cultivated and wild wheat and related genera are held by PAU, Ludhiana. The paper emphasises the need for rapid evaluation and characterisation of collections, evolving efficient screening techniques, gene cataloguing, strengthening of facilities for breeding work, establishment of germplasm resources centres and data documentation and retrieval system for efficient utilisation of germplasm resources. A scheme for efficient and effective utilisation of germplasm has also been suggested.
