Genetic Erossion of Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) in Ethiopia: a Review

Abstract

Ethiopia is the birthplace and diversification hub for several cultivated crops and wild relatives.
Farmers use, protect, and manage these different genetic resources to satisfy their livelihood
requirements using indigenous knowledge. Due to the changing nature of agricultural
production, Ethiopia's anchote genetic diversity, notably that of landraces, is today facing major
genetic degradation and irreversible losses. Currently, indigenous crop genetic resources and
farmers' traditional knowledge are critically threatened and vulnerable to rapid genetic erosion.
Natural disasters, population pressure, change in farming system, market preferences,
agricultural modernizations, urbanization, cost of stake, biotic factors, and changing cropping
patterns as a result of climate change and environmental degradation are the main factors that
have greatly influenced the magnitude of crop genetic diversity in the country. If this tendency
continues, the crop genetic resource gene pool may be depleted in the near future. As a result,
assessing Ethiopian genetic resources, estimating the pace of loss, and identifying main variables
that cause genetic erosion are critical for conservation and long-term utilization of Anchote.