The importance of genetic resources and means of their preservation

Preservation of genetic diversity represents food security for human kind. In order to conserve it, a large number of species, genes and gene complexes need to be maintained and preserved. Additionally, genetic resources have great economic value. In OECD countries, the value of wheat resources varied between 300 million to 11,000 million dollars per annum. Genetic resources are kept in situ and ex situ. Most commonly they are kept as seeds in gene banks. .