**Author details**

*Landraces - Traditional Variety and Natural Breed*

**7.4 Enhancement of specialty traits**

using the investigated plant material [73].

present in gene bank accessions of maize [76].

**8. Conclusions**

**7.5 Unlocking the genetic variability present in the landraces**

American landrace (Cuba 91) shown a lower number of eggs and egg batches deposition of *C. partellus* due to production of herbivore-induced plant volatiles (HIPVs)

A northeastern Indian landrace, 'Murlimakkai,' was utilized to develop Baby Corn composite VL Baby Corn [60]. Several landraces, viz., Azul, Bolita, Tlacoya, Pepitilla and Oaxaqueno, were very popular and utilized for tortilla quality.

Mexican popcorn landrace 'Palomero,' utilized to understand the landrace structure and improvement in the popping quality. Landraces had significantly higher values than checks for oil content, oleic acid, MUFA and tocopherol contents. Genetic analyses suggest that the kernel quality traits could be successfully manipulated

Using landraces for broadening the genetic base of elite maize germplasm is hampered by heterogeneity and high genetic load. Production of DH line libraries can help to overcome these problems. Landraces of maize (*Zea mays* L.) represent a vast reservoir of genetic diversity untapped by breeders. Genetic heterogeneity and a high genetic load hamper their use in hybrid breeding. Production of doubled haploid line libraries (DHL) by the in vivo haploid induction method promises to overcome these problems. Böhm et al. [74] developed doubled haploid lines from European flint landraces and reported considerable breeding progress. This reveals that there is tremendous potential of landraces for broadening the narrow genetic base of elite germplasm. DH technology's use demonstrated broadening the flint heterotic pool's narrow genetic base [75]. Altogether, the DH technology also provides new opportunities for characterizing and utilizing the genetic diversity

The domestication and crop improvement processes lead to converting teosinte into landraces and subsequently to the modern-day maize inbred. During domestication, based on genetic evidence, it is clear that selection was mainly focused on five genes. This leads to the change in the architecture and morphology of teosinte into maize. Maize has evolved distinct genetic solution towards domestication: domestication of maize has involved distinct genetic and regulatory networks have been used to acquire convergent phenotypes. During domestication and artificial selection, only a small part of the genome underwent selection, which ultimately led to the modern-day maize. So, wild relatives and landraces encompassing the unselected genes possess enormous potential as the donor for beneficial genes/ alleles. The derived inbred lines from such material could not be directly utilized in the breeding programme. They must be utilized as a donor for the specific traits, i.e., tolerance to biotic/abiotic stresses and nutritional quality traits. The utilization of wild relatives and landraces in the breeding programmes is not that easy; utilization of bridging species and embryo rescue provides the solution to this problem.

[69, 70]. The fall armyworm *Spodoptera frugiperda* J. E. Smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is one of the most damaging maize production pests in tropical areas. The maize landraces 'Chimbo' and 'Elotillo' had the lowest leaf damage, calculated by the area under the severity progress curve [71]. The maize landrace 'Pérola' from Brazil showed resistance to fall armyworm in the winter and summer seasons [72].

**40**

Devender Sharma\*, Rajesh K. Khulbe, Ramesh S. Pal, Jeevan Bettanaika and Lakshmi Kant ICAR—Vivekananda Parvatiya Krishi Anusandhan Sansthan, Almora, Uttarakhand, India

\*Address all correspondence to: devender.kumar1@icar.gov.in

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