Research and developmental strategies to hasten the improvement of orphan crops

To feed the world’s expanding population, crop breeders need to increase agricultural productivity and expand major crops base. Orphan crops are indigenously important crops with great potential because they are climate resilient, highly nutritious, contain nutraceutical compounds, and can improve the livelihood of smallholder farmers and consumers, but they have received little or no scientific attention. This review article examines several research and developmental strategies for hastening the improvement of these crops so that they can effectively play their role in securing food and nutrition. The integration of both research and developmental approaches will open up modern opportunities for crop improvement. We summarized ways in which advanced tools in phenotyping and genotyping, using high-throughput processes, can be used to accelerate their improvement. Finally, we suggest roles the genebanks can play in improving orphan crops, as the utilization of plant genetic resources is important for the genetic improvement of a crop.