Increasing genetic diversity requires an expansion of the germplasm
base in breeding programs (22), but this is dependent on enhancing
techniques for assessing the value of the program and using individual
accessions from germplasm collections. Improvements in phenotyping and
genotyping will help remove this limitation by facilitating the identification
and characterization of key adaptive QTLs. For example, increased
expression of a boron transporter in a barley landrace leads to high
tolerance to soil boron in elite varieties when the high-expression allele is
transferred. Screening for variation in expression levels for this gene in
germplasm collections may identify new sources of tolerance (30).