Dynamic conservation of genetic resources: Rematriation of the maize landrace Jala

The conservation of landraces is fundamental to safeguarding crop diversity, food security, and sustainable production. Jala is a special maize landrace from the region in and around the Jala Valley of Mexico that produces the largest ear and tallest plant of all maize landraces in the world. Changing socio-economic and environmental conditions in the Jala Valley could lead to the genetic erosion of the ancestral Jala landrace, which can have global consequences. This study outlines the sequence of events in the history of Jala and describes the evolution of strategies for complementary in situ and ex situ conservation of maize genetic resources that are being developed and tested by the Jala Rematriation Project. The concept of dynamic conservation is discussed and applied to the specific case of Jala. The rematriation approach could be instrumental in creating an environment that enables the dynamic conservation of maize landraces in Mexico, the primary centre of this crop’s origin and diversity, and throughout its ancestral range in the Americas.