Crop wild relatives of grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) for designing future climate resilient cultivars

Grasspea (Lathyrus sativus) is a hardy crop often referred as an insurance against the vagaries of weather fluctuations amid the ongoing scenario of global climate change. To confront the challenges of climate change and attain the food and nutritional security, there is a need to introduce and promote climate-resilient crops within our current cropping systems. Grasspea is an ideal candidate that represents a promising leguminous crop for adaptive farming. There is substantial diversity in crop wild relatives (CWRs) of grasspea, yet crop domestication tends to reduce genetic diversity. Genetic diversity along with trait identification and characterization of the genetic resources is a prerequisite for crop breeding programmes and it is known that the degree and quantity of genetic variability in a specific crop determine the success of its genetic gain. Therefore, in this current review, we seek to explain the potential of grasspea as a valuable asset in addressing the issues emanating from climate change. As grasspea serves as a model crop for sustainable agriculture, we have sought to elucidate the importance of crop wild relatives in breeding programs for the incorporation of specific traits related to yield parameters and biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. In the realm of Lathyrus genetic enhancement, we have concentrated on the advancements achieved to date and emphasize possible research avenues such as enhancing yield, creating superior varieties with reduced β-ODAP levels, and developing cultivars resistant to biotic and abiotic stresses.