Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain
the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in
Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles
and JavaScript.
This month’s Nature Plants is issue 100. A lot has happened in the hundred months since issue 1, and yet much that concerned us then continues to concern us now.
The wild relatives of our modern crops are of inestimable importance. Their domestication promoted the rise of civilizations and shaped cultures, and they are treasure troves for maintaining food security. However, shrinkage of their populations worldwide demands better conservation to retain their valuable biodiversity.
Although the resurrection of extinct species may seem like the stuff of science-fiction, it could have practical benefits for conservation. But first we must secure the genetic diversity that we have left.