Wild Germplasm for Genetic Improvement in Crop Plants

Dr. Muhammad Tehseen Azhar is working as Associate Professor at the Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad-Pakistan, where his primary responsibility is teaching to graduate and post-graduate classes. Besides, his focus is screening and development of segregating population resulting in the development of several bulks of cotton with more yield and fibre traits. Dr Azhar has specific interest in the development of cotton germplasm having tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses. These advanced strains of cotton have showed good performance for yield of cotton in national traits and those genotypes are suitable for cultivation in high temperature and water stress conditions. Being a Borlaug Alumnus, he worked with various cotton geneticists namely, Dr Richard Percy, Dr Lori L. Hinze and Dr Jame Frelichowsk at Texas A&M University and USDA-ARS, USA. Dr Azhar has completed various research projects funded by Higher Education Commission, Pakistan; CAS-PARB and Cooperation Organization Partnership for Science and Technology, China. Besides, Dr Azhar is Endeavour Alumnus and appointed as Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Plant Biology, UWA. Recently he is appointed as Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Agriculture Sciences, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China. Due to his consistency Dr Azhar is appointed as a Chair (20219-2021) of Germplam and Genetic Stock in International Cotton Genome Initiative (ICGI). He is winner of ASIA Young Scientist Innovation Gold Medal-2023 from International Cotton Researchers Association (ICRA), a sub-committee of International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC), Washington. Shabir Hussain Wani is Scientist cum Assistant Professor at Shere-e- Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology of Kashmir where his research focuses on plant breeding and genetics/plant biotechnology. Included among his awards are: Fellow of the Linnean Society of London-2017 YOUNG SCIENTIST Award (2017), Indian Ecological Society Punjab Agricultural University Ludhiana. Young Scientist of the Year 2016, International foundation for Environment and Ecology Kolkata India. YOUNG ACHIEVER AWARD – 2016, Society for Advancement of Human and Nature (SADHNA) YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry YOUNG SCIENTIST Award (2015), Society for Plant Research, Meerut, India YOUNG SCIENTIST Award (2009), Society for Promotion of Plant Science Research. Jaipur National University, Jaipur. FELLOW OF SOCIETY FOR PLANT RESEARCH AWARD – 2011-12

• 1. Introduction: Potential of Wild Species in Plant Breeding2. Wild Cotton Genepool: An unopened treasure3. Wild Wheat Germplasm: An unopened treasure4. Emerging Avenues for the Exploitation of Wild Relatives of Rice in Plant Breeding5. Genetic Resources and Pre-breeding of Maize6. Utilization of wild ancestors for biotic and abiotic tolerance in barley7. Effect of natural variation on biofortification8. Untapped soybeans; A genetic reservoir for its improvement9. Wild Sunflowers: The primary genetic resource for sunflower breeding10. Brassicas: A Complete Guide to the potential of their wild relatives11. Wild Germplasm: Shaping future tomato breeding12. Potato wild relatives, a reservoir of genetic diversity for the sustainability of world's 3rdmost important food crop13. Wild relatives of sweet potato; Distribution and prospectus for crop improvement14. Tapping the genetic diversity in sugarcane wild germplasm using next generation genotyping and phenotyping tools 15. Generation of new landraces of forage species; Red Fescue and clover16. Chickpea wild relatives: potential source of ancient genes for stress tolerance breeding17. Mungbean Wild genetic resource; a potential source of genetic improvement for abiotic and biotic stress tolerance18. Lentil Wild genetic resource; a potential source of genetic improvement for abiotic and biotic stress tolerance19. Wild Relative Species and new plant breeding technologies