Nusret Zencirci - Böcker

Landraces possess a very large genetic base in population structure and are dynamic populations of cultivated plants with historical origin, distinct identity, and without any formal crop improvement.

Landraces possess a very large genetic base in population structure and are dynamic populations of cultivated plants with historical origin, distinct identity, and without any formal crop improvement.

However, the recent consumer's (misdirected) focus on gluten content and nutritional value urges scientists to reexamine their knowledge about wheat (i.e., origin, evolution, and general and special quality characteristics), as well as their wild relatives and landraces for newer possible genetic resources.

Wheat (Triticum L.), an annual herbaceous plant in Poacae (Gramineae) family, settles in the Triticeae (Hordeae) subfamily. The grasses (Poaceae Barnhart) are the fifth largest (monocotyledonous flowering) plant family and of great importance for human civilization and life. Cereal crops such as maize, wheat, rice, barley, and millet are the domesticated ones in the family. It is still the most vital economical plant family in modern times, providing food, forage, building materials (bamboo, thatch), and fuel (ethanol). Wheat has many accessions in national and international gene banks. The estimated number of wheats by FAO in 2010 is 856,000, and, followed by rice (774,000), and barley (467,000). However, the recent consumer's (misdirected) focus on gluten content and nutritional value urges scientists to reexamine their knowledge about wheat (i.e., origin, evolution, and general and special quality characteristics), as well as their wild relatives and landraces for newer possible genetic resources. Cultured or non-cultured ancestral wheats: einkorn, emmer, wild emmer, spelt, macha, and vavilovii are still limitedly grown on the higher areas in Turkey, Italy, Germany, Morocco, Israel, and Balkan countries. They are exploited mostly for their desired agronomic, and specific quality. In some cultures, wheat species are believed to be therapeutic, with bioactive compounds that reduce and inhibit stubborn illnesses such as diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer, and cardiovascular diseases. In this book, we summarize the importance of ancestral wheat species, and provide a prospect for their future with special considerations in terms of species conservation and improvement.

Sustainable food production is vital to ensure food and nutritional security to growing human population. Recently, there has been a shift in agricultural production system, crop production is not only considering yield as primary interest to produce higher number of calories for reducing hunger, but also more nutrient-rich food to reduce malnutrition or “hidden hunger”. Micronutrient malnutrition is a continuing and serious public health problem in many countries, various Interventions to alleviate this problem have been implemented. Biofortification, the process of breeding nutrients into food crops, provides a comparatively cost effective, sustainable, and long-term means of delivering more micronutrients. Legumes have higher protein content than most plant foods approximately twice than cereals and are rich in the key micronutrients folate, niacin, thiamine, calcium, iron and zinc. This book summarizes the biofortification of legumes. Detailed information through contributed chapters shed light on legumes research relevant to human health, with key topics that include genomic and genetic resources for food security, conventional and modern breeding approaches for improving nutrition, agronomic traits and biotechnological interventions.

Sustainable food production is vital to ensure food and nutritional security to growing human population.

The global population is projected to exceed 9 billion by 2050, leading to imminent food shortages not only for the current but also future generations. Anticipated increases in appetite coming 50 years will pose significant challenges to food production. This demand will exert additional pressure on agriculture for the escalating need for food. On one hand, research indicates a 60% increase in food production is necessary to accommodate the projected 9 billion people, on the other hand, a substantial portion of the population is grappling with various micronutrient deficiencies, such as iron, zinc, iodine, vitamin A, and folic acid, a condition referred to as "hidden hunger." Hence, it is imperative to exert substantial efforts towards developing improved cultivars under enhanced technological conditions.Concerns about climate change are anticipated to profoundly affect soil water availability, carbon storage, and crop yields. Droughts in the Mediterranean and Africa are expected to worsen during certain seasons. Each year, climate change leads to substantial losses in agricultural production, with a worsening scenario in the future.Wheat breeding has witnessed significant advancements with the wheat genomics, whole-genome sequencing, high-throughput phenotyping, genome-editing technologies, and marker-assisted breeding. These enable genome-based breeding to produce higher enough yielding by 2050. Speed breeding has a crucial role in the incorporation of new genes into breeding pipelines, facilitating the creation of innovative homozygous advanced lines, and accelerating the identification and functional characterization of new genes.Climate change and recent technological advancements necessitate efficient utilization of remote sensing, digital tools, and artificial intelligence approaches, have gained prominence in wheat agriculture. This book aims to encompass both past and upcoming research activities in this domain. It serves as a valuable resource for wheat breeders interested in leveraging modern data technologies in their research endeavours.

This edited book is focused on Sustainable Development Goal 2, which aims to achieve 'Zero Hunger.' It provides deep insights into the global sorghum status, limitations to its production, advancements in agronomic practices, and the application of high-throughput phenotyping technologies.Sorghum plays a vital role in global food security, agricultural sustainability, and rural livelihoods, making it an important crop for both developing and developed countries. It is a staple food for millions of people around the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where other crops may struggle to grow. Sorghum exhibits significant genetic diversity, providing a rich resource for breeding programs aimed at developing improved varieties with traits such as higher yield, disease resistance, and nutritional quality. The book enhances readers' understanding of classical breeding methods and their role in sorghum improvement. It also focuses on the contribution of OMICs and biotechnological approaches to sorghum improvement. Detailed information about the genetic and genomic resources of sorghum provided is helpful for the scientific community to utilize in sorghum breeding. Chapters highlight sorghum genome sequencing, transgenic and hybrid sorghum, and the application of genome editing.This book is useful to the breeding community, serving as a resource for interdisciplinary research groups such as geneticists, breeders, biotechnologists, bioinformaticians, and students, supporting them in accelerating their activities related to sorghum breeding.

This edited book addresses the introduction to wheat, advancements in breeding, the contribution of biotechnological approaches, the development of climate-resilient wheat cultivars, and biofortification efforts to create nutrient-rich wheat cultivars. The world faces simultaneous challenges of a growing population and climate change.