Genetics, Genomics and Breeding of Crop Plants – Serie

The soybean is an economically important leguminous seed crop for feed and food products that is rich in seed protein (about 40 percent) and oil (about 20 percent); it enriches the soil by fixing nitrogen in symbiosis with bacteria. Soybean was domesticated in northeastern China about 2500 BC and subsequently spread to other countries. The enormous economic value of soybean was realized in the first two decades of the 20th century, with world production of soybean tripling in the last 20 years. In addition to human consumption, it is a major protein source in animal feeds and is becoming a major crop for biodiesel production. In the international trade markets, soybean is ranked number one in the world among the major oil crops. For many decades, plant breeders have used conventional breeding techniques to improve soybeans. While soybean production continues to expand as demand for soybeans and soybean products increases, there is a need for more sophisticated techniques. Bridging traditional research with modern molecular investigations on soybean, this volume explores the recent advances in soybean genome mapping, molecular breeding, genomics, sequencing, and bioinformatics. The book will be useful to soybean researchers as well as researchers working with other crop species.

The sunflower has fascinated mankind for centuries. The oilseed sunflower contributes approximately ten percent of the world’s plant-derived edible oil and the confection type sunflower holds a considerable share of the directly consumed snacks market. In addition, sunflower is also grown as an ornamental for cut flowers, as well as in home gardens. We are now embarking on the age of genomics which will expedite the process of genetic improvement of crops. There has been an explosion of information on genetic markers, DNA sequences, and genomic resources for most major food crops including sunflower. This volume is intended to bridge traditional research with modern molecular investigations on sunflower.

In this volume, world leaders in potato research review historical and contemporary discoveries resulting in a range of advances. Topics include nutritional quality, yield, disease and insect resistance, processing, plant growth and development, and other aspects. The book also examines research yielding significant molecular resources that facilitate breeding, linkage and gene mapping, cytology, functional and structural genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Future research developments that are likely to significantly advance efforts to understand and improve the potato are also explored.

This book provides a structured account of the existing knowledge of toxic algae, the chemistry of the toxins they produce, the effects these substances exert in humans and wildlife, as well as the strategies envisaged to protect public health and the environment. It covers recent advances in the understanding of the biology of toxin producers and the factors involved in the appearance and dynamics of harmful algae blooms, the factors affecting toxin production, the synthesis of toxins both in natural producers and by chemical means in a lab, and the toxin groups posing continuing and novel hazards to living systems.

Sorghum is one of the hardiest crop plants in modern agriculture and also one of the most versatile. Its seeds provide calorie for food and feed, stalks for building and industrial materials and its juice for syrup. This book provides an in-depth review of the cutting-edge knowledge in sorghum genetics and its applications in sorghum breeding. Each chapter is authored by specialists in their fields to report the latest trends and findings. The book showcases the definitive value of sorghum as a model system to study the genetic basis of crop productivity and stress tolerance and will provide a foundation for future studies in sorghum genetics, genomics, and breeding.

Sequencing of the maize genome has opened up new opportunities in maize breeding, genetics and genomics research. This book highlights modern trends in development of hybrids, analysis of genetic diversity, molecular breeding, comparative and functional genomics, epigenomicsand proteomics in maize. The use of maize in biofuels, phytoremediation and pharmaceuticals is also highlighted. Current research trends, future research directions and challenges are discussed by a panel of experts from all over the world.

Peanut, an amphidiploid, is an important food and oil crop and has an interesting evolutionary history. This book provides a glimpse of the advances in genetic resources and genomics research of peanut made during the last decade. It contains an overview of germplasm, advances in genetic and genomic resources, genetic and trait mapping, proteomic and transcriptomic analyses, functional and comparative genomics studies, and molecular breeding applications. This book should prove useful to students, teachers, and young researchers as a ready reference to the latest information on peanut genetics and genomics.

Eucalypts are used for the production of paper products, firewood, charcoal, potential feedstocks for bioenergy and biomaterials, as ornamentals and landscape trees, and in land rehabilitation. Eucalypt breeding is at an early stage with many plantings being only at the first stages of domestication. The relatively small genomes of these species make the application of molecular genetics approaches attractive. The application of modern genomics will accelerate the development of improved eucalypts for a wide range of uses. This book brings together diverse information on the genetics, genomics, and breeding of these important forest species.

The sunflower has fascinated mankind for centuries. The oilseed sunflower contributes approximately ten percent of the world’s plant-derived edible oil and the confection type sunflower holds a considerable share of the directly consumed snacks market. In addition, sunflower is also grown as an ornamental for cut flowers, as well as in home gardens. We are now embarking on the age of genomics which will expedite the process of genetic improvement of crops. There has been an explosion of information on genetic markers, DNA sequences, and genomic resources for most major food crops including sunflower. This volume is intended to bridge traditional research with modern molecular investigations on sunflower.

The soybean is an economically important leguminous seed crop for feed and food products that is rich in seed protein (about 40 percent) and oil (about 20 percent); it enriches the soil by fixing nitrogen in symbiosis with bacteria. Soybean was domesticated in northeastern China about 2500 BC and subsequently spread to other countries. The enormous economic value of soybean was realized in the first two decades of the 20th century, with world production of soybean tripling in the last 20 years. In addition to human consumption, it is a major protein source in animal feeds and is becoming a major crop for biodiesel production. In the international trade markets, soybean is ranked number one in the world among the major oil crops. For many decades, plant breeders have used conventional breeding techniques to improve soybeans. While soybean production continues to expand as demand for soybeans and soybean products increases, there is a need for more sophisticated techniques. Bridging traditional research with modern molecular investigations on soybean, this volume explores the recent advances in soybean genome mapping, molecular breeding, genomics, sequencing, and bioinformatics. The book will be useful to soybean researchers as well as researchers working with other crop species.

Due to their diversity, vegetable Brassicas are of great economic import and offer unique opportunities to enrich our knowledge about plant growth, development, and rapid phenotypic evolution. By applying emerging genomic technologies, we may greatly increase our understanding of the Brassica biology and breeding efficiency. This volume contains 11 chapters contributed by 34 specialists with extensive experience in genetics, molecular breeding, and genomics of vegetable Brassicas. Recent achievements and new technologies presented in this book will provide support to further research the genetics and genomics of vegetable Brassica crops and facilitate their genetic improvement.

Recent interest in the health-related, culinary, and biological properties of berries is stimulating new initiatives in berry breeding and production. Breakthroughs in molecular technologies allow genomics-enabled approaches to augment research efforts. This volume documents the basic botany and culture of four major berry crops and follows the scientific milestones that have ushered these systems into the modern genomics era. Leading researchers in each crop system detail the recent findings in genetics, genomics, and breeding that seek to improve sustainable cultivation, fruit quality, and availability.

Written by researchers representing six countries and 28 institutions, this book highlights the development of the genus Populus as a model organism for tree genomics. Reflecting an impressive depth of coverage, the contributors’ thorough reviews and analyses of Populus genomics provide insight into future discoveries about the basic biology of this fascinating genus and paves the way for applied breeding and genetic improvement of poplars.

In this volume, world leaders in potato research review historical and contemporary discoveries resulting in a range of advances. Topics include nutritional quality, yield, disease and insect resistance, processing, plant growth and development, and other aspects. The book also examines research yielding significant molecular resources that facilitate breeding, linkage and gene mapping, cytology, functional and structural genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Future research developments that are likely to significantly advance efforts to understand and improve the potato are also explored.

Grapevine is a highly valuable crop worldwide, both from cultural as well as commercial point of view. One major advantage this crop has is that it is well adapted to scarce water conditions. Grapes are also a valuable source of health-promoting compounds such as polyphenols. The main object of grapevine breeding is to develop varieties of high quality, that are resistant to pathogens and at the same time well adapted to a changing environment. Since the beginning of the XXI century, there has been a concerted effort by the international scientific community to develop genomic tools and resources for grapevine culminating in its complete genome sequence. These efforts and their usefulness for grapevine breeding or viticulture improvement are reviewed and discussed in this book by globally reputed scientists in the field.

The new research described in this book demonstrates that the interplay of a host of founding conditions can frequently produce profound differences in population expansion rates and maintenance of genetic diversity in contrasting populations that differ, often only to slight degrees, in initial founding conditions. The goals of this book are twofold. First, it serves as a user’s manual for the computer program NEWGARDEN (provided) designed to enable investigations, using computer generated populations, of population growth and genetic variation resulting from user-specified differences in initial founding conditions. Second, the book provides a series differences in geometric spacing among plant founders, can result in significant differences in demographic and genetic variation trajectories for the ensuring populations.

The book describes the history of Brassica oilseed crops, introduces the Brassica genome, its evolution, diversity, classical genetic studies and breeding. It also delves into molecular genetic linkage and physical maps, progress with genome sequencing initiatives, mutagenesis approaches for trait improvement, proteomics, metabolomics and bioinformatics. The concluding of portion provides detailed methods for whole genome marker assisted breeding, the genetics and genomics of important traits including disease resistance, herbivory, insect and abiotic stress resistance, and discusses the future prospects for Brassica improvement through genomics. This volume provides a state of the moment view of current Brassica genetics, genomics and breeding research which is the foundation for the continued understanding of oilseed Brassica species, their genomes, evolution and further potential as important food and biofuel crops.

Cool season grain legumes including pea, faba bean, lentil, chickpea and grass pea are extensively grown in many parts of the world. They are a primary source of proteins in human diet. This volume deals with the most recent advances on genetics, genomics and breeding of these crops. The "state of the art" for the individual crops differs; however, their phylogenetic proximity justifies the utility of the knowledge available in one crop for speeding up researches and improvement in other crops. The first five chapters are devoted individually to the five crops followed by four chapters presenting comprehensive reviews on recent advances in the fields of functional genomics, comparative genomics, proteomics and metabolomics and transgenesis and three general chapters on nitrogen fixation, broomrapes and future prospects. This book contains information useful not only to the scientists and scholars working on the cool season grain legumes but also to those working on other legume species.

The last two decades has been the most exciting period in cucurbit genetic, genomic and breeding research especially for cucumber, melon and watermelon and cucumber became the first cucurbit to be sequenced, after other field crops such as rice, sorghum, soybean and maize. This book provides an in-depth review of the state-of-the-art of genetic and genomic research conducted in cucurbits in 13 chapters by 34 internationally renowned scientists and will be useful to cucurbit researchers as well as scientists working in other crops.