Advances in Genetic Enhancement of Early and Extra-Early Maize for Sub-Saharan Africa

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Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 3319648527
Total Pages : 632 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (196 download)

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Book Synopsis Advances in Genetic Enhancement of Early and Extra-Early Maize for Sub-Saharan Africa by : Baffour Badu-Apraku

Download or read book Advances in Genetic Enhancement of Early and Extra-Early Maize for Sub-Saharan Africa written by Baffour Badu-Apraku and published by Springer. This book was released on 2017-11-10 with total page 632 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book focuses on the principles and practices of tropical maize improvement with special emphasis on early and extra-early maize to feed the increasing population in Sub-Saharan Africa. It highlights the similarities and differences between results obtained in temperate regions of the world and WCA in terms of corroboration or refutation of genetic principles and theory of maize breeding. The book is expected to be of great interest to maize breeders, advanced undergraduates, graduate students, professors and research scientists in the national and international research institutes all over the world, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa. It will also serve as a useful reference for agricultural extension and technology transfer systems, Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs), seed companies and community-based seed enterprises, policy makers, and all those who are interested in generating wealth from agriculture and alleviating hunger and poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Plant Biodiversity and Genetic Resources

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Publisher : MDPI
ISBN 13 : 3036508945
Total Pages : 672 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (365 download)

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Book Synopsis Plant Biodiversity and Genetic Resources by : Andreas W. Ebert

Download or read book Plant Biodiversity and Genetic Resources written by Andreas W. Ebert and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2021-06-18 with total page 672 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The papers included in this Special Issue address a variety of important aspects of plant biodiversity and genetic resources, including definitions, descriptions, and illustrations of different components and their value for food and nutrition security, breeding, and environmental services. Furthermore, comprehensive information is provided regarding conservation approaches and techniques for plant genetic resources, policy aspects, and results of biological, genetic, morphological, economic, social, and breeding-related research activities. The complexity and vulnerability of (plant) biodiversity and its inherent genetic resources, as an integral part of the contextual ecosystem and the human web of life, are clearly demonstrated in this Special Issue, and for several encountered problems and constraints, possible approaches or solutions are presented to overcome these.

Physiological and Molecular Characterization of Crop Resistance to Abiotic Stresses

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Publisher : MDPI
ISBN 13 : 3039434586
Total Pages : 488 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (394 download)

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Book Synopsis Physiological and Molecular Characterization of Crop Resistance to Abiotic Stresses by : Monica Boscaiu

Download or read book Physiological and Molecular Characterization of Crop Resistance to Abiotic Stresses written by Monica Boscaiu and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2020-12-02 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abiotic stress represents the main constraint for agriculture, affecting plant growth and productivity worldwide. Yield losses in agriculture will be potentiated in the future by global warming, increasing contamination, and reduced availability of fertile land. The challenge for agriculture of the present and future is that of increasing the food supply for a continuously growing human population under environmental conditions that are deteriorating in many areas of the world. Minimizing the effects of diverse types of abiotic stresses represents a matter of general concern. Research on all topics related to abiotic stress tolerance, from understanding the stress response mechanisms of plants to developing cultivars and crops tolerant to stress, is a priority. This Special Issue is focused on the physiological and molecular characterization of crop resistance to abiotic stresses, including novel research, reviews, and opinion articles covering all aspects of the responses and mechanisms of plant tolerance to abiotic. Contributions on physiological, biochemical, and molecular studies of crop responses to abiotic stresses; the description and role of stress-responsive genes; marker-assisted screening of stress-tolerant genotypes; genetic engineering; and other biotechnological approaches to improve crop tolerance were considered.

Heat Stress In Food Grain Crops: Plant Breeding and Omics Research

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Publisher : Bentham Science Publishers
ISBN 13 : 981147396X
Total Pages : 193 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (114 download)

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Book Synopsis Heat Stress In Food Grain Crops: Plant Breeding and Omics Research by : Uday C. Jha

Download or read book Heat Stress In Food Grain Crops: Plant Breeding and Omics Research written by Uday C. Jha and published by Bentham Science Publishers. This book was released on 2020-10-07 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Heat Stress In Food Grain Crops: Plant Breeding and Omics Research is a timely compilation of advanced research on heat stress affecting crop yield, plant growth & development of common food grain and cereal crops. Chapters in the book cover several aspects of crop science including the identification of potential gene donors for heat tolerance, physiological mechanisms of adaptation to heat stress, the use of conventional and modern tools of breeding for imparting tolerance against terminal temperature stress and precise mapping of heat tolerant QTLs through biparental and genome wide association mapping. The use of genomics and phenomics methods is focused on through chapters dedicated to important crops such as groundnut, pearl millet, maize, chickpea, mungbean and wheat. Authors of the respective chapters explain the importance of harnessing a diverse crop genepool for sustaining crop production under conditions of increasing heat stress. Readers will be able to understand the relevance of functional genomics in elucidating candidate genes and their regulatory functions contributing to heat tolerance

Molecular Marker Technology for Crop Improvement

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Publisher : MDPI
ISBN 13 : 3039438638
Total Pages : 302 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (394 download)

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Book Synopsis Molecular Marker Technology for Crop Improvement by : José Miguel Soriano

Download or read book Molecular Marker Technology for Crop Improvement written by José Miguel Soriano and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2021-01-15 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the 1980s, agriculture and plant breeding have changed with the development of molecular marker technology. In recent decades, different types of molecular markers have been used for different purposes: mapping, marker-assisted selection, characterization of genetic resources, etc. These have produced effective genotyping, but the results have been costly and time-consuming due to the small number of markers that could be tested simultaneously. Recent advances in molecular marker technologies such as the development of high-throughput genotyping platforms, genotyping by sequencing, and the release of the genome sequences of major crop plants have opened new possibilities for advancing crop improvement. This Special Issue collects 16 research studies, including the application of molecular markers in 11 crop species, from the generation of linkage maps and diversity studies to the application of marker-assisted selection and genomic prediction.

Nitrogen use to improve sustainable yields in agricultural systems

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Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
ISBN 13 : 2832538002
Total Pages : 139 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (325 download)

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Book Synopsis Nitrogen use to improve sustainable yields in agricultural systems by : Sudhakar Srivastava

Download or read book Nitrogen use to improve sustainable yields in agricultural systems written by Sudhakar Srivastava and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-11-01 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Arthropod Management and Landscape Considerations in Large-Scale Agroecosystems

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Publisher : CABI
ISBN 13 : 1800622759
Total Pages : 303 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis Arthropod Management and Landscape Considerations in Large-Scale Agroecosystems by : Michael J. Brewer

Download or read book Arthropod Management and Landscape Considerations in Large-Scale Agroecosystems written by Michael J. Brewer and published by CABI. This book was released on 2024-08-16 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For large-scale agroecosystems, patterns of pest population increases (graded increases or abrupt outbreaks) and declines (graded suppression or abrupt crashes) vary considerably and are influenced by factors within crop fields and across broader landscape scales. Better understanding of pest population dynamics and the implications of spatial interactions on the function and development of pest management approaches are the main themes of this important book. The book builds from a 60+ year history of field-based pest management by focusing on the drivers of pest management in large-scale agroecosystems and the landscape-scale processes that affect these drivers and contribute to variation in pest outbreaks and suppression. These drivers include abiotic and biotic influences such as weather, spatial composition and arrangement of landscape elements, and widely applied managed inputs such as planting and crop rotation schedules, crop varietal selection, and land and soil conservation efforts. The book introduces general concepts, opportunities, and challenges of arthropod management in large-scale agroecosystems. The book is essential reading for researchers in applied entomology and ecology and for pest management practitioners.

Fundamentals of Field Crop Breeding

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 9811692572
Total Pages : 1389 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (116 download)

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Book Synopsis Fundamentals of Field Crop Breeding by : Devendra Kumar Yadava

Download or read book Fundamentals of Field Crop Breeding written by Devendra Kumar Yadava and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2022-05-05 with total page 1389 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is an advanced textbook and a reference book for the post-graduate plant-breeding students and the plant breeders. It consolidates fundamental concepts and also the latest advances in plant-breeding practices including development in crop genomics. It contains crop wise explanation on origin, reproduction, genetics of yield contributing traits, biotic and abiotic stresses, nutritional improvement and crop specific plant-breeding procedures and techniques. The chapters are planned to describe crop-focused breeding procedure for the major crop plants as per their economic importance. The recent developments in breeding of field crops have been reported. The recent progress made in mapping traits of economic importance has been critically reviewed for each crop. The progress made in markers assisted selected in few crops has been summarized. This book bridges the knowledge gap and bring to the researchers and students information on modern breeding tools for developing biotic and abiotic stress tolerant, climate resilient and micronutrient rich varieties of field crops. The chapters in book are contributed by experienced Plant Breeders.

Genomic Designing for Biotic Stress Resistant Cereal Crops

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Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030758796
Total Pages : 340 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (37 download)

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Book Synopsis Genomic Designing for Biotic Stress Resistant Cereal Crops by : Chittaranjan Kole

Download or read book Genomic Designing for Biotic Stress Resistant Cereal Crops written by Chittaranjan Kole and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2021-08-31 with total page 340 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book presents deliberations on molecular and genomic mechanisms underlying the interactions of crop plants to the biotic stresses caused by different diseases and pests that are important to develop resistant crop varieties. Knowledge on the advanced genetic and genomic crop improvement strategies including molecular breeding, transgenics, genomic-assisted breeding, and the recently emerging genome editing for developing resistant varieties in cereal crops is imperative for addressing FHNEE (food, health, nutrition, energy, and environment) security. Whole genome sequencing of these crops followed by genotyping-by-sequencing has provided precise information regarding the genes conferring resistance useful for gene discovery, allele mining, and shuttle breeding which in turn opened up the scope for 'designing' crop genomes with resistance to biotic stresses. The eight chapters each dedicated to a cereal crop in this volume elucidate on different types of biotic stresses and their effects on and interaction with the crop; enumerate on the available genetic diversity with regard to biotic stress resistance among available cultivars; illuminate on the potential gene pools for utilization in interspecific gene transfer; present brief on classical genetics of stress resistance and traditional breeding for transferring them to their cultivated counterparts; depict the success stories of genetic engineering for developing biotic stress-resistant crop varieties; discuss on molecular mapping of genes and QTLs underlying stress resistance and their marker-assisted introgression into elite varieties; enunciate on different genomics-aided techniques including genomic selection, allele mining, gene discovery, and gene pyramiding for developing adaptive crop varieties with higher quantity and quality of yields, and also elaborate some case studies on genome editing focusing on specific genes for generating biotic stress-resistant crops.

Cereal Grains

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Publisher : BoD – Books on Demand
ISBN 13 : 1839691638
Total Pages : 246 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (396 download)

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Book Synopsis Cereal Grains by : Aakash K. Goyal

Download or read book Cereal Grains written by Aakash K. Goyal and published by BoD – Books on Demand. This book was released on 2021-12-08 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Over the past 50 years, cereals such as maize, rice, wheat, sorghum, and barley have emerged as rapidly evolving crops because of new technologies and advances in agronomy, breeding, biotechnology, genetics, and so on. Population growth and climate change have led to new challenges, among which are feeding the growing global population and mitigating adverse effects on the environment. One way to deal with these issues is through sustainable cereal production. This book discusses ways to achieve sustainable production of cereals via agronomy, breeding, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Chapters review research, examine challenges, and present prospects in the field. This volume is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and scientists interested in and working in the area of sustainable crop production.

Impact of Climate-Change on Water Resources

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Publisher : MDPI
ISBN 13 : 303650110X
Total Pages : 142 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (365 download)

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Book Synopsis Impact of Climate-Change on Water Resources by : Christina Anagnostopoulou

Download or read book Impact of Climate-Change on Water Resources written by Christina Anagnostopoulou and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2021-01-19 with total page 142 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: - Water resources management should be assessed under climate change conditions, as historic data cannot replicate future climatic conditions. - Climate change impacts on water resources are bound to affect all water uses, i.e., irrigated agriculture, domestic and industrial water supply, hydropower generation, and environmental flow (of streams and rivers) and water level (of lakes). - Bottom-up approaches, i.e., the forcing of hydrologic simulation models with climate change models’ outputs, are the most common engineering practices and considered as climate-resilient water management approaches. - Hydrologic simulations forced by climate change scenarios derived from regional climate models (RCMs) can provide accurate assessments of the future water regime at basin scales. - Irrigated agriculture requires special attention as it is the principal water consumer and alterations of both precipitation and temperature patterns will directly affect agriculture yields and incomes. - Integrated water resources management (IWRM) requires multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches, with climate change to be an emerging cornerstone in the IWRM concept.

Sustainable Summer Fodder

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Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 100096972X
Total Pages : 395 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Sustainable Summer Fodder by : Imran ul Haq

Download or read book Sustainable Summer Fodder written by Imran ul Haq and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2023-11-01 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increasing human population pressure, especially in developing countries, indicates a massive increase in the consumption of livestock products. Fodder crops are the primary and cheapest source of feed for livestock, but feed shortages or poor-quality fodder are particular constraints to the world's livestock sector. These shortages affect milk production, adult and calf health, calving rates, and livestock numbers. Summer crops including cereal, legume, grass, and tree fodder, provide an economical source of nutrients suitable for animal health as well as improve their breeding efficiency. Sustainable Summer Fodder: Production, Challenges, and Prospects presents the unique opportunities and difficulties of supportable cultivation and growth of summer fodder crops and the various methods for enabling crop preservation. It details conventional modern approaches to sustainable production and advanced molecular approaches to develop high-yielding fodder crops. FEATURES * Contains information on cultivation, growth, productivity, and protection from pests and diseases of various summer fodder crops * Presents approaches to sustainable production, summarizes fodder preservation methods; and details molecular approaches to develop high-yielding fodder crops * Provides insights into agronomic aspects of cereal, legume, grass, and tree species cultivated as summer fodder worldwide * Discusses the trends in insect pests and diseases, their field identification, and various control methods This book is an essential resource for agronomists, horticulturalists, livestock farmers and practitioners, and students working in the field.

GGE Biplot Analysis

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Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 1420040375
Total Pages : 287 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis GGE Biplot Analysis by : Weikai Yan

Download or read book GGE Biplot Analysis written by Weikai Yan and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2002-08-28 with total page 287 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Research data is expensive and precious, yet it is seldom fully utilized due to our ability of comprehension. Graphical display is desirable, if not absolutely necessary, for fully understanding large data sets with complex interconnectedness and interactions. The newly developed GGE biplot methodology is a superior approach to the graphical analys

Genetically Engineered Crops

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Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309437385
Total Pages : 607 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Genetically Engineered Crops by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Genetically Engineered Crops written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2017-01-28 with total page 607 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Genetically engineered (GE) crops were first introduced commercially in the 1990s. After two decades of production, some groups and individuals remain critical of the technology based on their concerns about possible adverse effects on human health, the environment, and ethical considerations. At the same time, others are concerned that the technology is not reaching its potential to improve human health and the environment because of stringent regulations and reduced public funding to develop products offering more benefits to society. While the debate about these and other questions related to the genetic engineering techniques of the first 20 years goes on, emerging genetic-engineering technologies are adding new complexities to the conversation. Genetically Engineered Crops builds on previous related Academies reports published between 1987 and 2010 by undertaking a retrospective examination of the purported positive and adverse effects of GE crops and to anticipate what emerging genetic-engineering technologies hold for the future. This report indicates where there are uncertainties about the economic, agronomic, health, safety, or other impacts of GE crops and food, and makes recommendations to fill gaps in safety assessments, increase regulatory clarity, and improve innovations in and access to GE technology.

Advances in Agronomy

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Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 0443295298
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (432 download)

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Book Synopsis Advances in Agronomy by :

Download or read book Advances in Agronomy written by and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2024-04-23 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Advances in Agronomy, Volume 186, the latest release in this leading reference on agronomy, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field, each written by an international board of authors. - Includes numerous, timely, state-of-the-art reviews on the latest advancements in agronomy - Features distinguished, well recognized authors from around the world - Builds upon this venerable and iconic review series - Covers the extensive variety and breadth of subject matter in the crop and soil sciences

Integrated Organic Farming Systems: Approach for Efficient Food Production and Environmental Sustainability

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Publisher : Frontiers Media SA
ISBN 13 : 2832536514
Total Pages : 209 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (325 download)

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Book Synopsis Integrated Organic Farming Systems: Approach for Efficient Food Production and Environmental Sustainability by : Subhash Babu

Download or read book Integrated Organic Farming Systems: Approach for Efficient Food Production and Environmental Sustainability written by Subhash Babu and published by Frontiers Media SA. This book was released on 2023-10-24 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Researchers and policy planners are in search of a solution to address the twin challenges of maximizing agricultural production while maintaining/ improving ecosystem sustainability. Enhancing farm productivity is needed in certain regions of the world to satisfy local food consumption and farmers' needs. Linear economy-based-input intensive conventional agriculture (CAPS) has increased production output but has not made agriculture more sustainable. Henceforth, a farming system that aims to reduce the adverse impact on the environment, as well as enhance agricultural productivity by reducing environmental footprint and improving soil health and economic wellbeing is needed in the present day. Integrated organic farming systems (IOFS) involve residue recycling, bio-intensive cropping, high-tech horticulture, mushroom, dairy, poultry, fishery, apiary, etc can improve the ecosystem health and augment the income and livelihood security of the growers. Worldwide, IOFS are gaining popularity due to improved ecosystem services and improving farm productivity and livelihood security. Hence, IOFS- a circular economy-based (reuse-recycle-repair) agricultural production system can be alternatives to energy-intensive inputs based on CAPS. Hence, there is an urgent need to select suitable IOFS models with proper resource optimization for productivity maximization and better ecosystem sustainability. Undoubtedly IOFS reduces energy use from synthetic agrochemicals but food production in IOFS is highly dependent on fossil fuel energy that must be addressed urgently. Despite the enormous positive outlooks, there are several challenges in the adoption of IOFS models. The IOFS is a multiproduct-oriented production system that needs multi specialties and marketing. Capacity building and infrastructure development are also great challenges in adopting IOFS. Moreover, the development of IOFS models is highly individualistic, and location-specific production systems need proper resource optimization and characterization. Hence, the development of site-specific IOFS models to maintain food quality with productivity improvement is a genuine issue to the researchers, which needs to be addressed. Papers (original research/review/letter to the editors) spanning across the discipline related to the IOFS development in sustainable ways are encouraged for inclusion in this research topic. Papers should explicitly cover ecosystem restoration, farm productivity, and profitability and could have a specific focus on the following areas: -the IOFS models for enhancing productivity and environmental quality through an integrated management approach aiming at the maximization of use efficiencies -the management of biomass waste to restore the soil fertility, and ecosystem services the effect of integrated management practices on greenhouse gas emissions and energy use -Critical approaches for climate-smart food production systems

Quantitative Genetics in Maize Breeding

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Author :
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1441907661
Total Pages : 669 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (419 download)

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Book Synopsis Quantitative Genetics in Maize Breeding by : Arnel R. Hallauer

Download or read book Quantitative Genetics in Maize Breeding written by Arnel R. Hallauer and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2010-09-28 with total page 669 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Maize is used in an endless list of products that are directly or indirectly related to human nutrition and food security. Maize is grown in producer farms, farmers depend on genetically improved cultivars, and maize breeders develop improved maize cultivars for farmers. Nikolai I. Vavilov defined plant breeding as plant evolution directed by man. Among crops, maize is one of the most successful examples for breeder-directed evolution. Maize is a cross-pollinated species with unique and separate male and female organs allowing techniques from both self and cross-pollinated crops to be utilized. As a consequence, a diverse set of breeding methods can be utilized for the development of various maize cultivar types for all economic conditions (e.g., improved populations, inbred lines, and their hybrids for different types of markets). Maize breeding is the science of maize cultivar development. Public investment in maize breeding from 1865 to 1996 was $3 billion (Crosbie et al., 2004) and the return on investment was $260 billion as a consequence of applied maize breeding, even without full understanding of the genetic basis of heterosis. The principles of quantitative genetics have been successfully applied by maize breeders worldwide to adapt and improve germplasm sources of cultivars for very simple traits (e.g. maize flowering) and very complex ones (e.g., grain yield). For instance, genomic efforts have isolated early-maturing genes and QTL for potential MAS but very simple and low cost phenotypic efforts have caused significant and fast genetic progress across genotypes moving elite tropical and late temperate maize northward with minimal investment. Quantitative genetics has allowed the integration of pre-breeding with cultivar development by characterizing populations genetically, adapting them to places never thought of (e.g., tropical to short-seasons), improving them by all sorts of intra- and inter-population recurrent selection methods, extracting lines with more probability of success, and exploiting inbreeding and heterosis. Quantitative genetics in maize breeding has improved the odds of developing outstanding maize cultivars from genetically broad based improved populations such as B73. The inbred-hybrid concept in maize was a public sector invention 100 years ago and it is still considered one of the greatest achievements in plant breeding. Maize hybrids grown by farmers today are still produced following this methodology and there is still no limit to genetic improvement when most genes are targeted in the breeding process. Heterotic effects are unique for each hybrid and exotic genetic materials (e.g., tropical, early maturing) carry useful alleles for complex traits not present in the B73 genome just sequenced while increasing the genetic diversity of U.S. hybrids. Breeding programs based on classical quantitative genetics and selection methods will be the basis for proving theoretical approaches on breeding plans based on molecular markers. Mating designs still offer large sample sizes when compared to QTL approaches and there is still a need to successful integration of these methods. There is a need to increase the genetic diversity of maize hybrids available in the market (e.g., there is a need to increase the number of early maturing testers in the northern U.S.). Public programs can still develop new and genetically diverse products not available in industry. However, public U.S. maize breeding programs have either been discontinued or are eroding because of decreasing state and federal funding toward basic science. Future significant genetic gains in maize are dependent on the incorporation of useful and unique genetic diversity not available in industry (e.g., NDSU EarlyGEM lines). The integration of pre-breeding methods with cultivar development should enhance future breeding efforts to maintain active public breeding programs not only adapting and improving genetically broad-based germplasm but also developing unique products and training the next generation of maize breeders producing research dissertations directly linked to breeding programs. This is especially important in areas where commercial hybrids are not locally bred. More than ever public and private institutions are encouraged to cooperate in order to share breeding rights, research goals, winter nurseries, managed stress environments, and latest technology for the benefit of producing the best possible hybrids for farmers with the least cost. We have the opportunity to link both classical and modern technology for the benefit of breeding in close cooperation with industry without the need for investing in academic labs and time (e.g., industry labs take a week vs months/years in academic labs for the same work). This volume, as part of the Handbook of Plant Breeding series, aims to increase awareness of the relative value and impact of maize breeding for food, feed, and fuel security. Without breeding programs continuously developing improved germplasm, no technology can develop improved cultivars. Quantitative Genetics in Maize Breeding presents principles and data that can be applied to maximize genetic improvement of germplasm and develop superior genotypes in different crops. The topics included should be of interest of graduate students and breeders conducting research not only on breeding and selection methods but also developing pure lines and hybrid cultivars in crop species. This volume is a unique and permanent contribution to breeders, geneticists, students, policy makers, and land-grant institutions still promoting quality research in applied plant breeding as opposed to promoting grant monies and indirect costs at any short-term cost. The book is dedicated to those who envision the development of the next generation of cultivars with less need of water and inputs, with better nutrition; and with higher percentages of exotic germplasm as well as those that pursue independent research goals before searching for funding. Scientists are encouraged to use all possible breeding methodologies available (e.g., transgenics, classical breeding, MAS, and all possible combinations could be used with specific sound long and short-term goals on mind) once germplasm is chosen making wise decisions with proven and scientifically sound technologies for assisting current breeding efforts depending on the particular trait under selection. Arnel R. Hallauer is C. F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture (Emeritus) at Iowa State University (ISU). Dr. Hallauer has led maize-breeding research for mid-season maturity at ISU since 1958. His work has had a worldwide impact on plant-breeding programs, industry, and students and was named a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Hallauer is a native of Kansas, USA. José B. Miranda Filho is full-professor in the Department of Genetics, Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz - University of São Paulo located at Piracicaba, Brazil. His research interests have emphasized development of quantitative genetic theory and its application to maize breeding. Miranda Filho is native of Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil. M.J. Carena is professor of plant sciences at North Dakota State University (NDSU). Dr. Carena has led maize-breeding research for short-season maturity at NDSU since 1999. This program is currently one the of the few public U.S. programs left integrating pre-breeding with cultivar development and training in applied maize breeding. He teaches Quantitative Genetics and Crop Breeding Techniques at NDSU. Carena is a native of Buenos Aires, Argentina. http://www.ag.ndsu.nodak.edu/plantsci/faculty/Carena.htm