BookSatbir Singh Gosal, Shabir Hussain Wani, editors.
Summary: During the past 15 years, cellular and molecular approaches have emerged as valuable adjuncts to supplement and complement conventional breeding methods for a wide variety of crop plants. Biotechnology increasingly plays a role in the creation, conservation, characterization and utilization of genetic variability for germplasm enhancement. For instance, anther/microspore culture, somaclonal variation, embryo culture and somatic hybridization are being exploited for obtaining incremental improvement in the existing cultivars. In addition, genes that confer insect- and disease-resistance, abiotic stress tolerance, herbicide tolerance and quality traits have been isolated and re-introduced into otherwise sensitive or susceptible species by a variety of transgenic techniques. Together these transformative methodologies grant access to a greater repertoire of genetic diversity as the gene(s) may come from viruses, bacteria, fungi, insects, animals, human beings, unrelated plants or even be artificially derived. Remarkable achievements have been made in the production, characterization, field evaluation and commercialization of transgenic crop varieties worldwide. Likewise, significant advances have been made towards increasing crop yields, improving nutritional quality, enabling crops to be raised under adverse conditions and developing resistance to pests and diseases for sustaining global food and nutritional security. The overarching purpose of this 3-volume work is to summarize the history of crop improvement from a technological perspective but to do so with a forward outlook on further advancement and adaptability to a changing world. Our carefully chosen "case studies of important plant crops" intend to serve a diverse spectrum of audience looking for the right tools to tackle complicated local and global issues.
Contents:
Intro; Dedication; Foreword; Preface; Contents; Contributors; About the Editors;
Chapter 1: Marker-Assisted Breeding for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants; 1.1 Introduction; 1.2 Steps in Marker-Assisted Selection (MAS); 1.2.1 Selection of Plants with Desired Morphological Traits; 1.2.2 Development of Breeding Population; 1.2.3 Marker-Assisted Selection of Plants with Desired Traits; 1.2.4 Marker Validation; 1.2.5 Correlation with Morphological Traits; 1.3 MAB for Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Major Crop Plants; 1.3.1 Rice; 1.3.2 Wheat; 1.3.3 Maize; 1.3.4 Chickpea; 1.3.5 Common Bean. 1.3.6 Soybean Al Tolerance1.3.7 Pea; 1.4 Conclusion; References;
Chapter 2: Dynamics of Salt Tolerance: Molecular Perspectives; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Effect of Salinity on Plants; 2.2.1 Germination and Growth; 2.2.2 Effect of Salinity on Photosynthesis and Photosynthetic Pigments; 2.2.3 Water Relation; 2.3 Mechanism of Salt Tolerance; 2.3.1 Tissue Na+ Accumulation as an Indicator of Salt Tolerance; 2.3.2 Na+ Exclusion from Roots; 2.3.3 Sequestration of Na+ into Vacuoles; 2.3.4 Enhanced Tissue Tolerance to High Na+ Concentrations; 2.3.5 Cl ̄Toxicity During Salt Stress. 2.4 Conclusions and Future PerspectivesReferences;
Chapter 3: Marker-Assisted Breeding for Disease Resistance in Crop Plants; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Benefits of MAS; 3.3 Limits of MAS; 3.4 Case Study of MAS; 3.4.1 SCN Resistance Breeding; 3.5 Marker Discovery; 3.6 Confirmation of Parental Polymorphism; 3.7 High-Throughput Marker Screening; 3.8 Using Marker Data to Inform Selections; 3.9 MAS Considerations; 3.10 Genomic Selection in Crop Breeding; 3.11 Statistics of Prediction Models; 3.12 Factors Affecting Prediction Accuracy; 3.12.1 Training Population Size. 3.12.2 The Extent of LD Between the Markers and the QTL3.12.3 Trait Heritability; 3.12.4 Number of QTL and the Corresponding Effects; 3.13 Conclusions; References;
Chapter 4: Morpho-Physiological Traits and Molecular Intricacies Associated with Tolerance to Combined Drought and Pathogen Stress in Plants; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Morpho-Physiological Traits that Likely Govern Plant Response to Combined Stress; 4.2.1 Cell Membrane Stability; 4.2.2 Leaf Water Potential; 4.2.3 Stomatal Movement; 4.2.4 Root Length; 4.3 Impact of Combined Stress on Other Morpho-Physiological Parameters. 4.3.1 Leaf Area4.3.2 Leaf Greenness; 4.3.3 Canopy Temperature; 4.3.4 Time to Anthesis; 4.4 More Potential Traits: Analysis from Individual Stress Studies; 4.4.1 Trichome Type and Density; 4.4.2 Cuticular Wax Composition; 4.5 Molecular Mechanism Governing Traits Imparting Combined Stress Tolerance in Plants; 4.6 Future Perspectives; References;
Chapter 5: Genome Editing for Crop Improvement: Status and Prospects; 5.1 Introduction; 5.1.1 Zinc-Finger Nucleases (ZFNs); 5.1.2 Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs); 5.1.3 CRISPR/Cas System.