The Book Presents A Comprehensive Account Of The Concept And Genesis Of Diverse Biometrical/Statistical Models As Applied To Plant Breeding Experiments Under Different Situations. Generation And Statistical Treatment Of Data; Presentation, Interpretation And Inferences Of Results; Merits, Demerits And Situations Of Applicability Of Models Are All Explicated For Their Adequate And Appropriate Usage In Plant Breeding. The Whole Volume Comprising 25 Chapters Has Been Zipped Into Five Sections Elucidating; General Statistical/Biometrical Parameters And Field Designs (Chapters 1-4), Multivariate Analysis Of Genetic Divergence (Chapters 6-7), Genotype X Environment Interaction And Stability Parameters (Chapters 8-10), Analysis Of Nature Of Gene Action And Variance Components (Chapters 11 -23), And Lastly The Unique Analysis Of Statistical And Genetical Parameters Related To Selection And Mutation Experiments (Chapters 24-25) In Plant Breeding. Simplification Of The Bewildering Complexities Of Biometrical Notations And Procedures In A Language Which Could Easily Be Grasped By Biologists/Geneticists Having Little Or No Statistical Background Is The Hallmark Of The Treatise. Like A Ready-Reckoner, This Work Offers An Efficient Key To Plant Breeding Data-Management For Both Students And Professional Plant Breeders Alike In Pursuit Of Their Research Goals.

Marker-assisted plant breeding involves the application of molecular marker techniques and statistical and bioinformatics tools to achieve plant breeding objectives in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. This book is intended for beginners in the field who have little or no prior exposure to molecular markers and their applications, but who do have a basic knowledge of genetics and plant breeding, and some exposure to molecular biology. An attempt has been made to provide sufficient basic information in an easy-to-follow format, and also to discuss current issues and developments so as to offer comprehensive coverage of the subject matter. The book will also be useful for breeders and research workers, as it offers a broad range of up-to-the-year information, including aspects like the development of different molecular markers and their various applications. In the first chapter, the field of marker-assisted plant breeding is introduced and placed in the proper perspective in relation to plant breeding. The next three chapters describe the various molecular marker systems, while mapping populations and mapping procedures including high-throughput genotyping are discussed in the subsequent five chapters. Four chapters are devoted to various applications of markers, e.g. marker-assisted selection, genomic selection, diversity analysis, finger printing and positional cloning. In closing, the last two chapters provide information on relevant bioinformatics tools and the rapidly evolving field of phenomics.

The Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding was established in 1941 in recognition of the growing contribution of improved crop varieties to the country's agriculture. Scientific plant breeding had started inIndia soon after the rediscovery of Mendel's laws of heredity. The Indian Agricultural Research Institute set up in 1905 and a number of Agricultural Colleges in different parts of the country carried out some of the earliest work mostly inthe form of pure-line selections. In subsequent years, hybridization programmes in crops like wheat, rice, oilseeds, grain legumes, sugarcane and cotton yielded a large number of improved cultivars with significantly higher yields. A turning point came in the 1960s with the development of hybrids in several crops including inter-specific hybrids in cotton. And when new germplasm with dwarfing genes became available in wheat and rice from CIMMYT and IRRI, respectively,Indian plant breeders quickly incorporated these genes into the genetic background of the country's widely grown varieties with excellent grain quality and other desirable traits. This was to mark the beginning of modem agriculture in India as more and more varieties were developed, characterized by a high harvest index and response to modem farm inputs like the inorganic fertilizers . India's green revolution which has led to major surpluses offood grains and othercommodities like sugar and cotton has been made possible by the work of one of the largest groups of plant breeders working in a coordinated network.

Plant breeding has the potential to improve quality of life for millions of people, and to harmoniously link agriculture, societies and ecosystems. Global efforts have been made to improve awareness and create a better and brighter future for plant breeding worldwide. Though substantial international research funding is available, and tremendous efforts have been made to achieve food security and sustainability in agriculture, their success can only be ensured when they are complemented by counterparts at the national level. India is ideally poised to reap the benefits of plant breeding by integrating various parameters like adaptation, uncertainty, vulnerability and resilience into agriculture research strategies. Priorities include making agriculture more appealing to young talents, formulating farmer-friendly policies, combining advanced technologies with conventional plant breeding practices, and building the competencies needed to address emerging challenges in agriculture. This book provides an essential overview of modern plant breeding, and demonstrates how education, entrepreneurship training and professional approaches can help transform the image of agriculture from a poor and unattractive domain into a lucrative and business-oriented one. In addition, it presents strategies to help achieve sustainable, accessible and affordable outcomes with breeding programs. The book’s primary goal is to encourage policymakers, academics, private institutions and non-profit organizations to combine their efforts in order to achieve a major transition in plant breeding activities in Asia. Accordingly, it highlights the importance of partnerships and collaborations for making breeding programs more comprehensive and meaningful.

This book aims to help plant breeders by reviewing past achievements, currently successful practices, and emerging methods and techniques. Theoretical considerations are also presented to strike the right balance between being as simple as possible but as complex as necessary. The United Nations predicts that the global human population will continue rising to 9.0 billion by 2050. World food production will need to increase between 70-100 per cent in just 40 years. First generation bio-fuels are also using crops and cropland to produce energy rather than food. In addition, land area used for agriculture may remain static or even decrease as a result of degradation and climate change, despite more land being theoretically available, unless crops can be bred which tolerate associated abiotic stresses. Lastly, it is unlikely that steps can be taken to mitigate all of the climate change predicted to occur by 2050, and beyond, and hence adaptation of farming systems and crop production will be required to reduce predicted negative effects on yields that will occur without crop adaptation. Substantial progress will therefore be required in bridging the yield gap between what is currently achieved per unit of land and what should be possible in future, with the best farming methods and best storage and transportation of food, given the availability of suitably adapted cultivars, including adaptation to climate change. My book is divided into four parts: Part I is an historical introduction; Part II deals with the origin of genetic variation by mutation and recombination of DNA; Part III explains how the mating system of a crop species determines the genetic structure of its landraces; Part IV considers the three complementary options for future progress: use of sexual reproduction in further conventional breeding, base broadening and introgression; mutation breeding; and genetically modified crops.