Ornamental plants are economically important worldwide. Both growers and consumers ask continuously for new, improved varieties. Although there are numerous ornamental species, ornamental plant breeding and plant breeding research is mainly limited to some major species. This book focuses on the recent advances and achievements in ornamental plant breeding. The first part of the book focuses on plant traits and breeding techniques that are typical for ornamental plants. Eminent research groups write these general chapters. For plant traits like flower colour or shape, breeding for disease resistance and vase or shelf life are reviewed. General technical plant breeding chapters deal with mutation breeding, polyploidisation, in vitro breeding techniques and new developments in molecular techniques. The second part of the book consists of crop-specific chapters. Here all economically major ornamental species are handled together with selected representative species from different plant groups (cut flowers, pot plants, woody ornamental plants). In these crop-specific chapters, the main focus is on recent scientific achievements over the last decade.

This Research Topic is part of the Quality of Ornamental Crops: Effect of Genotype, Preharvest, and Improved Production Chains on Quality Attributes of Ornamental Crops series. Acceptance of ornamental crops depends on a large extent on flower color, fragrance and shape. Flower number and size, uniformity of blooming, as well as plant shape, patterning and color determine the crop's appeal. Vase life, or postharvest quality retention, involves preserving specific features such as flower color and scent. In addition, leaf and stem color, plant shape, and development should occur within particular ranges, while pests and diseases must be absent. Thus, genotype, growing conditions, harvest practices and postharvest conditions contribute to maintaining quality after harvest.

This edited book elucidates the evolution of plant virus, genomic structure, diversity, plant-virus interaction, subcellular movement etc. The book reviews the biological machineries which allow the emergence of virus populations adapted by plant. The main objective of this book is the demonstration of a clear synergistic effect of plant viruses, an effect that was unexpectedly as important as applied alone. Ornamental plants are very popular and economically important worldwide. The international market of ornamentals is constantly expanding. Viruses and viroids can significantly reduce both decorative value and quality of propagated material of ornamentals. Due to the wide range of ornamental plant species and cultivars and their wide geographical distribution, the diversity of viruses that infect them is also high. The new emerging viruses are the causal agent for the economic loss of many important ornamental plants. Therefore, this book also adds value to current knowledge of virus stress response in ornamental plants and will provide the groundwork necessary for building future strategies for product enhancement. This book is of interest to teachers, researchers, capacity builders and policymakers. It can serve as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate students of virology, agriculture and plant sciences.

The volume on oilseed crops is developed as a part of a series on “Handbook of Agrobiodiversity: Conservation and Use of Plant Genetic Resources”. The handbook would function as a ready reference book for availability of PGR globally, along with specific source, wherefrom they can be procured, and used breeding programs, particularly to overcome various crop production constraints and to improve productivity and quality. The volume on floriculture and ornamental plants will be the source of basic information on origin and evolution and global dispersal of cultivated species of ornamentals. Presently, floriculture has established its credibility in improving income through increased productivity, generating employment and in enhancing exports. All research and developmental activities on ornamental crops are essentially multi-disciplinary in nature recognizing local issues as well as country issue. Floriculture is developing as an area of high technology based frontier interdisciplinary area on scientific excellence. Floriculture has progressed both scientifically and commercially due to concentrated efforts made on multidisciplinary research. It is developing as an area of high technology based frontier interdisciplinary area on scientific excellence. The volume will contain all information about different ornamentals. This shall be put together to develop a complete documentation of the results of the research and demonstrations conducted by different scientists. The volume will provide an illustrated horto-taxonomical account of important ornamental species and cultivars, germplasm status and their usages, propagation, nursery management, techno-economics, conventional breeding, induced mutagenesis, new varieties, cytogenetics, tissue culture, characterization of varieties, dehydration of flowers etc. This volume will give a coherent and concise account on recent developments. It will deal with all the important and relevant aspects of floriculture. The publication of this volume is planned to reveal multifarious activities done on different aspects of floriculture so that innovations made so far can be used judiciously for this sector. This book shall provide authoritative review account of many aspects of current interest and progress in the field of floriculture. The topics included in the book are interdisciplinary and cater not only classical floriculture but also relevant modern aspects. The book will provide valuable data on different aspects and will be widely accepted by by professional scientists, researchers, teachers, students, floriculturists, technocrats and planners. The volume will be an invaluable asset to floriculture scientists.