Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing Ltd Achieving Sustainable Cultivation of Bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and Genetic Improvement (Burleigh Dodds Series in Agricultural Science): 86

From the Back Cover Bananas are the world's most exported and valuable fruit. However, banana production faces a number of challenges, including a very narrow genetic base for commercial cultivation which leaves the crop highly vulnerable to a range of diseases and other stresses. There is an urgent need to improve existing and develop new varieties which retain key yield and quality characteristics whilst improving resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses. These issues are addressed in this volume. The book begins with a discussion of progress in identifying and broadening the genetic base for Musa species. Chapters review ways of classifying banana cultivars, exploiting current collections of germplasm and collecting and evaluating wild Musa species and landraces. This provides the foundation for Parts 3 and 4 which review advances in both conventional and recent molecular breeding techniques and their application in producing improved varieties. Topics include improving fertility and other traits in Cavendish, developing hybrid varieties as well as techniques for genetic improvement. With its distinguished editors and international range of expert authors, Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, government and other agencies supporting banana cultivation, as well as commercial banana growers and retailers. This title is accompanied by a companion volume: Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1: Cultivation techniques. Dr Gert Kema is a Senior Scientist at Plant Research International and Professor in Tropical Phytopathology at Wageningen University, the Netherlands. He heads several international research programs on banana, focussing in particular on Panama disease and black Sigatoka. Professor André Drenth is Professor of Tropical Plant Pathology and theme leader for crop protection in the Centre for Horticultural Science at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI) at the University of Queensland, Australia. He initiated and led the Banana Plant Protection Programme set up to protect Australia's banana industry from a range of pests and diseases. Product Description Despite bananas being the world's most exported and valuable fruit, banana production faces a number of challenges, primarily the extremely narrow genetic base currently available for commercial cultivation which increases the rate of vulnerability to diseases and other stresses. The sector faces increasing pressure to improve existing varieties, as well as to develop new varieties which retain key yield and quality characteristics and improved resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement offers an authoritative discussion on the progress of identifying and broadening the genetic base for Musa species. This collection reviews the current conventional and molecular breeding techniques for breeding new varieties of banana, as well as providing coverage on improving traits in Cavendish. With its distinguished editors and international range of expert authors, Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 2: Germplasm and genetic improvement will be a standard reference for university and other researchers in tropical fruit science, government and other agencies supporting banana cultivation, as well as commercial banana growers and retailers. This title is accompanied by a companion volume: Achieving sustainable cultivation of bananas Volume 1: Cultivation techniques. Review "…provides a good overview of the status of genetic improvement of banana, highlighting both the challenges and potential of ensuring successful cultivation…making this volume a comprehensive foundation of knowledge on which future banana improvement strategies can be built." ISHS - Chronica