Springer Genomics-Assisted Crop Improvement: Vol 2: Genomics Applications in Crops

This superb volume provides a critical assessment of genomics tools and approaches for crop breeding. Volume 1 presents the status and availability of genomic resources and platforms, and also devises strategies and approaches for effectively exploiting genomics research. Volume 2 goes into detail on a number of case studies of several important crop and plant species that summarize both the achievements and limitations of genomics research for crop improvement. Review Ever since the advent of modern crop improvement, breeders have dreamed of applying marker-based selection in their populations. Morphological markers have long been known but are too few to be of any use. Protein markers, e.g. isozymes, are not of much use either also due to their paucity, while RFLPs are expensive and cumbersome to use. Advances in genomics have given us microsatellite and SNP markers in such high number that molecular marker technology for crop improvement and eventually for human welfare has become a reality. These advances in genomics are reviewed in this valuable two-volume set. The editors are to be commended for their labor of love for compiling such a huge volume of information on crop genomics. Gurdev S. Khush FRS, member NAS, Former Principal Plant Breeder,International Rice Research Institute The success of crop improvement has come through the willingness and ability of breeders and researchers to develop and apply new strategies and technologies. The development of molecular tools for tracking genes paved the way for the introduction of marker-assisted selection to monitor individual loci and optimise allele deployment. The advent of the new techniques of genomics is starting to unravel the behaviour of the whole genome and is paving the way to genome-wide breeding where multiple regions are tracked and complex traits can be manipulated more effectively. These two volumes cover both the techniques and the applications of genomics as seen from the perspective of breeders and molecular biologists. They also present a broad and updated view of the area and provide a reference point that will be an invaluable resource to crop geneticists and breeders for both research and crop improvement.Peter Langridge, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics From the Back Cover Genomics research has great potential to revolutionize the discipline of plant breeding. This two-volume set provides a critical assessment of genomics tools and approaches for crop breeding. Volume 1, entitled "Genomics Approaches and Platforms", illustrates state-of-the-art genomics approaches and platforms presently available for crop improvement. Volume 2, entitled "Genomics Applications in Crops", compiles crop-specific studies that summarize both the achievements and limitations of genomics research for crop improvement. We hope that these two volumes, while providing new ideas and opportunities to those working in crop breeding, will help graduate students and teachers to develop a better understanding of the applications of crop genomics to plant research and breeding. About the Author