Genetic and Genomic Resources For Cereals Improvement is the first book to bring together the latest available genetic resources and genomics to facilitate the identification of specific germplasm, trait mapping, and allele mining that are needed to more effectively develop biotic and abiotic-stress-resistant grains. As grain cereals, including rice, wheat, maize, barley, sorghum, and millets constitute the bulk of global diets, both of vegetarian and non-vegetarian, there is a greater nee...

This book offers comprehensive coverage of important grain cereals including their origin and distribution, crop gene pool, level of diversity, production constraints, traits of importance for genetic base widening, crop improvement methodologies, genome mapping, genomics for breeding, and future strategies. The chapters, contributed by eminent crop researchers from around the world, provide rare insights into the crop-specific constraints and prospects drawing from their substantial exper...

Grain legumes play significant and diverse role in the farming systems and provide nutrition security to the largely vegetarian and relatively poorer people around the world. These are ideal crops for achieving three simultaneous developmental goals viz. reducing poverty, improving human health and nutrition and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Globally, grain legumes are the second most important crop group next only to cereals but a large proportion of area of it is under rainfed-low inpu...

Grain legumes, including common-bean, chickpea, pigeonpea, pea, cowpea, lentil and others, form important constituents of global diets, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Despite this significant role, global production has increased only marginally in the past 50 years. The slow production growth, along with a rising human population and improved buying capacity has substantially reduced the per capita availability of food legumes. Changes in environmental climate have also had significa...

The Himalayan Region is a mega hot spot for biological diversity. It supports over 1,748 plants species of known medicinal value. This title focuses on origin and distribution of Himalayan herbs, their medicinal potential, industrial significance, and research advancements pertaining to molecular breeding and omics-based approaches. - Discusses evolved secondary biochemical pathways often in response to specific environmental stimuli - Reviews conservation efforts - Presents an in-depth an...

Chickpea: Crop Wild Relatives for Enhancing Genetic Gains explores aspects related to critical analysis on factors responsible for narrow genetic base of chickpea productions including domestication bottleneck, the level of diversity present in different cultivated and wild species, the uniqueness and usefulness of potential gene sources available and maintained in production systems across the globe, the level of genetic erosion both at landrace and species level over time and space etc. ...

Millets and Pseudo Cereals is the first comprehensive resource to focus on the potential crop improvements through genetic enhancements. The choice of food crop for a region is primarily determined by the conditions of climate and soil. Once labelled as orphan crops, millets and pseudo-cereals are now known as miracle grains due to their adaptation to harsh conditions and high nutritional quality. Small millets and pseudo-cereals are now seen to occupy special niches through their ability ...

Lentils: Potential Resources for Enhancing Genetic Gains describes the evolutionary aspects and agronomic potential of this important pulse with emphasis placed on wide hybridization, including molecular aspects and future breeding strategies. The existing variability among cultivated germplasm has been exploited to reach a desirable level of productivity. However, to attain further breakthroughs in increasing yield and improving stability in future cultivars, new sources of genes/alleles ...