Plant Genebank Utilization for Trait Discovery in Commercial and Potential Crops

This book provides global information on utilization of plant genetic resources (PGRs) of major commercial and potential crops. It discusses various aspects such as genebank resources, evaluation of germplasm, genomics-assisted trait discovery and their utilization for cultivar development. PGRs are the backbone of crop improvement program essential for global food security. Commercial crop production has good export value and provides adequate support for the growth of the national economy. In a similar manner, potential crops have rich potential to be cultivated in a wider area with fewer inputs and constitute great nutritional value and climate resilience. Hence, for sustainable production of commercial and potential crops, efficient use and management of PGRs are equally important. Traditional methods of PGRs' management are being challenged by the ever-changing needs, priorities, climate, technologies, and policies. To address this issue of sustainable management of PGRs, there is a need to create awareness among the various stakeholders in a scientific manner covering all aspects from conservation to utilization. This book also discusses advances in tools and techniques used for phenotyping, genotyping, and genomic-assisted trait discovery. The target audience for this book are research scholars, students, scientists and academicians involved in the field of utilization and conservation of PGRs for commercial and potential crops. This book also serves as a reference material to postgraduate students with research interests on commercial or potential crops.