Advanced Crop Improvement, Volume 2: Case Studies of Economically Important Crops

The human population is expected to reach 9 billion by 2050, requiring 70% more food to be produced. Plant breeders, agronomists, and geneticists are under pressure to expand food production through innovative breeding strategies. Conventional breeding approaches are laborious and time-consuming, while new techniques such as molecular breeding and plant biotechnology offer faster and more efficient solutions. Recent advances in genomics, transgenics, molecular marker-assisted back-crossing, TILLING, Eco-TILLING, gene editing, CRISPR CAS, non-targeted protein abundant comparative proteomics, genome wide association studies, and other modern tools have made it possible to map important QTLs, insert transgenes, reduce linkage drags, and manipulate genomes. This book highlights the latest progress in plant breeding and their applicability in crop improvement.

Format: Hardback
Length: 569 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2023
Publisher: Springer International Publishing AG

The human population is expected to reach 9 billion by the end of 2050, and 70% more food must be produced over the next three decades to feed the additional population. This presents a significant challenge for plant breeders, agronomists, and geneticists, who are under constant pressure to expand food production by employing innovative breeding strategies. Conventional breeding approaches involve the introgression of genes in crop varieties, which can be laborious and time-consuming. However, new innovative plant breeding techniques such as molecular breeding and plant biotechnology have emerged to supplement traditional breeding approaches. These techniques utilize molecular tools such as genomics, transgenics, molecular marker-assisted back-crossing, TILLING, Eco-TILLING, gene editing, CRISPR CAS, non-targeted protein abundant comparative proteomics, genome wide association studies, and other advanced technologies to enhance food production.

One of the key challenges in plant breeding is the introgression of genes into crop varieties. Traditional breeding methods involve crossing two or more parental lines and selecting the best progeny for breeding. However, this process can be slow and inefficient, especially when dealing with complex traits such as yield, adaptability, nutrition, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. Molecular breeding techniques, on the other hand, allow for the direct manipulation of genes, which can be faster and more efficient. For example, gene editing techniques such as CRISPR CAS can be used to modify the DNA sequence of a gene, which can result in desired changes in the phenotype.

Another challenge in plant breeding is the reduction of linkage drags. Linkage drags are the phenomenon where genes that are linked together in the genome are inherited together, which can result in undesirable traits. Molecular breeding techniques can be used to break down linkage drags by introducing new genes into the genome. For example, gene editing techniques can be used to create a new gene that is not linked to any other genes in the genome, which can then be introduced into the crop variety.

Genome wide association studies have also made possible the mapping of important QTLs, insertion of transgenes, reduction of linkage drags, and manipulation of genome. QTLs are regions of the genome that are associated with a particular trait, and can be used to identify genes that are responsible for that trait. Insertion of transgenes can be used to introduce new genes into the crop variety that are not present in the original variety. Reduction of linkage drags can be used to improve the efficiency of breeding programs.

In general, conventional and modern plant breeding approaches would be strategically ideal for developing new elite crop varieties to meet the feeding requirement of the increasing world population. However, there are several challenges that need to be addressed in order to achieve this goal. One of the challenges is the availability of genetic variation. Genetic variation is the source of new traits that can be introduced into crop varieties. However, genetic variation is limited in many crop varieties, particularly in developing countries. This can be addressed by developing new breeding programs that focus on the development of new crop varieties that are adapted to different environmental conditions.

Another challenge is the cost of developing new crop varieties. Developing new crop varieties can be expensive, and this can limit the availability of new crop varieties to farmers in developing countries. This can be addressed by developing new breeding programs that are cost-effective and that can be implemented in a sustainable manner.

In addition to these challenges, there are also several opportunities that can be exploited in plant breeding. One of the opportunities is the use of biotechnology. Biotechnology can be used to develop new crop varieties that are resistant to pests, diseases, and environmental stresses. For example, biotechnology can be used to develop genetically modified crops that are resistant to herbicides, which can reduce the use of herbicides and improve the sustainability of agriculture.

Another opportunity is the use of precision agriculture. Precision agriculture is a farming system that uses technology to optimize the use of resources such as water, fertilizer, and pesticides. Precision agriculture can be used to improve the productivity of crop varieties and to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture.

In conclusion, the human population is expected to reach 9 billion by the end of 2050, and 70% more food must be produced over the next three decades to feed the additional population. This presents a significant challenge for plant breeders, agronomists, and geneticists, who are under constant pressure to expand food production by employing innovative breeding strategies. Molecular breeding techniques, plant biotechnology, and precision agriculture are some of the key techniques that can be used to achieve this goal. However, there are several challenges that need to be addressed in order to achieve this goal, and there are also several opportunities that can be exploited in plant breeding. By working together, we can develop new elite crop varieties that will meet the feeding requirement of the increasing world population.

Dimension: 235 x 155 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783031266683
Edition number: 1st ed. 2023