Written by researchers representing six countries and 28 institutions, this book highlights the development of the genus Populus as a model organism for tree genomics. Reflecting an impressive depth of coverage, the contributors' thorough reviews and analyses of Populus genomics provide insight into future discoveries about the basic biology of thi

With contributions by internationally reputed researchers in the field, this book presents the implications of the genomic revolution for conifers—promoting a better understanding of the evolution of these organisms as well as new knowledge about the molecular basis of quantitative trait variation. Both of these discoveries play important roles in their domestication. Topics include cytogenetics, patterns of nucleotide diversity, genetic mapping, integration of molecular markers in breeding, transcriptomics, advances in proteomics and metabolomics in gymnosperms, and economic importance.

Eucalypts are used for the production of paper products, firewood, charcoal, potential feedstocks for bioenergy and biomaterials, as ornamentals and landscape trees, and in land rehabilitation. Eucalypt breeding is at an early stage with many plantings being only at the first stages of domestication. The relatively small genomes of these species make the application of molecular genetics approaches attractive. The application of modern genomics will accelerate the development of improved eucalypts for a wide range of uses. This book brings together diverse information on the genetics, genomics, and breeding of these important forest species.

Grapevine is a highly valuable crop worldwide, both from a cultural as well as a commercial point of view. One of its major advantages is that it is well adapted to scarce water conditions. The main object of grapevine breeding is to develop varieties that are resistant to pathogens and at the same time well-adapted to a changing environment. Since

Genetics and Genomics of Populus provides an indepth description of the genetic and genomic tools and approaches for Populus, examines the biology that has been elucidated using genomics, and looks to the future of this unique model plant. This volume is designed to serve both experienced Populus researchers and newcomers to the field. Contributors to the volume are a blend of researchers, some who have spent most of their research career on Populus and others that have moved to Populus from other model systems. Research on Populus forms a useful complement to research on Arabidopsis. In fact, many plant species found in nature are – in terms of the life history and genetics – more similar to Populus than to Arabidopsis. Thus, the genetic and genomic strategies and tools developed by the Populus community, and showcased in this volume, will hopefully provide inspiration for researchers working in other, less well developed, systems.

The stone fruits—including peaches, apricots, almonds, plums, and cherries—have been bred and grown for thousands of years and today are significant agricultural crops in many local economies worldwide. This volume presents a comprehensive commentary on classical genetics and breeding, molecular mapping and breeding of agronomic traits, and the cloning of genes of interest. It also explores recent advances on omics sciences including structural and functional genomics, proteomics, nd metabolomics. The book enumerates the whole genome sequencing of the model fruit plant peach and discusses bioinformatic strategies and tools for stone fruit research

This volume covers the advances in the study of tomato diversity and taxonomy. It examines the mapping of simple and complex traits, classical genetics and breeding, association studies, molecular breeding, positional cloning, and structural and comparative genomics. The contributors also discuss transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and bioin

The soybean is an economically important leguminous seed crop for feed and food products that is rich in seed protein (about 40 percent) and oil (about 20 percent); it enriches the soil by fixing nitrogen in symbiosis with bacteria. Soybean was domesticated in northeastern China about 2500 BC and subsequently spread to other countries. The enormous

Musa is one of three genera in the family of Musaceae. Over 50 species of Musa exist, including bananas and plantains. This book assembles the latest information on the genomic research of this genus. A group of leading experts in Musa genetics, genomics, and breeding provide basic as well as advanced information for those interested in learning more about the banana genome. The accessible style is easily understood by students and researchers, making the book an ideal springboard for those looking to do expanded research into this crop.

The fast-growing sugarcane plant is a major source of sugar (sucrose) in tropical and sub-tropical regions. The high productivity of the plant also makes it a key target for use as an energy crop. The fiber of the plant is used to generate electricity and produce ethanol as a fuel.Sugarcane is a hybrid of two species, each of which is genetically c