Wild taxa are invaluable sources of resistance to diseases, insects/ pests, nematodes, temperature extremes, salinity and alkalinity stresses, and also of nutritional quality; adaptation; genetic diversity and new species. Utilization of wild relatives of a crop depends largely upon its crossability relations with cultivated varieties. Sev eral wild species are not crossable with the commercial cultivars due to various isolation barriers. Furthermore, in a few cases, hybridiza tion is possible only in one direction and reciprocal crosses are not successful, thus depriving the utilization of desired cytoplasm of many species. However, techniques have been developed to over come many barriers and hybrid plants are produced. New crop species have been developed by overcoming the F 1 sterility and producing amphidiploids and such crops are commercially being grown in the field. The segregation pattern ofF 1 hybrids produced by distant hybridization in segregating generations are different from the intervarietal hybrids. In former cases, generally, unidirectional segregation takes place in early generations and accordingly, selec tion procedures are adopted. In most of the cases, backcross or modified backcross methods have been followed to utilize wild species, and thus numerous types of resistance and other economical attributes have been transferred in the recurrent parents. Protoplast fusion has been amply demonstrated in a number of cases where sexual hybridization was not possible and, as a result, hybrids have been produced.

"Noel Kingsbury reveals that even those imaginary perfect foods are themselves far from anything that could properly be called natural, rather, they represent the end of a millennia-long history of selective breeding and hybridization. Starting his story at the birth of agriculture, Kingsbury traces the history of human attempts to make plants more reliable, productive, and nutritiousa story that owes as much to accident and error as to innovation and experiment. Drawing on historical and scientific accounts, as well as a rich trove of anecdotes, Kingsbury shows how scientists, amateur breeders, and countless anonymous farmers and gardeners slowly caused the evolutionary pressures of nature to be supplanted by those of human needs and thus led us from sparse wild grasses to succulent corn cobs, and from mealy, white wild carrots to the juicy vegetables we enjoy today. At the same time, Kingsbury reminds us that contemporary controversies over the Green Revolution and genetically modified crops are not new, plant breeding has always had a political dimension."--Publisher's description.

A Strategy of "Large Population, Strong Selection" Will Guarantee Success in Poplar Polyploid Breeding

Plant Breeding and Cultivar Development features an optimal balance between classical and modern tools and techniques related to plant breeding. Written for a global audience and based on the extensive international experience of the authors, the book features pertinent examples from major and minor world crops. Advanced data analytics (machine learning), phenomics and artificial intelligence are explored in the book's 28 chapters that cover classical and modern plant breeding. By presenting these advancements in specific detail, private and public sector breeding programs will learn about new, effective and efficient implementation. The insights are clear enough that non-plant breeding majoring students will find it useful to learn about the subject, while advanced level students and researchers and practitioners will find practical examples that help them implement their work. - Bridges the gap between conventional breeding practices and state-of-the-art technologies - Provides real-world case studies of a wide range of plant breeding techniques and practices - Combines insights from genetics, genomics, breeding science, statistics, computer science and engineering for crop improvement and cultivar development

North American Agroforestry Explore the many benefits of alternative land-use systems with this incisive resource Humanity has become a victim of its own success. While we’ve managed to meet the needs—to one extent or another—of a large portion of the human population, we’ve often done so by ignoring the health of the natural environment we rely on to sustain our planet. And by deteriorating the quality of our air, water, and land, we’ve put into motion consequences we’ll be dealing with for generations. In the newly revised Third Edition of North American Agroforestry, an expert team of researchers delivers an authoritative and insightful exploration of an alternative land-use system that exploits the positive interactions between trees and crops when they are grown together and bridges the gap between production agriculture and natural resource management. This latest edition includes new material on urban food forests, as well as the air and soil quality benefits of agroforestry, agroforestry’s relevance in the Mexican context, and agroforestry training and education. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the development of agroforestry as an integrated land use management strategy Comprehensive explorations of agroforestry nomenclature, concepts, and practices, as well as an agroecological foundation for temperate agroforestry Practical discussions of tree-crop interactions in temperate agroforestry, including in systems such as windbreak practices, silvopasture practices, and alley cropping practices In-depth examinations of vegetative environmental buffers for air and water quality benefits, agroforestry for wildlife habitat, agroforestry at the landscape level, and the impact of agroforestry on soil health Perfect for environmental scientists, natural resource professionals and ecologists, North American Agroforestry will also earn a place in the libraries of students and scholars of agricultural sciences interested in the potential benefits of agroforestry.

While preparing the first edition of this textbook I attended an extension short course on writing agricultural publications. The message I remember was "select your audience and write to it. " There has never been any doubt about the audience for which this textbook was written, the introductory course in crop breeding. In addition, it has become a widely used reference for the graduate plant-breeding student and the practicing plant breeder. In its prepa ration, particular attention has been given to advances in plant-breeding theo ry and their utility in plant-breeding practice. The blend of the theoretical with the practical has set this book apart from other plant-breeding textbooks. The basic structure and the objectives of the earlier editions remain un changed. These objectives are (1) to review essential features of plant re production, Mendelian genetic principles, and related genetic developments applicable in plant-breeding practice; (2) to describe and evaluate established and new plant-breeding procedures and techniques, and (3) to discuss plant breeding objectives with emphasis on the importance of proper choice of objec tive for achieving success in variety development. Because plant-breeding activities are normally organized around specific crops, there are chapters describing breeding procedures and objectives for the major crop plants; the crops were chosen for their economic importance or diversity in breeding sys tems. These chapters provide a broad overview of the kinds of problems with which the breeder must cope.

Brighter zinnias, fragrant carnations, snappier green beans Plant Breeding for the Home Gardener makes it easier than ever to breed and grow your own varieties of vegetables and flowers. This comprehensive and accessible guide explains how to decide what to breed, provides simple explanations on how to cross plants, and features a basic primer on genetics and advanced techniques. Case studies provide breeding examples for favorite plants like daffodils, hollyhocks, roses, sweet corn, and tomatoes.

Hybrid zones--geographical areas in which the hybrids of two races are found--have attracted the attention of evolutionary biologists for many years, both because they are windows on the evolutionary process and because the patterns of animals and plant variation seen in hybrid zones do notfit the traditional classification schemes of taxonomists. Hybrid zones provide insights into the nature of the species, the way barriers to gene exchange function, the genetic basis of those barriers, the dynamics of the speciation process. Hybrid Zones and the Evolutionary Process synthesizes theextensive research literature in this field and points to new directions in research. It will be read with interest by evolutionary biologists, geneticists, and biogeographers.