Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas Lam.) is the seventh most important food crop among the root and tuber crops grown in the world which is widely cultivated in tropic, sub tropic and warmer temperate regions. A wide variation exists among sweet potato varieties. The molecular markers Is an important genetic diversity analysis tool for enhancing duplicates identification. The samples were collected based on an elaborative iterative survey as well as traditional knowledge from local people. Thirteen different varieties Ipomoea batatas Lam. varieties (Kuravanpady 1, Kuravanpady 2, Jellipara 1, Jellipara 2, Kottathara, Kadanadu, Kanaka, Aruna, Kanjagad, Cherukizhangu 1, Cherukizhangu 2, Thodupuzha. Palakkad) were used for morphological characterization. Morphological data were collected 60 days after planting based on the descriptors for sweet potato (IBPGR, 1991) in all the 13 samples. The variable scored were twining, plant type, ground cover, vine inter node, vine pigmentation, vine tip pubescence, mature leaf shape, mature leaf size, abaxial leaf vein pigmentation, foliage colour, petiole length, petiole pigmentation, storage root and skin colour. Molecular characterization could be more effectively used in screening varieties among sweet potatoes if coupled with other molecular markers especially ISSR, matK and rbcL markers.

It is important to include Tuber and Root Crops in the Handbook of Plant Breeding. They include starchy staple crops that are of increasing importance for global food security and relief of poverty, important millennium goals for the United Nations. Indeed, 2008 was the UN International Year of the Potato in recognition of this role of the potato as the world’s third most important food crop after wheat and rice. The other major staples are cassava, sweetpotato and yam. Together they occupy about 50 million hectares, with production at 640 million metric tons, of which 70% is in developing countries. In total there are more than 30 species of Root and Tuber Crops grown in the world today. Given the content of other volumes in the series, it makes sense to include sugar and fodder beets; swedes and turnips; and minor root and tuber crops so that the book series is as complete as possible. Like the other volumes in the series, this one will present information on the latest in applied plant breeding using the current advances in the field, from an efficient use of genetic resources to the impact of biotechnology in plant breeding. Seven crop specific chapters are proposed, together with an introduction to this diverse set of plant species. Outstanding scientists for each crop species are proposed as senior authors, who may invite co-authors to contribute part of a chapter. In order to increase the overall acceptance of the volume, balance will be sought with authors from different research groups/countries who will be asked to contribute and collaborate where appropriate. The book should be of interest to researchers in both academic and industrial settings, and in both developed and developing countries, as well as students and teachers of plant breeding. It is currently extremely important to educate and train a new generation of plant breeders given the challenges faced by humankind in producing more food for an expanding global population during a period of environmental (including climate) change.

Definitions and use of the descriptors; Passport; Accession data; Collection data; Characterization and preliminary evaluation; Site data; Plant data; Gross morphology; Storage root; Inflorescence; Notes; Further characterization and evaluation; Site data; Plant data; Abiotic stress susceptibility; Biotic stress susceptibility; Allozyme composition; Cytological characters and identified genes; Munsell color chart equivalents for storage root skin and flesh colour.

Nothing provided