This book aims to describe some of the important recent developments in plant genotyping. It is based upon a second workshop held recently to review progress in this area. Recent developments focus on high- throughput methods and generally target single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) discovery and analysis. The topics covered include: SNP discovery in plants; SNPs and their use in maize; rare SNP discovery with endonucleases; sequence polymorphisms in the flanking regions of microsatellite markers; SNP discovery by ecotilling using capillary electrophoresis; genotyping by allele-specific PCR; the MassARRAY system for plant genomics; mutation screening; nanotechnology (the future of cost-effective plant genotyping); functionally associated molecular genetic markers for temperate pasture plant improvement; genotyping for rice eating qualities; towards universal loci for plant genotyping; DNA banks as a resource for SNP genotyping; DNA extraction from plant tissue; future prospects for plant genotyping.

Plant genotyping, or DNA fingerprinting of plants, is a technology that has matured and is poised for widespread practical application in the fields of breeding, commerce and research. This book examines the technologies available and their application in the analysis of:Wild plant populationsGermplasm collections Plant breedingContributors include leading research workers in this field from North America, Europe and Australasia.

This thorough volume presents a wide range of existing methods, from the very popular to the more exotic, in the area of plant genotyping. Many methods of plant genotyping were initially developed for medical research, but all genotyping methods, if they are to be successful, should be suitable for application across the full range of studies within plant biology, as seen in this collection. Plant genotyping methods herein are based on a variety of assessments, including DNA microarray, with its hundreds of thousands of simultaneous reactions, or separate individual studies of DNA sequencing and fragment analysis, PCR and qPCR, allele-specific molecular probes and primers, digestion with restriction endonucleases, microscopy and many others. Written for the highly successful Methods in Molecular Biology series, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step and readily reproducible laboratory protocols, and tips on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and practical, Plant Genotyping: Methods and Protocols offers researchers the opportunity to update their knowledge and choose the most suitable method of plant genotyping for their chosen application.

The ability to produce vast amounts of DNA sequence data has enabled the discovery of molecular markers in model organisms, crops, as well as orphan species making genotyping the rate limiting factor, and this volume focuses on the different markers available and the low to high throughput genotyping of these markers. Given the diverse nature of some of these systems, an overview is provided on the identification of markers from sequence data, as well as data analysis with example applications once the genotyping data has been generated. Written in the successful Methods in Molecular Biology series format, chapters include introductions to their respective topics, lists of the necessary materials and reagents, step-by-step, readily reproducible protocols, and notes on troubleshooting and avoiding known pitfalls. Authoritative and easily accessible, Plant Genotyping: Methods and Protocols is aimed at plant molecular biologists, geneticists, plant breeders and ecologists who have a target question and need to know the most suitable markers and genotyping system to use.

In contrast to the external traits of plants, we cannot directly see the genotypes that comprise the underlying set of genetic material encoding these phenotypic traits. To make genotypes accessible for research and further understanding, various genotyping methods are used. Plant genotyping began with relatively simple and elementary molecular markers, like microsatellites or SSR (Simple Sequence Repeats), which were then followed by DNA sequencing and fragment analysis, PCR and qPCR, allele-specific molecular probes and primers, and now today’s modern and advanced microchip-DNA technology involving hundreds and thousands of reactions simultaneously.

Researchers in the field of ecological genomics aim to determine how a genome or a population of genomes interacts with its environment across ecological and evolutionary timescales. Ecological genomics is trans-disciplinary by nature. Ecologists have turned to genomics to be able to elucidate the mechanistic bases of the biodiversity their research tries to understand. Genomicists have turned to ecology in order to better explain the functional cellular and molecular variation they observed in their model organisms. We provide an advanced-level book that covers this recent research and proposes future development for this field. A synthesis of the field of ecological genomics emerges from this volume. Ecological Genomics covers a wide array of organisms (microbes, plants and animals) in order to be able to identify central concepts that motivate and derive from recent investigations in different branches of the tree of life. Ecological Genomics covers 3 fields of research that have most benefited from the recent technological and conceptual developments in the field of ecological genomics: the study of life-history evolution and its impact of genome architectures; the study of the genomic bases of phenotypic plasticity and the study of the genomic bases of adaptation and speciation.

Recent major advances in the field of comparative genomics and cytogenomics of plants, particularly associated with the completion of ambitious genome projects, have uncovered astonishing facets of the architecture and evolutionary history of plant genomes. The aim of this book was to review these recent developments as well as their implications in our understanding of the mechanisms which drive plant diversity. New insights into the evolution of gene functions, gene families and genome size are presented, with particular emphasis on the evolutionary impact of polyploidization and transposable elements. Knowledge on the structure and evolution of plant sex chromosomes, centromeres and microRNAs is reviewed and updated. Taken together, the contributions by internationally recognized experts present a panoramic overview of the structural features and evolutionary dynamics of plant genomes.This volume of Genome Dynamics will provide researchers, teachers and students in the fields of biology and agronomy with a valuable source of current knowledge on plant genomes.

This book is the first comprehensive compilation of deliberations on whole genome sequencing of the diploid and tetraploid alfalfa genomes including sequence assembly, gene annotation, and comparative genomics with the model legume genome, functional genomics, and genomics of important agronomic characters. Other chapters describe the genetic diversity and germplasm collections of alfalfa, as well as development of genetic markers and genome-wide association and genomic selection for economical important traits, genome editing, genomics, and breeding targets to address current and future needs. Altogether, the book contains about 300 pages over 16 chapters authored by globally reputed experts on the relevant field in this crop. This book is useful to the students, teachers, and scientists in the academia and relevant private companies interested in genetics, breeding, pathology, physiology, molecular genetics and breeding, biotechnology, and structural and functional genomics. The work is also useful to seed and forage industries.

OGENOTYPING BY SEQUENCING FOR CROP IMPROVEMENT A thoroughly up-to-date exploration of genotyping-by-sequencing technologies and related methods in plant science In Genotyping by Sequencing for Crop Improvement, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an in-depth and current exploration of the latest advances in genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) methods, the statistical approaches used to analyze GBS data, and its applications, including quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), and genomic selection (GS) in crop improvement. This edited volume includes insightful contributions on a variety of relevant topics, like advanced molecular markers, high-throughput genotyping platforms, whole genome resequencing, QTL mapping with advanced mapping populations, analytical pipelines for GBS analysis, and more. The distinguished contributors explore traditional and advanced markers used in plant genotyping in extensive detail, and advanced genotyping platforms that cater to unique research purposes are discussed, as is the whole-genome resequencing (WGR) methodology. The included chapters also examine the applications of these technologies in several different crop categories, including cereals, pulses, oilseeds, and commercial crops. Genotyping by Sequencing for Crop Improvement also offers: A thorough introduction to molecular marker techniques and recent advancements in the technology Comprehensive explorations of the genotyping of seeds while preserving their viability, as well as advances in genomic selection Practical discussions of opportunities and challenges relating to high throughput genotyping in polyploid crops In-depth examinations of recent advances and applications of GBS, GWAS, and GS in cereals, pulses, oilseeds, millets, and commercial crops Perfect for practicing plant scientists with an interest in genotyping-by-sequencing technology, Genotyping by Sequencing for Crop Improvement will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers and students seeking a one-stop reference on the foundational aspects of – and recent advances in – genotyping-by-sequencing, genome-wide association studies, and genomic selection.