We are very happy that in this symposium researchers from a multitude of countries around the world are coming together in order to discuss issues about breeding for intra- and inter-specific diversity as well for annuals as for perennials. THe submitted abstracts show that the activities are far wider than just the cereals that are covered by the EU directive and that there will be a need to expand the activities on the legal side.

The Rice Genetics Collection of past symposia and other selected literature contains nearly 4,400 pages of searchable information on rice genetics and cytogenetics published by the IRRI and its partners since 1964. In addition to the five genetics symposia held at 5-year intervals since 1985, the collection contains classic publications that kicked off significant reporting on these subjects in the early 1960s. This collection is a comprehensive and historical documentation on the subject of rice genetics, spanning 45 years of research and scholarly work.Held in 1963, the Symposium on Rice Genetics and Cytogenetics was the first ever international conference devoted solely to rice genetics, cytogenetics, and taxonomy. This volume, published the following year, contains 27 chapters contributed by participants from the proceedings on topics dealing with rice genetic research, including taxonomy; gene symbolization and nomenclature; chromosome morphology in Oryza species; genetic and cytogenetic evidence for species relationships; the nature of intervarietal hybrid sterility in Oryza sativa; and inheritance studies, gene markers, and linkage groups.

This book is an advanced textbook and a reference book for the post-graduate plant-breeding students and the plant breeders. It consolidates fundamental concepts and also the latest advances in plant-breeding practices including development in crop genomics. It contains crop wise explanation on origin, reproduction, genetics of yield contributing traits, biotic and abiotic stresses, nutritional improvement and crop specific plant-breeding procedures and techniques. The chapters are planned to describe crop-focused breeding procedure for the major crop plants as per their economic importance. The recent developments in breeding of field crops have been reported. The recent progress made in mapping traits of economic importance has been critically reviewed for each crop. The progress made in markers assisted selected in few crops has been summarized. This book bridges the knowledge gap and bring to the researchers and students information on modern breeding tools for developing biotic and abiotic stress tolerant, climate resilient and micronutrient rich varieties of field crops. The chapters in book are contributed by experienced Plant Breeders.