The book intends to supplement the course Crop Improvement I (Kharif crops) as per ICAR syllabus for the B.Sc. (Honours) in Agriculture. Till now no comprehensive books to support the course is available as a complete guide book Emphasis has been laid on describing the Kharif Crops from Crop Improvement point of view. Each of the chapters deals with a particular crop dealing with taxonomic identification, centre of origin, related species, brief genetics with botanical description, floral biology, crossing techniques, breeding objectives, breeding methods and achievements.

Plant improvement has shifted its focus from yield, quality and disease resistance to factors that will enhance commercial export, such as early maturity, shelf life and better processing quality. Conventional plant breeding methods aiming at the improvement of a self-pollinating crop, such as wheat, usually take 10-12 years to develop and release of the new variety. During the past 10 years, significant advances have been made and accelerated methods have been developed for precision breeding and early release of crop varieties. This edited volume summarizes concepts dealing with germplasm enhancement and development of improved varieties based on innovative methodologies that include doubled haploidy, marker assisted selection, marker assisted background selection, genetic mapping, genomic selection, high-throughput genotyping, high-throughput phenotyping, mutation breeding, reverse breeding, transgenic breeding, shuttle breeding, speed breeding, low cost high-throughput field phenotyping, etc. It is an important reference with special focus on accelerated development of improved crop varieties.

Plant improvement has shifted its focus from yield, quality and disease resistance to factors that will enhance commercial export, such as early maturity, shelf life and better processing quality. Conventional plant breeding methods aiming at the improvement of a self-pollinating crop usually take 10-12 years to develop and release of the new variety. During the past 10 years, significant advances have been made and accelerated methods have been developed for precision breeding and early release of crop varieties. This book focuses on the accelerated breeding technologies that have been adopted for major oil crops. It summarizes concepts dealing with germplasm enhancement and development of improved varieties based on innovative methodologies that include doubled haploidy, marker assisted selection, marker assisted background selection, genetic mapping, genomic selection, high-throughput genotyping, high-throughput phenotyping, mutation breeding, reverse breeding, transgenic breeding, shuttle breeding, speed breeding, low cost high-throughput field phenotyping, etc. This edited volume is therefore an excellent reference on accelerated development of improved crop varieties.

Plant Breeding Reviews presents state-of-the-art reviews on plant genetics and the breeding of all types of crops by both traditional means and molecular methods. Many of the crops widely grown today stem from a very narrow genetic base; understanding and preserving crop genetic resources is vital to the security of food systems worldwide. The emphasis of the series is on methodology, a fundamental understanding of crop genetics, and applications to major crops.

The innovative theme of the International Treatise Series on “Advances in Plant Physiology”, Volume 12 “Physiological and Molecular Interventions for Crop Improvement under Changing Environments” has been especially edited for rational use by planners, scientists, investigators, academicians and postgraduate students. This book is an exceptional assimilation of timely, vital and inclusive twelve worthy reviews of varied significance, especially in view of the changing macro- and micro-climate influencing physiology of plants at all levels, contributed by true commitment of experienced, laudable and well-known scientists/ stalwarts all over the world. This is also strongly realized that there is with time more a need of united effort for the holistic development in the agricultural sciences, which absolutely depends on environmental situations. The threat of changing climate has imposed challenge to world scientists and their efforts in understanding reasons of yield reductions at physiological and molecular levels have been intensified. The consistent outcome are imparted with genetic engineers who have to now under the present circumstances exclusively identify, isolate and purify specific genes from DNA sequences befitting for development of tolerance mechanism in crop plants under changes of different degrees of intensity in environment. That is naturally the step wise long process having several pros and cons to arrive at any conclusion. Hence, the treatise series is the need of the hour and excellent source to disseminate meaningful distilled thoughts emerging out of extensive research which has due relevance for planning consequential basic strategic research besides direct help to the mankind. The intricacies of abiotic and biotic stresses on growth and development of plants have been understood in the last few decades. This book too is an endeavour to make aware the young workers to gain information on researches of basic and applied significance for extending consequential research of physiological and molecular approaches for crop improvement under changing environment. The manifold ideas on basic problems of the present and the future as well as resolutions, in part, have been consolidated which will be accomplished in subsequent volumes.

The volume contents aspects as crops i.e. Clusterbean, Mothbean, Cowpea, Horsegram, Mungbean, Rice bean, Indian bean, Winged bean and other minor pulses grown in arid and semi-arid regions.

The volume contents aspects as crops i.e. Clusterbean, Mothbean, Cowpea, Horsegram, Mungbean, Rice bean, Indian bean, Winged bean and other minor pulses grown in arid and semi-arid regions.