PLANT BREEDING: Classical to Modern, 1st ed. 2019

This book offers a detailed overview of both conventional and modern approaches to plant breeding. In 25 chapters, it explores various aspects of conventional and modern means of plant breeding, including: history, objective, activities, centres of origin, plant introduction, reproduction, incompatibility, sterility, biometrics, selection, hybridization, methods of breeding both self- and cross- pollinated crops, heterosis, synthetic varieties, induced mutations and polyploidy, distant hybridization, quality breeding, ideotype breeding, resistance breeding, breeding for stress resistance, G x E interactions, tissue culture, genetic engineering, molecular breeding, genomics, gene action and varietal release.

Each chapter discusses the respective subject as comprehensively as possible, and includes a section on further reading at the end. Info-boxes highlight the latest advances, and care has been taken to include nearly all topics required under the curricula of MS programs. As such, the book provides a much-needed reference guide for MS students around the globe.

Part I. General Topics.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Objectives, Activities and Centres of Origin.- 3. Plant Introduction.- Part II. Developmental Aspects.- 4. Mode of Reproduction and Breeding Systems in Plants.- 5. Incompatibility.- 6. Sterility.- 7. Biometrics and Informatics.- Part III. Breeding Methods.- 8. Selection.- 9. Backcross Method of Selection.- 10. Hybridization.- 11. Breeding Self-pollinated Crops.- 12. Breeding Cross-Pollinated Crops.- 13. Inbred Line Development.- 14. Population Improvement.- Part IV. Specialized Breeding.- 15. Heterosis.- 16. Hybrids and Synthetic Cultivars.- 17. Induced Mutations and Polyploidy Breeding.- 18. Distant Hybridization.- 19. Quality Breeding.- 20. Ideotype Breeding and Multi-trait Selection.- 21. Host Plant Resistance Breeding.- 22. Breeding for Stress Adaptation.- 23. Genotype-By-Environment Interactions.- Part V. Plant Biotechnology.- 24. Tissue Culture.- 25. Genetic Engineering.- 26. Molecular Breeding.- 27. Genomics in Plant Breeding.- Part VI Intellectual Property Management.- 28. Intellectual Property Management

Dr Priyadarshan is a prominent Hevea rubber breeder. He began his research career by breeding triticale and wheat. During the 1980s he focused on the in vitro culture of spices. He joined the Rubber Research Institute of India (Rubber Board, Ministry of Commerce, Govt. of India) as a Plant Breeder in 1990 and specialized in breeding Hevea rubber for sub-optimal environments. In 2009, he became the Institute’s Deputy Director, and managed its Central Experiment Station until 2016. As a scientist, he has been involved in breeding cereals, spices and Hevea rubber for the past 32 years. During that time, he has published several research papers and chapters in journals and books of international repute. He has authored articles for several important journals, e.g. Advances in Agronomy, Advances in Genetics, and Plant Breeding Reviews, and has edited books on Breeding Plantation Tree Crops, Breeding Major Food Staples, and the Genomicsof Tree Crops, as well as a book on the biology of Hevea rubber.