Breeding Grasses And Protein Crops In The Era Of Genomics

This book includes papers presented at the 2017 Joint meeting of Fodder Crops and Amenity Grasses Section and Protein Crops Working Group of EUCARPIA-Oil and Protein Crops Section. The theme of the meeting “Breeding Grasses and Protein Crops in the Era of Genomics” has been divided into six parts: (1) Utilisation of genetic resources and pre-breeding, (2) Genetic improvement of quality and agronomic traits, (3) Breeding for enhanced stress tolerance (4) Implementation of phenomics and biometrics, (5) Development of genomic tools and bioinformatics and (6) Reports of Parallel Sessions.

The genomic revolution has opened many opportunities to explore relationships between genetic and phenotypic diversity of plants as never before. The joint meeting addresses challenges of combining genetic resources and advanced omics technologies for enhancing development of next generation breeding strategies that will move plant breeding a step forward. Selection based on genomic technologies allows simultaneous marker discovery and validation, however high- throughput and precise phenotyping remains a major bottleneck limiting the power and resolution of genetic analysis. Additionally, novel sequencing technologies and automated phenotyping approaches generate big data sets requiring efficient data analysis and decision support tools that help breeders to select the superior material for their breeding programs.

Forage crops include several species of grasses and legumes that are widely used as animal fodder in the form of hay, pasturage and silage, as well as for turf and erosion control. Some forage grasses are also being considered for bio-energy generation. In this book leading researchers review the latest advances in molecular genetics and genomics; they also examine the success of breeding programs for forage grasses and legume species. The book will be useful for students and young researchers with an interest in forage, turf and bio-energy crops improvements.

This book describes the concepts, strategies and techniques for pulse-crop improvement in the era of climate change, highlighting the latest advances in plant molecular mapping and genome sequencing. Genetic mapping of genes and QTLs has broadened the scope of marker-assisted breeding and map-based cloning in almost all major pulse crops. Genetic transformation, particularly using alien genes conferring resistance to herbicide, insects and diseases has facilitated the development of a huge number of genetically modified varieties of the major pulse crops. Since the genome sequencing of rice in 2002, genomes of over 7 pulse crops have been sequenced. This has resulted in the possibility of deciphering the exact nucleotide sequence and chromosomal positions of agroeconomic genes. Most importantly, comparative genomics and genotyping-by-sequencing has opened up a new vista for exploring wild crop relatives for identification of useful donor genes.

A special issue of Biologia Plantarum entitled “Festulolium – from the nature to modern breeding”. This special issue contains 14 articles, including eleven original research papers and three reviews, which are focused on genetics, ecology, physiology, biotechnology and the breeding value of Festulolium and various species within the Festuca-Lolium complex.

This book emphasizes on cutting-edge next-generation smart plant breeding approaches for maximizing the use of genomic resources generated by high-throughput genomics in the post-genomic era. Through this book the readers would learn about the recent development in the genomic approaches such as genotype by sequencing (GBS) for genomic analysis (SNPs, Single Nucleotide Polymorphism), whole-genome re-sequencing (WGRS) and RNAseq for transcriptomic analysis (DEGs, Differentially Expressed Genes). To maximize the genetic gains in the cereal/food crops, the book covers topics on transgenic breeding, genome editing, high-throughput phenotyping, reliable/precision phenotyping and genomic information-based analysis. In the era of climate change and the ever-increasing population, food security and nutritional security are the primary concern of plant breeders, growers, and policymakers to address the UN’s sustainable development goals. Chapters of this book cohere around these goals and covers techniques such as (QTL mapping, association studies, candidate gene identification), omics, RNAi [through micro RNA (miRNA), small interfering RNA (siRNA) and artificial micro RNA (amiRNA)]. It also covers other genomic techniques like antisense technology, genome editing (CRISPR/cas9, base editing) and epigenomics that assist the crop improvement programmes to fulfil the UNs sustainable development goals. It explores the influence of rapidly available sequencing data assisting in the next generation breeding programmes. This volume is a productive resource for the students, researchers, scientists, teachers, public and private sector stakeholders involved in the genetic enhancement of cereal crops.

Future Proteins: Sources, Processing, Applications and the Bioeconomy presents sources of alternative proteins and the novel processing technologies associated with these new proteins, including their vast food and non-food applications and their contributions to the circular economy that ties them together. Broken into three sections, chapters focus on alternative proteins including cereals, legumes and pulses, fungi, seafoods, insects, and others before assessing novel production technologies and alternative protein applications. Through the use of content features, specifically definitions, case studies, recent developments, data, and methods, this reference assists readers in understanding how to apply current knowledge and techniques to their research. This book is intended for any stakeholders involved in the alternative protein industry as it provides a clear and comprehensive review of the industry. It will be of interest to food scientists, technologists, food industry personnel, academics and graduate students researching this and related topics. Discusses the various industrial applications of the proposed proteins, from powdered algal for the nutraceuticals market to insect pastas and bacterial-protein flour Provides a comprehensive overview of recent advances on the identification of potentially important compounds in these alternative proteins Outlines advances in proteins characterization, processing and purification techniques Focuses on biologically active proteins and their beneficial impact on humans Addresses implications for legislation that forward novel foods