Setaria viridis and S.italica make up a model grass system to investigate C4 photosynthesis, cell wall biosynthesis, responses to drought, herbicide, and other environmental stressors, genome dynamics, developmental genetics and morphology, and interactions with microorganisms. Setaria viridis (green foxtail) is one of the world’s most widespread weeds, and its small size, native variation, rapidly burgeoning genetic and genomic resources, and transformability are making it the system of choice for both basic research and its translation into crop improvement. Its domesticated variant, S. italica (foxtail millet), is a drought-hardy cereal grown in China, India and Africa, and new breeding techniques show great potential for improving yields and nutrition for drought-prone regions. This book brings together for the first time evolutionary, genomic, genetic, and morphological analyses, together with protocols for growing and transforming Setaria, and approaches to high throughput genotyping and candidate gene analysis. Authors include major Setaria researchers from both the USA and overseas.

This book presents up-to-date information on foxtail millet genomics, with a particular focus on its agronomic importance, genome architecture, marker development, evolutionary and diversity studies, comparative genomics and stress biology. The topics discussed have the potential to open up a new era of crop improvement in foxtail millet and other related grass species. Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is the oldest domesticated crop in the world (domesticated >8700 years ago) and it has been extensively grown in the semi-arid regions of Asia, Europe and the Americas as a food and fodder crop ever since. Further, as a C4 crop with close genetic relatedness to several biofuel grasses, foxtail millet has been promoted as a model plant. In view of its importance, the US Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute and Beijing Genomics Institute have independently sequenced the genome of foxtail millet. The availability of the draft genome sequence has advanced the genomics and genetics of this important crop, resulting in the development of large-scale genome-wide molecular markers and demonstration of their utility in genomics-assisted breeding, as well as the identification of the molecular and biological roles of several stress-responsive gene families in connection with abiotic stress tolerance. In addition, several open access databases have been developed to make these resources for crop improvement through structural and functional genomics widely available.

This book provides a comprehensive coverage of the advances in genetics and genomics research on rice. The chapters feature the latest developments in rice research and cover such topics as the tools and resources for the functional analysis of rice genes, the identification of useful genes for rice improvement, the present understanding of rice development and biological processes, and the application of this present understanding towards rice improvement. The volume also features a perspective on synthesis and prospects, laying the groundwork for future advances in rice genetics and genomics. Written by authorities in the field, Genetics and Genomics of Rice will serve as an invaluable reference for rice researchers for years to come.

Genetic and Genomic Resources For Cereals Improvement is the first book to bring together the latest available genetic resources and genomics to facilitate the identification of specific germplasm, trait mapping, and allele mining that are needed to more effectively develop biotic and abiotic-stress-resistant grains. As grain cereals, including rice, wheat, maize, barley, sorghum, and millets constitute the bulk of global diets, both of vegetarian and non-vegetarian, there is a greater need for further genetic improvement, breeding, and plant genetic resources to secure the future food supply. This book is an invaluable resource for researchers, crop biologists, and students working with crop development and the changes in environmental climate that have had significant impact on crop production. It includes the latest information on tactics that ensure that environmentally robust genes and crops resilient to climate change are identified and preserved. - Provides a single-volume resource on the global research work on grain cereals genetics and genomics - Presents information for effectively managing and utilizing the genetic resources of this core food supply source - Includes coverage of rice, wheat, maize, barley, sorghum, and pearl, finger and foxtail millets

Grasses dominate many natural ecosystems and produce the bulk calories consumed by humans either directly in the form of grains or indirectly through forage/grain fed animals. In addition, grasses grown as biomass crops are poised to become a significant source of renewable energy. Despite their economic and environmental importance, research into the unique aspects of grass biology has been hampered by the lack of a truly tractable experimental model system. Over that past decade, the small, annual grass Brachypodium distachyon has emerged as a viable model system for the grasses. This book describes the development of extensive experimental resources (e.g. whole genome sequence, efficient transformation methods, insertional mutant collections, large germplasm collections, recombinant inbred lines, resequenced genomes) that have led many laboratories around the world to adopt B. distachyon as a model system. The use of B. distachyon to address a wide range of biological topics (e.g. disease resistance, cell wall composition, abiotic stress tolerance, root growth and development, floral development, natural diversity) is also discussed.

This book presents abiotic stresses that cause crop damage in the range of 6-20%. Understanding the interaction of crop plants to the abiotic stresses caused by heat, cold, drought, flooding, submergence, salinity, acidity, etc., is important to develop resistant crop varieties. Knowledge on the advanced genetic and genomic crop improvement strategies including molecular breeding, transgenics, genomic-assisted breeding, and the recently emerging genome editing for developing resistant varieties in cereal crops is imperative for addressing FPNEE (food, health, nutrition, energy, and environment) security. Whole genome sequencing of these crops followed by genotyping-by-sequencing has facilitated precise information about the genes conferring resistance useful for gene discovery, allele mining, and shuttle breeding which in turn opened up the scope for 'designing' crop genomes with resistance to abiotic stresses. The nine chapters each dedicated to a cereal crop in this volume are deliberate on different types of abiotic stresses and their effects on and interaction with crop plants; enumerate on the available genetic diversity with regard to abiotic stress resistance among available cultivars; illuminate on the potential gene pools for utilization in interspecific gene transfer; are brief on the classical genetics of stress resistance and traditional breeding for transferring them to their cultivated counterparts; elucidate on the success stories of genetic engineering for developing abiotic stress-resistant crop varieties; discuss on molecular mapping of genes and QTLs underlying stress resistance and their marker-assisted introgression into elite varieties; enunciate on different emerging genomics-aided techniques including genomic selection, allele mining, gene discovery, and gene pyramiding for developing adaptive crop varieties with higher quantity and quality, and also elaborate some case studies on genome editing focusing on specific genes for generating abiotic stress-resistant crops.

Advances in Genetics, Volume 103, provides the latest information on the rapidly evolving field of genetics, presenting new medical breakthroughs that are occurring as a result of advances in our knowledge of the topic. The book continually publishes important reviews of the broadest interest to geneticists and their colleagues in affiliated disciplines, critically analyzing future directions. - Critically analyzes future directions for the study of clinical genetics - Written and edited by recognized leaders in the field - Presents new medical breakthroughs that are occurring as a result of advances in our knowledge of genetics