Biology and Breeding of Food Legumes

About this book

Food legumes are important constituents of the human diet and animal feed where they are crucial to a balanced diet, supplying high quality proteins. These crops also play an important role in low-input agricultural production systems by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Despite systematic and continuous breeding efforts through conventional methods, substantial genetic gains have not been achieved. These issues require an immediate attention and overall, a paradigm shift is needed in the breeding strategies to strengthen our traditional crop improvement programs.

With the rise in demand for food legumes/pulses and increased market value of these crops, research has focused on increasing production and improving the quality of pulses for both edible and industrial purposes. This volume covers the history, origin and evolution, botany, breeding objectives and procedures, nutritional improvement, industrial uses and post-harvest technology and also recent developments made through biotechnological intervention.

Contents

1. History, Origin and Evolution
2. Domestication
3. Biology
4. Breeding for Improvement of Cool Season Food Legumes
5. Breeding for Improvement of Warm Season Food Legumes
6. Distant Hybridization and Alien Gene Introgression
7. Polyploidy
8. Cytology and Molecular Cytogenetics
9. Molecular Cytogenetics in Physical Mapping of Genomes and Alien Introgressions
10. Micropropagation
11. Androgenesis and Doubled-Haploid Production in Food Legumes
12. Genetic Transformation
13. Male Sterility and Hybrid Production Technology
14. Mutagenesis
15. Breeding for Biotic Stresses
16. Breeding for Abiotic Stresses
17. Legume Improvement in the Acidic and Less Fertile Soils
18. Molecular Breeding Approach in Managing Abiotic Stresses
19. Trait Mapping and Molecular Breeding
20. Improving Protein Content and Nutrition Quality
21. Underutilized Food Legumes: Potential for Multipurpose Uses
22. Legumes as a Model Plant Family
23. Plant Genetic Resources and Conservation of Biodiversity
24. Seed Dormancy and Viability
25. Post-Harvest Technology
26. Value Addition and International Trade

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