Plant genetic resources: A review of current research and future needs [Hardcover]

• Covers both in-situ and ex-situ strategies for conserving and exploiting plant genetic diversity
• Particularly strong coverage of in-situ and on-farm techniques, including collection and management of wild plant populations, community-based conservation strategies, participatory plant breeding programmes and seed systems to ensure farmer access to improved varieties
• Covers improvements in characterising, evaluating and safe exchange of germplasm to accelerate crop breeding programmes

It is likely thatPlant genetic resourceswill become the essential methods manual to facilitate their international exchange and local dissemination. It may well become the standard reference for researchers at universities, institutes, government departments and plant nurseries for many years. It provides an indispensable contribution as a handbook for plant collectors.
(Plant Science Bulletin - Botanical Society of America)

Maintaining and benefitting from plant genetic diversity are key challenges facing agriculture. Challenges include a narrowing genetic base for many key crops, the loss of landraces and wild varieties with agricultural intensification and urbanisation, and the need to develop the role of existing gene banks from repository of genetic diversity to enablers of the flow of germplasm and genetic information for breeding more robust varieties.

Plant genetic resources: A review of current research and future needssurveys the wealth of research addressing these challenges and the opportunity for a more integrated, global approach to protecting and leveraging plant genetic diversity for a more sustainable agriculture. The book assesses ways of valuing and monitoring plant genetic diversity and discusses advances inin-situandex-situstrategies for conserving plant genetic diversity. The book concludes by reviewing ways of enhancing the use of plant genetic diversity, including partlÓ*