Grain legumes play significant and diverse role in the farming systems and provide nutrition security to the largely vegetarian and relatively poorer people around the world. These are ideal crops for achieving three simultaneous developmental goals viz. reducing poverty, improving human health and nutrition and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Globally, grain legumes are the second most important crop group next only to cereals but a large proportion of area of it is under rainfed-low input systems as compared to cereals contributing to lower yields. The other important factor responsible for reduced yield in grain legumes is the narrow genetic base of the present day pulse varieties. In order to break the yield barriers of these cultivars, new sources of genes/ alleles need to be identified and suitably incorporated into the adapted background. The information on various aspects of grain legume improvement although has been considerable in the recent past, these information are highly scattered and not available at one place. The present book consists of comprehensive and latest crop-wise information on important grain legumes of the world including their distribution, gene pool, systematics, status of genetic and genomic resources, production constraints, traits of importance, crop improvement methodologies - both conventional as well as contemporary and future strategies to be adopted for comprehensive grain legume improvement in various agro-ecological target areas of the globe. The chapters have been contributed by eminent crop experts from across the world engaged in research in their respective crops for the past several years thus providing a rare insight into the crop specific constraints and prospects drawing from their rich overall experience. The book therefore will be a useful source of information to the grain legume researchers, students, policy planners and developmental experts alike.

Grain legumes play significant and diverse role in the farming systems and provide nutrition security to the largely vegetarian and relatively poorer people around the world. These are ideal crops for achieving three simultaneous developmental goals viz. reducing poverty, improving human health and nutrition and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Globally, grain legumes are the second most important crop group next only to cereals but a large proportion of area of it is under rainfed-low input systems as compared to cereals contributing to lower yields. The other important factor responsible for reduced yield in grain legumes is the narrow genetic base of the present day pulse varieties. In order to break the yield barriers of these cultivars, new sources of genes/ alleles need to be identified and suitably incorporated into the adapted background. The information on various aspects of grain legume improvement although has been considerable in the recent past, these information are highly scattered and not available at one place. The present book consists of comprehensive and latest crop-wise information on important grain legumes of the world including their distribution, gene pool, systematics, status of genetic and genomic resources, production constraints, traits of importance, crop improvement methodologies - both conventional as well as contemporary and future strategies to be adopted for comprehensive grain legume improvement in various agro-ecological target areas of the globe. The chapters have been contributed by eminent crop experts from across the world engaged in research in their respective crops for the past several years thus providing a rare insight into the crop specific constraints and prospects drawing from their rich overall experience. The book therefore will be a useful source of information to the grain legume researchers, students, policy planners and developmental experts alike.

The Himalayan Region is a mega hot spot for biological diversity. It supports over 1,748 plants species of known medicinal value. This title focuses on origin and distribution of Himalayan herbs, their medicinal potential, industrial significance, and research advancements pertaining to molecular breeding and omics-based approaches.

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.

Millets and Pseudo Cereals is the first comprehensive resource to focus on the potential crop improvements through genetic enhancements. The choice of food crop for a region is primarily determined by the conditions of climate and soil. Once labelled as orphan crops, millets and pseudo-cereals are now known as miracle grains due to their adaptation to harsh conditions and high nutritional quality. Small millets and pseudo-cereals are now seen to occupy special niches through their ability to adapt to challenging conditions. These crops have a comparative advantage in marginal lands where they withstand stress conditions and contribute to sustainable production. They also contribute to the diversity-richness and production stability of agro-ecosystems. Millets include sorghum, pearl millet, finger millet, foxtail millet, proso millet, barnyard millet, little millet and kodo millet while the other group which are not cereals but consumed as cereals and generally referred as pseudo-cereals comprises of grain amaranths, buckwheat and chenopods. Millets and Pseudo Cereals presents current information on the genetic architecture of important economic traits and the genomic resources for gene enabled breeding. This compilation contains information on the global status, available germplasm resources, nutritional value, breeding advancements, genomics applications and sustainability of agriculture through millets and pseudo-cereals cultivation. This book is a valuable resource for those conducting research and exploring new areas for advancing crop genetic understanding.

Chickpea: Crop Wild Relatives for Enhancing Genetic Gains explores aspects related to critical analysis on factors responsible for narrow genetic base of chickpea productions including domestication bottleneck, the level of diversity present in different cultivated and wild species, the uniqueness and usefulness of potential gene sources available and maintained in production systems across the globe, the level of genetic erosion both at landrace and species level over time and space etc. Despite considerable international investment in conventional breeding, production of chickpea has not yet been significantly improved beyond that achieved through its normal single domestication event and high self-pollination rate. Total annual pulse production of ~12 million tons (FAO 2016) is far below actual potential. Susceptibility to both biotic and abiotic stresses have created a production level bottleneck whose solution possibly lies in the use of crop wild relatives and other genetic traits cultivated by tailoring novel germplasm. Presenting options for widening the genetic base of chickpea cultivars by introgression of diverse genes available in distantly related wild Cicer taxa, thus expanding the genetic base and maximize genetic gains from the selection, it is necessary to accumulate other complimentary alleles from CWRs. This review will focus on present status of gene pool and species distribution, germplasm conservation, characterization and evaluation, problems associated with crop production, sources of target traits available in wild species, status of trait introgression in synthesizing new gene pool of chickpea along with progress made in chickpea genomics. An edited book with contributions from leading scientists, this information will guide and inform chickpea breeders, PGR researchers and crop biologists across the world.

Lentils: Potential Resources for Enhancing Genetic Gains describes the evolutionary aspects and agronomic potential of this important pulse with emphasis placed on wide hybridization, including molecular aspects and future breeding strategies. The existing variability among cultivated germplasm has been exploited to reach a desirable level of productivity. However, to attain further breakthroughs in increasing yield and improving stability in future cultivars, new sources of genes/alleles need to be identified and incorporated into cultivated varieties. This book provides specific use information, including wild lentil germplasm utilization, thus allowing for the selection of transgressive interspecific recombinants that can be adapted to specific environments.

Grain legumes, including common-bean, chickpea, pigeonpea, pea, cowpea, lentil and others, form important constituents of global diets, both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Despite this significant role, global production has increased only marginally in the past 50 years. The slow production growth, along with a rising human population and improved buying capacity has substantially reduced the per capita availability of food legumes. Changes in environmental climate have also had significant impact on production, creating a need to identify stable donors among genetic resources for environmentally robust genes and designing crops resilient to climate change.

"Genetic and Genomic Resources of Grain Legume Improvement "is the first book to bring together the latest resources in plant genetics and genomics to facilitate the identification of specific germplasm, trait mapping and allele mining to more effectively develop biotic and abiotic-stress-resistant grains. This book will be an invaluable resource for researchers, crop biologists and students working with crop development.
Explores origin, distribution and diversity of grain legumesPresents information on germplasm collection, evaluation and maintenanceOffers insight into pre-breeding/germplasm enhancement effortsIntegrates genomic and genetic resources in crop improvement Internationally contributed work