Presented here are modern and classical aspects of cytogenetics as well as biotechnology in relation to improvement of the Festuca-Lolium group of grasses. Festuca and its close relative Lolium are very valuable genera of temperate agriculture. These fascinating genera contain some highly productive, nutritious, and well-adapted grasses widely used for agricultural and recreational purposes world wide. The book is organizedinto 15 chapters devoted to taxonomy and systematics; species evolution and divergence by increase in chromosome number as well as by change in DNA content; genetic control of chromosome pairing and its breeding and phylogenetic implications; B chromosomes, induced polyploidy and haploidy inrelation to varietal improvement; wide hybridization, genome relationships, and plant improvement; genomic balance in relation to hybrid fertility and hererosis breeding; biotechnology and its potential applications in plant improvement. It is of special interest to geneticists, taxonomists, evolutionists, biotechnologists, and plant breeders.

Summarizing landmark research, Volume 2 of this essential series furnishes information on the availability of germplasm resources that breeders can exploit for producing high-yielding cereal crop varieties. Written by leading international experts, this volume offers the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on employing genetic resources to increase the yield of those cereal crops that provide the main source of nutrition for two-thirds of the world. In thirteen succinct chapters, Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement: Cereals, Volume 2 focuses on wheat, rice, maize, oats, barley, millet, sorghum, and rye, as well as triticale: a wheat and rye hybrid with great potential. An introductory chapter outlines the cytogenetic architecture of cereal crops, describes the principles and strategies of cytogenetics and breeding, and summarizes landmarks in current research. This sets the stage for the ensuing crop-specific chapters. Each chapter generally provides a comprehensive account of the crop, its origin, wild relatives, exploitation of genetic resources in the primary, secondary, and tertiary gene pools through breeding and cytogenetic manipulation, and genetic enrichment using the tools of molecular genetics and biotechnology. Certain to become the standard reference for improving the yields of these critical grains, this book is the definitive source of information for plant breeders, agronomists, cytogeneticists, taxonomists, molecular biologists, biotechnologists, and graduate students and researchers in these fields.