Improvement of Traditional and Underutilized Crops

About Book

Improvement of Traditional and Underutilized Crops provides a comprehensive understanding of the principles, strategies, and modern approaches used for the genetic improvement of traditional, indigenous, and underutilized crop species. The book highlights the importance of these crops in ensuring food security, nutritional diversity, climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture.

The text systematically explains the fundamentals of crop improvement, inheritance patterns, qualitative and quantitative traits, population genetics, genotype × environment interactions, heritability, and breeding systems in crop plants. Detailed discussions on physiological traits, mineral nutrition, stress tolerance, and breeding objectives under natural farming systems help readers understand the scientific basis of sustainable crop improvement.

Special emphasis is given to breeding for disease resistance, quality improvement, adaptability, multipurpose utilization, and participatory breeding approaches. Modern techniques such as molecular markers, marker-assisted selection, and advanced breeding methods are also discussed for enhancing crop productivity and resilience. Designed for students, researchers, breeders, and agricultural professionals, this book serves as a valuable resource for conserving and improving traditional crop genetic resources for future agricultural sustainability.

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Book Content

1. Introduction to Traditional and Underutilized Crops

2. Diversity and Conservation of Underutilized Crops

3. Fundamentals of Crop Improvement

4. Laws of Inheritance

5. Qualitative Traits in Crop Improvement

6. Quantitative Traits and Polygenic Inheritance

7. Pureline Theory and Selection Concepts

8. Components of Phenotypic Variation

9. Genotype × Environment Interaction

10. Heritability and Breeder’s Equation

11. Population Genetics Principles

12. Mating Systems in Crop Plants

13. Crop Population Types

14. Physiological Basis of Crop Improvement

15. Mineral Nutrition and Crop Performance

16. Breeding Objectives under Natural Farming Systems

17. Breeding for Resistance, Quality, and Adaptation

18. Breeding for Multipurpose Traits

19. Conventional Plant Breeding Techniques

20. Advanced and Participatory Breeding Approaches